Bard strumming the harp - Ainkurunooru 402

Pleasing it is, mother!

As the bard strumming the harp!

 Ainkurunooru 402

Mullai Thinai poem by Poet Peyanaar, depicting the words of foster mother to the heroine's mother.

For the original Tamil poem and explanation, please click on this link, யாழிசை இல்லறம் - ஐங்குறுநூறு 402

"pudhalvan kavaiya thaaipura muyangi

nasaiyinan vadhindha kidakkai paanar

narambular murarkai pola
inidhaal amma panbum aarudaiththe"

Ainkurunooru poems 401 to 410 are categorized as 'sevili kootru paththu'. meaning 'decade of the foster mother's utterance'.  These poems depict the married life of the hero and the heroine. Happy married life also falls under the theme of mullai thinai poems, namely 'waiting patiently', says Thiru. Po. Ve. Somasundaranar.

 

After the heroine gets married and goes to her marital home, the foster mother visiting them now and then, was a tradition. She observes if everything is fine and that the couple is happy in their marriage. Happy marriage results in the fruit of charity, and that is valued too. On returning home, the foster mother shares her joy with the heroine's (biological) mother. Such poems are categorized as 'sevili kootru paththu', meaning 'decade of the foster mother's utterance'. 

Paraphrase:  The heroine is lying down cuddling her son. The hero embraces her from behind with love and lies down quietly. Seeing this is joyful as listening to the bards playing their harps, mother! The scene also shows the virtue of charity blossoming in their marriage.

Explanation: The heroine (wife) is lying down cuddling her son. The hero (husband),  not wanting to disturb the mother and the child, embraces her from behind with love, and lies down quietly. The foster mother says seeing this brings so much happiness, as listening to the melody of the bards' harps. Harp music is considered to be the most melodious. Hence, the foster mother compares her joy to that. Charity is considered an essential value of married life, and happy marriages results in charity. So the foster mother mentions that as well. Thiruvalluvar, in one of his  kural says, love is the characteristic of married life which yields the benefit of charity. 

 

Word Synonyms: pudhalvan - son, kavaiya -  holding closely, thaaii - mother, pura - from behind, muyangi - embrace, nasaiyinan vadhindha - love filled husband, kidakkai - lying down, paanar - bard, narambular  - playing the strings of the harp, murarkai - the music, pola - like,  inidhaal - joyful (aal - expletive), amma - mother (calling her to listen), panpumaar udaithe - virtue thrives

My Poem:

Fondly embracing from behind

The mother cuddling her son,

Her beloved lay down

Pleasing it is, mother!

As the bard strumming the harp

Embodies virtue too!