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In this episode, we meet our first poem in our Sangam travels. Natrinai Poem 1, written by Kabilar, set in the landscape of ‘kurinji’ or the mountainous regions, in which a lady replies to her confidante, on the subject of her man’s intention to part away from her.
நின்ற சொல்லர்; நீடுதோறு இனியர்;
என்றும் என் தோள் பிரிபு அறியலரே”
தாமரைத் தண் தாது ஊதி, மீமிசைச்
சாந்தில் தொடுத்த தீம் தேன் போல,
புரைய மன்ற, புரையோர் கேண்மை;
நீர் இன்று அமையா உலகம் போலத்
தம் இன்று அமையா நம் நயந்தருளி,
நறு நுதல் பசத்தல் அஞ்சிச்
சிறுமை உறுபவோ? செய்பு அறியலரே!
I’m so kicked to be able to read these words from 2000 years ago. My first interpretation of this verse was thus: A man who keeps his word, whose sweetness never fades, he shall never know being apart from me, taking the blossom of honey and feeding it from above, such is his greatness. Just as the world cannot exist without water, he will never exist away from me. Why do you have these doubts? He is not someone like that!
On trying to understand it further, with the aid of Tamil ‘urai’ and translations, I have settled on this explanation: A man of his word, whose sweetness flows unending. He knows not how to be apart from me. From the pollen of the lotus flower, bees collect the nectar and make honey in the looming sandalwood tree above. Savour the sweetness and fragrance of that honey! Such is my man’s love. Knowing that just like the world cannot exist without water, so can I not exist without him. He is kind to me and fearing the sorrow that will fall on my fragrant face, will he ever act so petty, as to move away from me? Never ever!
Let’s take a glance at the images this poem evokes. There, in front of your eyes, a still pond with floating lotus blooms. The buzzing bees dive for a soak in the sweetness and gathering the pollen buds fly above and behold, what do they find, a fragrant sandalwood tree! On the bark of this fragrant tree, they make a hive of honey. Just imagine tasting a drop of that honey made on a sandalwood tree bark, with lotus nectar! The very thought would transport one to sensory bliss. Such is the sweetness of my beloved’s friendship, she declares.
Another simile talks about a world without water, saying that it nay, it cannot exist! 2000 years ago, water was our preoccupation and 2000 years forward, it may be too. It brings to my mind the excitement we feel when traces of water is discovered in any corner of the universe. All the research happening in Antarctica to understand underground glacial rivers and lakes, as the same found in Europa, a distant moon in our solar system! Where water is, there home could be, we declare. The understanding of this truth before telescopes and science, by these ancient people, is nothing short of wondrous. Likening this scientific fact as a similie, she declares that the world cannot exist without water, so can she not exist without him.
To me, this song was all about trust. An unwavering trust in the friendship of a beloved. Nay, never will he act to bring sorrow to me. Such positivity! Such belief! In these cynical times, is it even possible to have such a trust? Would it only be naive to have such a trust? Can you think of relationships that evoke such a sense of trust in you? I also think that the inherent power of such a belief might turn a person to be as great as they are thought out to be! How might our lives change with a little more trust in our loved ones and in life itself?!
Share your thoughts...