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In this episode, we perceive the sunny life of a Sangam girl on an ancient shore, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 123, written by Kanji Pulavanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ landscape and speaks in the voice of the confidante to the lady, intending to convey a hidden message to the man, listening nearby.
உரையாய், வாழி தோழி, இருங்கழி
இரை ஆர் குருகின் நிரை பறைத் தொழுதி
வாங்கு மடல் குடம்பை தூங்கு இருள் துவன்றும்
பெண்ணை ஓங்கிய வெண்மணல் படப்பைக்
கானல் ஆயமொடு காலைக் குற்ற
கள் கமழ் அலர தண் நறுங்காவி
அம் பகை நெறித் தழை அணி பெறத் தைஇ,
வரி புனை சிற்றில் பரி சிறந்து ஓடிப்,
புலவுத் திரை உதைத்த கொடுந்தாள் கண்டல்
சேர்ப்பு ஏர் ஈர் அளை அலவன் பார்க்குஞ்
சிறு விளையாடலும் அழுங்கி,
நினைக்குறு பெருந்துயரம் ஆகிய நோயே.
As we step onto this shore, ‘உரையாய்’ invites us to open up, meaning ‘won’t you tell?’ Shortly thereafter, we see ‘குருகு’ or ‘seabirds’, flying in a neat formation, in ‘நிரை பறைத் தொழுதி’. Learnt that ‘மடல்’ which means ‘letter or post’ in contemporary language, pertains to a ‘palm leaf’ here. Perhaps, a hint that the early postal system in the Tamil country involved sending messages on palm leaves. Here, palm leaves are not being used to send those letters, but to build ‘nests’ or ‘குடம்பை’. ‘பெண்ணை’ highlights once again, the ‘palm trees’ that seem to have adorned ancient shores many. The phrase ‘கள் கமழ்’ caught my eyes, for the word ‘கள்’ is used to refer to ‘toddy’ in current day lingo. However, here it means another kind of intoxication, that of sweet ‘honey’. ‘காவி’ is a new flower being referenced and possibly pertains to a ‘red water-lily’. Even in current day, many homes in Tamilnadu have the custom of adorning their house entrances with ‘kolams’ or line drawings. These same ‘kolams’ are referenced with the phrase ‘வரி புனை’ and thus, we perceive the antiquity of this custom. ‘சிற்றில்’ is said to be a game played by young children on the seashore, by building ‘little homes’ on the sand. In other words, the ‘sand castles’ that we seem to keep building on the shore of time. Finally, the song ends in the contrast of ‘சிறு விளையாடல்’ meaning ‘little games’ and ‘பெருந்துயரம்’ meaning ‘great sorrow’. Let’s walk on, to understand more.
The man and lady have been in a love relationship for a while. The lady is happy when he’s around but in the time, he stays away, she languishes, pining for him. Seeing differences in her demeanour, mother decides to confine her to the house. The confidante, perceiving that the man isn’t showing sufficient interest in securing the lady’s hand, decides to express how things stand. So, one day, when the man arrives to tryst with the lady, the confidante, pretending not to see him, but making sure he’s listening, says to the lady, “Won’t you tell me, dear friend? May you live long! The seabirds that search for prey in the vast backwaters, return as flocks in vast numbers to rest in their nests, made of curved palm leaves, as darkness sets in. Palm trees with these nests fill the white sand shore. I recollect how you would play on these shores, wearing a beautiful garment with varying leaves, inter-stitched with cool, honey-smelling, red water-lilies, which you plucked in the morning along with your playmates. On the shore, you would build mud-castles and make intricate ‘kolams’ in the sand. You would run quickly towards the flesh-smelling waves and play with delight, in the sea. Then, turning towards the mangrove trees with curved trunks, near which there were many wet holes, you would wait to see if crabs living there, peeked out. All these little games have disappeared from your life. Tell me, what is that affliction that seems to fill you with great sorrow, whenever you think about it?” With these words, the confidante hints to the man that the lady suffers greatly because of her love for him and that he should allay her pain by formalising their union.
To savour the fine details in this poem, we first turn our attention to the skies. It’s twilight and the seabirds, having their fill of prey in the fertile backwaters, are flying in neat rows, and returning to their nests in the palm trees on the shore. Hold on to that serene image of a bird resting in its nest for a while and turn to look at a girl on the shore. That morning, the girl went with her friends, to pluck honey-fragrant water-lilies. Then, taking those flowers and stitching them with leaves of varying shapes and sizes, she made a garment for herself, which she now wears, as she sits on the shore. The girl then, builds little mud homes on the shore and draws line patterns near it. She worries not that the waves will take away her creations any moment. For she beckons those waves to play with her too, by quickly running there and tugging at those flesh-smelling, frothy fingers. After this play with the waves, she turns back to look at the waterholes by the mangrove trees, running back and forth to make the crabs living there pop up and then disappear. Words that would make anyone with any worry turn a carefree child!
The confidante then places a ‘but now’ and we realise that all this was in the past. She has been questioning the lady to reveal why she longer takes part in these little games, probing reasons as to why she wallows in great sorrow now. The confidante, for sure knows the reason why, but she asks the lady, so as to make the man, listening nearby, realise the transformation in the lady and the pain in her. Now, bring back the image of that bird resting in its nest. The confidante uses this image to instil the thought in the man to make a home for the lady and render her the peace of mind, she now lacks. Like us, let’s hope the man too, is moved by that vivid portrayal of the simple joys in life!
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