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In this episode, we perceive the determination of an anguished lady, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 382, penned by Nikandan Kalaikottu Thandanaar. The verse is set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’ and speaks in the voice of the lady to her confidante, conveying the need to hide their emotions from those around them.
கானல் மாலைக் கழி நீர் மல்க,
நீல் நிற நெய்தல் நிரை இதழ் பொருந்த,
ஆனாது அலைக்கும் கடலே; மீன் அருந்தி,
புள்ளினம் குடம்பை உடன் சேர்பு உள்ளார்
துறந்தோர் தேஎத்து இருந்து, நனி வருந்தி,
ஆர் உயிர் அழிவதுஆயினும்-நேரிழை!-
கரத்தல் வேண்டுமால் மற்றே, பரப்பு நீர்த்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் நாண,
நண்ணார் தூற்றும் பழிதான் உண்டே.
Opening with ‘கானல் மாலைக் கழி நீர் மல்க’ meaning ‘the backwaters abound on an evening by the shore’, the verse instantly transports us to a picturesque land by the sea, painted by the hues of sunset. We get to meet ‘a blue-hued lotus’ in ‘நீல் நிற நெய்தல்’ as it prepares to close its buds as the sun bids adieu. The phrase ‘புள்ளினம் குடம்பை உடன் சேர்பு’ talks about how ‘the birds are returning to their nests’, an unmistakable feature of the skies just then. A glimpse of powerful words arrests our attention in ‘ஆர் உயிர் அழிவதுஆயினும்’ meaning ‘even if my good life were to be ruined’. The verse ends with ‘நண்ணார் தூற்றும் பழிதான் உண்டே’ meaning ‘the slanderous rumours of those who are hostile to us’ and intrigues our curiosity.
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship when the man had to part away on a mission. The lady pines for him and seeing the sadness in her friend, the confidante is anxious about her. To the worrying confidante, the lady says, “In the evening, by the shore, as backwaters overflow, the blue-hued lotuses close their full bloomed petals, while the waves flow to and fro endlessly. Having had a fill of fish, birds return to their nests. Without thinking of all this, he has parted away, while I stay here. Even if I suffer too much and even if my precious life were to end, my bejewelled friend, I should conceal it. If I were not to do so, making the lord of the spreading, cool shores feel humiliated, slanderous talk of those unfriendly neighbours would arise!” With these words, the lady assures the confidante that she would do all needed to conceal her worry from others, thereby assuring her friend not to worry on account of her.
Time to delve into the details! The lady starts by talking about the evening time, a time of immense pain for those in love who are separated. She paints the bubbling waters in the backwaters, the buds of the blue lotus closing and the endless flow of the waves. Then, she mentions the most striking feature of the skies just then, which is the sight of a flock of birds returning to their nests after a satisfying feed of fish. Adding that the man who parted away did not seem to consider all these elements and the way that would quake her heart with pining, the lady reflects on how the man chose to go on his mission. However, she continues saying that even if it were so, even if her pain ended in taking her very life, she would choose to conceal these emotions, because otherwise those thoughtless neighbours of theirs would start gossiping about her relationship with man, which in turn would bring shame to him. Saying these words, she expresses how she will bear with this and that her friend also should do the same and not reveal her worry about the lady to others!
A simple song that talks about managing emotions so as not to bring dishonour to a beloved. Within this tiny verse, we can sense not only the high regard the lady has for the man’s honour but also the concern in the confidante for the lady, who perceives the lady’s sorrow as her own. Indeed, the confidante is the epitome of empathy! Within these multiple threads of concern and care, we can perceive the richness in the tapestry of relationships then!
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