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In this episode, we delight in a subtle simile that speaks a thousand words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kurunthogai 290, penned by Kalporu Sirunuraiyaar. Set in the costal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the lady to the confidante, in response to the confidante’s words asking the lady to bear better with the man’s parting.
‘காமம் தாங்குமதி’ என்போர்தாம் அஃது
அறியலர்கொல்லோ? அனை மதுகையர் கொல்?
யாம், எம் காதலர்க் காணேம்ஆயின்,
செறிதுனி பெருகிய நெஞ்சமொடு, பெருநீர்க்
கல் பொரு சிறு நுரை போல,
மெல்லமெல்ல இல்லாகுதுமே.
‘Don’t they know’ is the wondering question at the core of the verse. The opening words ‘காமம் தாங்குமதி என்போர்தாம்’ meaning ‘the people who say bear with your passion’ talks about the words spoken by a generic person. Learnt a new word for ‘strength’ in ‘மதுகையர்’ meaning ‘such strong people’. An if-clause looks up in ‘எம் காதலர்க் காணேம்ஆயின்’ meaning ‘if I am not to see my lover’ and talks about a foreseen separation. The phrase ‘பெருநீர்க் கல் பொரு சிறு நுரை’ meaning ‘the foam from a gush of water that strikes a rock’ is significant for it renders the name of the song’s poet, whose real name is long lost in the mists of time. Ending with the words ‘மெல்லமெல்ல இல்லாகுதுமே’ meaning ‘little by little, it turns into nothing’, the verse arrests our attention.
All about the storm of passion, this one! The context reveals that the man and lady were leading a love relationship when the man parted away to gather wealth for their wedding. At this time, the lady is filled with distress and starts losing her health. Seeing her friend in this state, the confidante advises the lady to manage the situation better. To the confidante, the lady says, “They, who say, ‘bear your passion’ – don’t they know about it? Or are they people of such strength? As for me, when I cannot see my lover, with a heart overflowing with utter suffering, akin to the tiny froth from a huge flood that dashes against a rock, I, slowly, slowly melt away!” With these words, the lady refuses to accept the confidante’s words of advice and conveys her state of mind acutely.
When her friend is offering some sensible advice, why isn’t the lady accepting it? To find out, let’s delve deeper into her words. She starts by talking about random people, who advise saying that one should bear one’s passion better. Not so random, as you can see! The lady is indirectly referring to the confidante and her advice that the lady should bear the man’s parting in a better manner. Then the lady asks two wondering questions about those people, whether they don’t really know about the nature of passion, and other, knowing that, are they of such a strong will to bear that without flinching? A scene that makes us see that not all advice is good advice. Unless a situation can be seen from the eyes of the one suffering, any words offered will sound cold and logical, lacking the warmth of empathy!
From these wonderment about the others, the lady turns to herself and says that when it comes to her being unable to see the man, she turns into the froth of a flood that dashes against a rock and dissolves away! A moment to relish that simile that has made a poet live for more than three thousand years! Taking the everyday sight of rushing waves striking a rock and vanishing away, the poet connects it to the lady’s situation. Creativity and compassion walk hand in hand to make that connection between an element in the land and the emotions of a lady! And, this makes me want to ask, ‘what could be that one little thing we can do that would leave our name for a thousand years, like this Sangam poet?’. We’ll never know and all we can do, is to keep on doing everything that makes our hearts sing!
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