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In this episode, we hop in step with a white sea gull to learn of the love dynamics between the man and the lady, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 161-170, situated in the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and penned by the poet Ammoovanaar.
Here goes the Seventeenth Ten of Ainkurunooru: On the wings of a gull
161 Staying at ease
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
கருங் கோட்டுப் புன்னைத் தங்கும் துறைவற்குப்
பயந்து நுதல் அழியச் சாஅய்,
நயந்த நெஞ்சம் நோய்ப்பாலஃதே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore stays on the black-trunked laurelwood tree in the lord’s shore. Thinking of him, my forehead has lost its lustre and the heart that desired him is filled with affliction.
162 Resting in the grove
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
நீத்து நீர் இருங் கழி இரை தேர்ந்து உண்டு,
பூக் கமழ் பொதும்பர்ச் சேக்கும்
துறைவன் சொல்லோ பிற ஆயினவே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore searches for its prey in the stagnant and dark backwaters and then rests in the groves, filled with the fragrance of flowers, in the lord’s shore. He has not kept his promises!
163 Sound sleep
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழித் துவலை ஒலியின் துஞ்சும்
துறைவன் துறந்தென, துறந்து என்
இறை ஏர் முன்கை நீங்கிய, வளையே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore sleeps not minding the sound of splashes in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. As he parted away from me, they too have parted away from my forearms and fell off my wrists, those bangles of mine!
164 Fishing for small fry
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி மருங்கின் அயிரை ஆரும்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் தகுதி
நம்மோடு அமையாது, அலர் பயந்தன்றே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore feeds on the loach fish near the dark backwaters in the lord’s cool shores. Since his grace remains not only with me, slander spreads!
165 Savouring Slush fish
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
அறு கழிச் சிறு மீன் ஆர மாந்தும்
துறைவன் சொல்லிய சொல் என்
இறை ஏர் எல் வளை கொண்டு நின்றதுவே!
The small white gull in the huge seashore eats to the full the small fish in the slushy backwaters of the lord’s shore. The word he gave back then has seized my well-fitted, glowing bangles and made them slip away!
166 Illusions of capture
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
வரி வெண் தாலி வலை செத்து வெரூஉம்
மெல்லம் புலம்பன் தேறி,
நல்ல ஆயின, நல்லோள் கண்ணே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore mistakes the rows of white cowry shells to be a net and is frightened in the soft shores of the lord. Believing in him, so fine they have become, the eyes of the good lady!
167 Fishing in the backwaters
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி இனக் கெடிறு ஆரும் துறைவன்
நல்குவன் போலக் கூறி,
நல்கான் ஆயினும், தொல் கேளன்னே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore feeds on the schools of catfish in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. Even though he promised to render his grace and does not fulfil it, he has a long-standing love for me!
168 Prosperous eggs in the sturdy boat
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
துறை படி அம்பி அகமணை ஈனும்
தண்ணம் துறைவன் நல்கின்,
ஒண் நுதல் அரிவை பால் ஆரும்மே.
The small white gull in the huge seashore lays its eggs in the inner space of the boat tied on the shore in the cool domain of the lord. If he renders his grace, the young maiden with a glowing forehead will return to drinking milk.
169 Favouring another
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
ஒள் இணர் ஞாழல் முனையின், பொதி அவிழ்
புன்னைஅம் பூஞ் சினைச் சேக்கும் துறைவன்
நெஞ்சத்து உண்மை அறிந்தும்,
என் செயப் பசக்கும் தோழி! என் கண்ணே?
The small white gull in the huge seashore, disliking the tigerclaw tree with radiant clusters, rests in the beautiful, flower-filled branches of the ‘punnai’ tree, blooming with buds in the lord’s shore. Even though it knows the truth in his heart, why do my eyes spread with pallor, my friend?
170 Crushing blue lotuses
பெருங் கடற்கரையது சிறு வெண் காக்கை
இருங் கழி நெய்தல் சிதைக்கும் துறைவன்
‘நல்லன்’ என்றிஆயின்;
பல் இதழ் உண்கண் பசத்தல் மற்று எவனோ?
The small white gull in the huge seashore muddles the blue lotus in the dark backwaters of the lord’s shore. If he is ‘a good man’, then why does my many-petaled, kohl-streaked eyes spread with pallor?
So concludes Ainkurunooru 161-170. The unifying theme in all these songs is the presence of a white sea gull on a huge shore. To be more accurate, this reference most probably points to the ‘black-headed seagull’, found commonly in the Indian subcontinent. The verses occur either in the context of a man’s secret love relationship with the lady when he delays the marriage and causes anxiety in the lady or in the context of a man’s married relationship with the lady and the specific situation of a love quarrel involving courtesans. Except for two verses which are said by the confidante, all the rest are said by the lady to the confidante. The confidante addresses the lady, as the man listens nearby, in one instance, and she addresses mother in the other.
The first three occur in a pre-marital context, and in the first, the lady says the man has made her lose the beauty of her forehead and filled her heart with the disease of sorrow. In the second, the lady tells the confidante that the one she loves is not a man of his word, for he keeps delaying the marriage, taking no efforts whatsoever. In the third, the lady illustrates what the man’s behaviour is doing to her by pointing to the bangles slipping away from her thinning arms.
In the next two, we turn to the post-marital context and a conflict situation involving the courtesan. In the fifth, the lady laments how since the man does not show his love only to her, but rather to the courtesans too, slander spreads in town. In the sixth, the lady recollects the promises made by the man back then and talks about how her trust in them has made her bangles slip away now.
In the sixth, the confidante comes under the spotlight and she says for the benefit of the man who is standing in earshot, remarking sarcastically that the eyes of the good lady have been made to glow with health because the man keeps delaying seeking her hand. In the seventh, the lady takes the centre stage and defends the man saying that even though the man has gone seeking courtesans and forgotten his promise to her, she believes that he has a deep love for her.
The eighth happens in the situation when strangers come seeking the lady’s hand, when the lady is in the midst of a secret love relationship with the man, causing great anxiety in her. Owing to this, she does not eat or drink and loses her health. When mother questions about her state to the confidante, the confidante reveals the lady’s love relationship, and says if the man returns, the lady will eat and drink and regain her health.
The last two are yet again set in the post-marital context, and in the ninth, the lady wonders why her eyes keep spreading with pallor even though she understands the truth in the man’s heart. In the final one, the lady calls her eyes many-petaled, implying that she’s placing them in parallel with blue lotus, and talks about how they spread with pallor, even though the man is such a good person, as the confidante seemed to portray him.
Turning to the metaphorical elements, there are many in this section. In the one, where the man happily stays on the ‘punnai’ tree, that’s a metaphor for the lack of efforts on the man’s part and his relaxed attitude of delaying the marriage. In the scene, where the gull feeds on the prey and then goes to the flower-filled groves to rest, that’s a metaphor for the man relishing the beauty of the lady, and then, forgetting his duty, retiring to his home, without taking any efforts towards marriage. Next, in the one, where the gull sleeps so soundly, not bothering about the sound of splashes in the backwaters, that’s a metaphor for the man ignoring the sounds of slander spreading in the town about his relationship with the lady. There’s another striking metaphor in the one where the gull mistakes a row of cowry shells as a net and flutters away frightened, and the confidante implies that the man, hearing the words of the confidante and lady, beckoning him to seek the lady’s hand, akin to cowry shells, seems to be afraid of falling into the net of a married relationship, and that’s why he was delaying seeking the lady’s hand. Indeed, this man from the pages of this ancient text sounds so much like a modern man, who wants to remain a bachelor, for as long as he can.
The bird is caught! And, moving on to this post-marriage scenario, the gull instead of looking for huge fish in the sea, seems to be content with the small fry in the backwaters, a metaphor for the man’s sinking to the low behaviour of seeking courtesans. In the one where the gull dislikes the tigerclaw tree and goes towards the laurelwood tree, that again is a metaphor for the man’s abandonment of the lady and his seeking courtesans. In the final verse, where the gull crushes blue lotuses, that’s a metaphor for how the man is going to spoil the health and beauty of many a courtesan.
In that one, where the confidante reveals the lady’s love relationship to the mother, she talks of the image of a seagull laying its eggs safely on a sturdy boat in the seashore, and this is a promise to mother that the man will surely protect the lady and lead a happy married life with her, one filled with many children.
Thinking of gulls, from popular culture, the amusing image of gulls crying ‘Mine, mine’ in the animated movie ‘Finding Nemo’ comes first to mind. Then, there’s the philosophical ‘Jonathan Livingstone Seagull’ too, of a gull that dreamed to be different. Likewise, from these verses written two thousand years ago, we see how a little gull stands in place for the man, the hero of these depictions. A little something that tells us that the Sangam people perceived all life around them without any disparity and were ready to learn from all aspects of nature, be it big or small!
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