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In this episode, we perceive scenes involving parrots in a mountain field, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 281-290, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Twenty Ninth Ten of Ainkurunooru: In Gratitude to the Parrots
281 Long live the parrot!
வெள்ள வரம்பின் ஊழி போகியும்
கிள்ளை வாழிய, பலவே ஒள் இழை
இரும் பல் கூந்தல் கொடிச்சி
பெருந் தோள் காவல் காட்டியவ்வே.
Even after a gazillion days pass, beyond the limits of time, long may live the parrots! For they have shown me the mountain maiden, wearing shining jewels and having thick, dark tresses, as she came to guard, waving her long arms!
282 Come not at night
சாரல் புறத்த பெருங் குரல் சிறு தினைப்
பேர் அமர் மழைக்கண் கொடிச்சி கடியவும்
சோலைச் சிறு கிளி உன்னும் நாட!
ஆர் இருள் பெருகின; வாரல்
கோட்டு மா வழங்கும் காட்டக நெறியே.
In the field of little millets with huge stalks, situated in the mountainside, even though the mountain maiden with huge and beautiful, rain-like eyes chases them away, those little parrots from the groves peck at the millet cobs in your country, O lord! A deep darkness spreads; So, come not through that jungle path where horned beasts rove!
283 A net of lies
வன்கட் கானவன் மென் சொல் மட மகள்
புன்புல மயக்கத்து உழுத ஏனல்
பைம் புறச் சிறு கிளி கடியும் நாட!
பெரிய கூறி நீப்பினும்,
பொய்வலைப் படூஉம் பெண்டு தவப் பலவே.
The soft-voiced, naive daughter of the harsh-eyed mountain dweller chases away the green-backed little parrots from the field of millets sowed in those water-scarce lands in your country, O lord! Even though others say a lot about your flaws and try to keep them away, women who fall for your net of lies are many indeed!
284 Heart not to part
அளியதாமே, செவ் வாய்ப் பைங் கிளி
குன்றக் குறவர் கொய் தினைப் பைங் கால்
இருவி நீள்புனம் கண்டும்
பிரிதல் தேற்றாப் பேர் அன்பினவே.
To be pitied, are those red-beaked green parrots! For the mountain farmers have harvested the millets and all that’s left is the green stubble. Even after seeing the state of the fields, they wish to part not. Such is their great love!
285 How could you part?
பின் இருங் கூந்தல் நல் நுதல் குறமகள்
மென் தினை நுவணை உண்டு, தட்டையின்
ஐவனச் சிறு கிளி கடியும் நாட!
வீங்குவளை நெகிழப் பிரிதல்
யாங்கு வல்லுநையோ, ஈங்கு இவள் துறந்தே?
The mountain maiden, with dark, well-tied tresses and a fine forehead, eats soft millet flour, and then, with a ‘thattai’ rattle, chases away little parrots from the millet fields in your country, O lord! Making those tight-fitting bangles loosen, how did you find the strength to part away, leaving her here?
286 Will he, won’t he?
சிறு தினை கொய்த இருவி வெண் கால்
காய்த்த அவரைப் படு கிளி கடியும்
யாணர் ஆகிய நல் மலை நாடன்
புகர் இன்று நயந்தனன் போலும்;
கவரும் தோழி! என் மாமைக் கவினே.
On the field where the millets have been harvested, where remains only white stubble, field beans sprout. And parrots that come to eat them are chased away in the prosperous, fine mountain country of the lord. It looks like he desires to do the wrong thing, for this dark-skinned beauty of mine seems to bloom and fade, my friend!
287 All you can do…
நெடு வரை மிசையது குறுங் கால் வருடை
தினை பாய் கிள்ளை வெரூஉம் நாட!
வல்லை மன்ற பொய்த்தல்;
வல்லாய் மன்ற, நீ அல்லது செயலே.
The short-legged mountain goat that lives atop the tall mountain scares away the parrots pouncing on the millets in your country, O lord! You sure can lie, but you can’t do anything else!
288 Debt of gratitude
நன்றே செய்த உதவி நன்று தெரிந்து
யாம் எவன் செய்குவம்? நெஞ்சே! காமர்
மெல் இயல் கொடிச்சி காப்பப்
பல் குரல் ஏனல் பாத்தரும் கிளியே.
What can I offer to them, when I know well the good help they have done to me, O heart? For making that desirable mountain maiden with a gentle nature stand in guard, they keep spreading on the many-stalked millet field, those worthy parrots!
289 Voice like a parrot
‘கொடிச்சி இன் குரல் கிளி செத்து, அடுக்கத்துப்
பைங் குரல் ஏனல் படர்தரும் கிளி’ எனக்
காவலும் கடியுநர் போல்வர்
மால் வரை நாட! வரைந்தனை கொண்மோ!
Saying, ‘The sweet voice of the mountain maiden is like that of a parrot. This attracts the bird flock to spread on the green stalks of the millet fields in the mountains’, they set aside her guarding duties, O lord of the huge mountains! You need to claim her hand and take her with you!
290 Righteous than a king
அறம் புரி செங்கோல் மன்னனின் தாம் நனி
சிறந்தன போலும், கிள்ளை பிறங்கிய
பூக் கமழ் கூந்தல் கொடிச்சி
நோக்கவும் படும்; அவள் ஓப்பவும் படுமே.
Even more worthy than a righteous king, who renders justice with his red sceptre, are the parrots. For making you see the mountain maiden with flower-scented tresses, they spread, and even when she chases them, they continue to spread on the millet fields!
And so concludes Ainkurunooru 281-290. All the verses except one are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, and the exception is set after marriage, involving a conflict situation with a courtesan. The unifying theme of all these verses is the presence of parrots and their influence on the love life of the man and lady. The words are spoken by the man, the confidante or the lady in varying contexts.
As the first item on this travel itinerary, let’s focus on the depiction of the parrots. In the first verse, the parrots are blessed with a limitless life. The reason for this generous blessing, we’ll delve into shortly. Next, we see how even when the mountain girl chases the parrots away, they continue to peck at the millet cobs. And this is the predominant scene we observe in most of the verses, where the lady is seen chasing away the parrots from the millet fields, belonging to her father. Then, there’s that poignant scene of how the parrots, look at the empty millet fields, which have been harvested, leaving behind only the stubble of the millet crops, and wish not to part from there. After this, we see a particular mountain maiden eating millet flour, and then with full energy, no doubt, chasing away the parrots using a ‘thattai’, said to be a rattle. Following this, we once again see how the millet fields have been harvested but right there amidst the stubble, field beans are growing up. This could be an instance of crop rotation by these ancient mountain farmers. As smart as these farmers, are the parrots that come to eat those field beans. Looks like they have a wide palate! In another verse, we see how a mountain goat scares away the parrots that are pecking away at the millets. Next, a man looks at these parrots with much affection and gratitude and we’ll keep that mystery of why in suspense, for a little while. Later, we see how in one instance, the lady’s family think that the lady’s voice is so sweet and exactly like the parrots and they decide not to let her guard the fields as it’s attracting those parrots. Should be interesting to hear the voice of this lady, no doubt! In the final portrait, the parrots are praised as being better than even a righteous king.
Let’s turn our attention to the intent of the speakers. In the first, it’s the man who wishes the parrots a life beyond limits, why because it’s the parrots that have made him see his love, the mountain girl, as she came to the millet fields, to chase them away. Two interesting aspects are there in this verse. One, the use of the Tamil word ‘Vellam’, not in the contemporary meaning of ‘flood’, but representing a huge number in their terms, beyond hundreds and thousands. This stands testimony to the futuristic imagination of these ancients, who knew knowledge does not stop with what they know. Next noteworthy aspect is in how the man thanks not any supernatural entity or destiny, but simply the parrots for bringing him and the lady together. This is proof of the rational and logical thinking of these Sangam people.
Returning, in the second, we see the confidante telling the man not to tryst with the lady at night anymore, as there’s darkness and danger of wild beasts around, thereby nudging him to give up trysting and seek marriage with her. The third is the one in the post-marital context, and here, the confidante talks about how even though people say strong words against the man, women seem to continue to fall for his lies, implying his association with courtesans and how the lady seems to forgive and accept him. In the fourth, it’s the confidante speaking those words to the lady, as the man listens nearby, about the parrots that do not part away even after the harvest is done, such is their great love. In the fifth, the confidante asks the man how he has the heart to part away, leaving the lady, talking about the interruptions in the man’s trysting with the lady and the pain this brings to the lady.
In the sixth, the lady takes the spotlight, as she says to the confidante about the man’s changing stance between elopement and parting away to earn wealth, saying how her beauty seems to fluctuate between good and bad, as the man keeps alternating his plan of action. The seventh is an angry statement by the confidante, who declares that the only thing the man can do is lie and not anything else, because he said he would claim the lady on a particular day and failed to keep his promise. In the eighth, we see the man in a pensive, thankful mood again, wondering what he can offer as a gift to those parrots that have given him the boon of meeting with his worthy lady. In the ninth, the confidante clearly states to the man that the lady has been put on guard by her family and the only way for the man to meet the lady is to claim her hand in marriage. In the final one, the parrots are glorified by the confidante, as she remarks to the man about the parrots being more righteous than a king because just to make the man see the lady, they keep spreading on the millet fields, even when the lady chases them, just passing on a consoling message to the man that he need not worry about the lady missing in action for she will be back soon to guard the fields and that the man could tryst with her again.
Taking in the metaphorical elements, in the image of the parrots not parting from the millet fields, even after the harvest, that’s a metaphor for how the man should remain loving to the lady even in the later years of her life with him, when beauty has faded. In the one where the parrots are frightened by the harmless mountain goat, that’s a metaphor for the man delaying seeking the lady’s hand, worrying about the reaction of her family. A verse which illustrates with the fluttering wings of the parrots and the throbbing noise of the rattles, how inseparably the love of the people then was tied to the land and all the life in it!
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