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In this episode, we listen to hopeful words rendered to an anxious heart, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 461-470, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Seventh Ten of Ainkurunooru: Consolation of the Confidante
461 He cannot remain apart
வான் பிசிர்க் கருவியின் பிடவு முகை தகைய,
கான் பிசிர் கற்ப, கார் தொடங்கின்றே;
இனையல் வாழி, தோழி; எனையதூஉம்
நிற் துறந்து அமைகுவர்அல்லர்,
வெற்றி வேந்தன் பாசறையோரே.
Owing to the drops from the sky, accompanied by clouds and thunder, buds of the wild jasmine bloomed, and as the forest wafts with the scent of rain, the season has begun; Worry not, my friend, may you live long! He is not someone who can be apart from you even for a short while, the one who is at the battle camp of the victorious king!
462 Rains in the wrong
ஏதில பெய்ம் மழை கார் என மயங்கிய
பேதைஅம் கொன்றைக் கோதை நிலை நோக்கி,
எவன் இனி, மடந்தை! நின் கலிழ்வே? நின்வயின்
தகை எழில் வாட்டுநர் அல்லர்,
முகை அவிழ் புறவின் நாடு இறந்தோரே.
Seeing the strange rain that falls for no reason, the foolish golden shower tree thinks, ‘The rainy season is here’ and opens its buds. Seeing the garland-like blossom of its flowers, why do you cry now, O naive maiden? He is not someone, who will cause harm to your exquisite beauty, the one who parted away to the forest lands where buds bloom!
463 Flowers for the tresses
புதல்மிசை நறு மலர் கவின் பெறத் தொடரி, நின்
நலம் மிகு கூந்தல் தகை கொளப் புனைய
வாராது அமையலோ இலரே; நேரார்
நாடு படு நன்கலம் தரீஇயர்,
நீடினர் தோழி! நம் காதலோரே.
Taking fragrant flowers blooming on the bush and making it into a garland to add esteem to your beautiful tresses, he shall surely come; He prolongs his return only to bring fine ornaments from the country of the foes, that lover of yours!
464 Winter is here
கண் எனக் கருவிளை மலர, பொன் என
இவர் கொடிப் பீரம் இரும் புதல் மலரும்
அற்சிரம் மறக்குநர் அல்லர் நின்
நல் தோள் மருவரற்கு உலமருவோரே.
Akin to eyes, the bluebell vine blooms, akin to gold, the spreading dark bushes of ridge gourd vines bloom in this winter season. He is not one to forget that this season has arrived, the one who yearns with great pain to embrace your beautiful arms!
465 Foes are finished
நீர் இகுவன்ன நிமிர் பரி நெடுந் தேர்,
கார் செய் கானம் கவின் பட, கடைஇ,
மயங்கு மலர் அகலம் நீ இனிது முயங்க,
வருவர், வாழி, தோழி!
செரு வெங் குருசில் தணிந்தனன் பகையே.
Akin to descending cascades, sturdy horses tied to tall chariots leave behind the beauty of the flourishing forest in the rains and arrive, so that you can sweetly embrace his intoxicating, wide chest, may you live long, my friend! For the foes of the war-loving king are conquered!
466 Messenger of Kings
வேந்து விடு விழுத் தொழில் எய்தி, ஏந்து கோட்டு
அண்ணல் யானை அரசு விடுத்து, இனியே
எண்ணிய நாளகம் வருதல் பெண் இயல்
காமர் சுடர் நுதல் விளங்கும்
தே மொழி அரிவை! தெளிந்திசின் யானே.
Accepting the honourable mission of the great king, he travelled to another king, who wields esteemed elephants with uplifted tusks. He has taken leave from this king now and will return on the promised day that we await. O honey-voiced maiden, on whose glowing forehead, shines the epitome of femininity, I know this very well!
467 Message of his prompt return
புனை இழை நெகிழச் சாஅய், நொந்துநொந்து
இனையல் வாழியோ இகுளை! ‘வினைவயின்
சென்றோர் நீடினர் பெரிது’ என: தங்காது
நம்மினும் விரையும் என்ப,
வெம் முரண் யானை விறல் போர் வேந்தே.
Making the adorned ornaments slip away, you lose your health and worry unceasingly, saying, ‘The man who left on a mission delayed his return’, O young maiden, may you live long! Without staying back, he will hurry and return even before we expect. So say those who come from the conquering king with furious battle elephants!
468 He will come with the rains
வரி நுணல் கறங்க, தேரை தெவிட்ட,
கார் தொடங்கின்றே காலை; இனி, நின்
நேர் இறைப் பணைத் தோட்கு ஆர் விருந்து ஆக,
வடி மணி நெடுந் தேர் கடைஇ,
வருவர் இன்று, நம் காதலோரே.
As the striped frogs croak, as toads grunt, the season of rains has begun; Now, to become the excellent feast for your long, bamboo-like arms, climbing on to the tall chariot adorned with bells, he will come today, that lover of yours!
469 Watch the rains bring the man
பைந் தினை உணங்கல் செம் பூழ் கவரும்
வன்புல நாடன் தரீஇய, வலன் ஏர்பு
அங்கண் இரு விசும்பு அதிர, ஏறொடு
பெயல் தொடங்கின்றே வானம்;
காண்குவம்; வம்மோ, பூங் கணோயே!
The red quail steals the drying millet grains in the water-scarce lands of the lord. To bring him to you, climbing on to the right upon the wide spaces there and making it quiver with thunder, the skies have begun their downpour; Come, let’s go see that, O lady with flower-like eyes!
470 How can he remain so?
இரு நிலம் குளிர்ப்ப வீசி, அல்கலும்
அரும் பனி அளைஇய அற்சிரக் காலை
உள்ளார், காதலர், ஆயின், ஒள்ளிழை!
சிறப்பொடு விளங்கிய காட்சி
மறக்க விடுமோ, நின் மாமைக் கவினே?
Making the vast lands cool down, winds blow, and even during the day, harsh dew pours in this time of winter. If that lover of yours does not think of you now at this time, O maiden wearing glowing ornaments, will the memory of your dark-skinned beauty that’s etched in his mind let him remain so?
So concludes Ainkurunooru 461-470. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady, and specifically at a time when he’s parted from her on a king’s mission. The unifying theme of all the songs is that these are said by the confidante to console the lady, who worries that the man has not returned even as the rainy season had arrived. This section can be seen as the finale of the trilogy around the man’s parting away to the battlefield. In the first part (441-450), we saw the man’s perspective as he misses the lady at the battlefield; in the second part (451-460), we perceived the lady’s pining as the man remains away from her; and in this one, we see the lady’s confidante cheering up the lady and promising that all will be well soon.
In the first, the confidante remarks that indeed the rainy season had arrived as indicated by the blooming of the wild jasmine, but the lady need to have no worry because the man is someone who loves the lady so much that he cannot be away from her. Here, the man’s love for the lady is highlighted to bring hope to the lady. In the second, the confidante tells the lady that the rains that have fallen are not the seasonal ones but it’s some random downpour and the golden shower tree was fooled by this, and so the lady shouldn’t worry seeing its blooming flowers. Yet again, the confidante expresses trust in the man’s nature of never causing harm to the lady in any way and promises he would be back before the ‘real’ rains. Whether the lady believed these words of the confidante or not, we have to appreciate the love of this friend and her intention in cheering her friend at all cost.
In the third, the confidante says the man will surely be back to adorn the lady’s tresses with the flowers that will bloom in the rainy season, and that his delay is only because he was in act of collecting fine things from the enemy country to bring back to the lady. Promise of a fragrant and golden future is the strategy here! The fourth sees the confidante promising the lady that the man cannot forget the lady now that the winter season had arrived, and when he looks at bluebell vines, he would think of the lady’s eyes and when he sees the ridge gourd’s golden flowers, it will remind him of the pallor that would spread on the lady and nudge him to rush back to her. In the fifth, the confidante says the king’s enemies are conquered, and so the man will rush back to embrace the lady, hurrying past rain-washed forests.
The sixth offers us interesting details about the role of the man as a messenger between kings and how it was an honourable position. Fulfilling these duties, the man will return on the promised day, the confidante says to the lady. In the seventh, the confidante speaks of the message received from the king’s camp that the man will return sooner than expected and there was no need for the lady to worry about the man not returning in time. In the eighth, the confidante dwells on the rainy season, announced by the croaks of toads and frogs, and says soon the man’s chest will become the feast for the lady’s arms. In the ninth too, the confidante does not shy away in announcing that the rains have started and instead says to the lady that they have begun their magic, only to bring the man to the lady soon. Finally, in the tenth, the confidante talks about the winter season, when dew pours even in the day, and asks the lady that even if the man doesn’t think of the lady, would the etched image of the lady’s beauty let him remain there, forgetting her!
The confidante’s compassionate nature comes to the fore even as she heaps her trust in the man’s love for the lady, and also, on the power of the lady’s beauty. The various techniques this confidante uses are a manual for those who are in the profession of healing minds and offering wise counsel. Her wisdom, kindness and selfless devotion to another’s welfare etch her as the most fascinating character in the pages of Sangam literature!
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