Natrinai 280 – Angry, not me

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கொக்கினுக்கு ஒழிந்த தீம் பழம், கொக்கின்
கூம்பு நிலை அன்ன முகைய ஆம்பல்
தூங்கு நீர்க் குட்டத்து, துடுமென வீழும்
தண் துறை ஊரன் தண்டாப் பரத்தமை
புலவாய் என்றி-தோழி!-புலவேன்-
பழன யாமைப் பாசடைப் புறத்து,
கழனி காவலர் சுரி நந்து உடைக்கும்,
தொன்று முதிர் வேளிர், குன்றூர் அன்ன என்
நல் மனை நனி விருந்து அயரும்
கைதூவு இன்மையின் எய்தாமாறே.

The verse opens with ‘கொக்கினுக்கு ஒழிந்த தீம் பழம்’ meaning ‘a sweet fruit that breaks away from its clasp’, freezing in time, the moment a ripe mango breaks away from its branch. Then, we encounter the phrase ‘கொக்கின் கூம்பு நிலை’ referring to ‘a flock of birds’. I use the generic word ‘bird’ for ‘கொக்கு’, as this Tamil word has been used to refer to storks, cranes and many other birds. Let’s proceed to investigate if there are other clues about this bird. Luckily, the phrase ‘முகைய ஆம்பல்’ renders a helping hand for it means ‘blossoms of pink lilies’. Now, we can say with conviction that the bird referred to, most probably, is a flamingo. Our pleasant reverie is interrupted by the words ‘துடுமென வீழும்’ meaning ‘falls with a boom’. Another enchanting creature entices us in ‘பழன யாமை’ referring to ‘a tortoise in the fields’ and this is accompanied by mention of ‘சுரி நந்து’ referring to ‘heated snails’. In addition to all this biology, history makes an appearance in the words ‘தொன்று முதிர் வேளிர்’ referring to the ‘ancient dynasty of Velirs’ and their historic town of ‘குன்றூர்’. Ending with ‘கைதூவு இன்மையின் எய்தாமாறே’ meaning ‘not a moment’s rest to feel anything’ the poem intrigues our curiosity to know more!

The man and lady had been leading a happy, married life when the man took to keeping the company of courtesans. The lady is infuriated by the man’s actions. One day, when the man returns to his house and seeks entry by sending a message through the confidante, the lady replies to her saying,”Breaking away from its twig, a sweet mango fruit falls with a splash, into the swaying waters of a deep pond, filled with budding pink waterlilies, which look like a flock of flamingoes. Such are the cool shores of the lord! My friend, you ask me not to be angry with the lord for his vexing infidelities. Angry, I cannot be, for there is not a moment I get to rest in between serving the innumerable guests, who visit my fine home, akin to the city of kings from the age-old Velir dynasty, ’Kundroor’, where on the green backs of field tortoises, farmers break open heated snails!” With these words, the lady refuses to accept the words of appeasement suggested by the confidante and bars the erring man from entering her house.

Now, let’s open this box of treasures! The lady commences her statement by bringing before our eyes, a fully ripe mango, in the moment it’s breaking away from its twig. Common sense and Newton’s law of gravity tells us that after this moment, the fruit is bound to fall down. No magic there, but where it falls is revealed by the magic of poetry! This fruit falls with a sudden splash into a deep pond, where stand pink lilies in full bloom. An exquisite simile is brought to reiterate this image in placing a flamboyance of flamingos in parallel to this cluster of pink lilies, enriching the aesthetics of our mind’s eye! The fruit has broken away and fallen into the pond and the lady says this to describe the land of the lord but within it, conceals the metaphor of how, the man, instead of resting content with his family, has fallen, like the sweet mango fruit, into the company of courtesans, akin to those alluring pink lilies. 

The lady, at this moment, repeats the confidante’s message. Apparently, her friend seems to have advised her to not fight with the man over his disloyalty. The lady replies in a sharp manner saying, ‘Fight? Me? No way!’ Then she adds with acerbity, how can she when her days are full, without a moment’s respite for her fine mansion is filled to the full with incessant guests and she has to fulfil the duty of hospitality single-handedly! But before she completes the statement, she brings in a significant simile to describe her house. She says her mansion is like the fine town of ‘Kundroor’, a city in the domain of Velir kings, who are described as having ancient bloodlines. On researching about these Velirs, I learnt that they were early rulers of the Tamil land, before the advent of the Chera, Chola and Pandya emperors. Even during the rule of these emperors, the Velirs seemed to have remained independent and rendered aid to these emperors. What was more fascinating to me than this tiny glimpse of history, was a scene in nature that the lady talks about as happening in this city of the Velirs!

Vast green fields extend before the eyes and here, farmers at work, are seen standing near a field tortoise. We can assume that the said tortoise has retreated into its shell, which is what the farmers seem to be after, for they then bend over and are seen smashing something against that shell. That turns out to be shells too, the shell of snails, which have been cooked. Within this scene of farmers breaking open snail shells on tortoise backs, the lady places a rich metaphor for how the man has caused anguish to her, akin to that cowering tortoise, in order to relish the company of the courtesan, akin to those farmers feeding on snail flesh! I was stunned to learn that this ancient practice of eating snails goes on to this day, not just in villages of India, but also in many European nations. Why, there is even a ‘National Escargot Day’ celebrated on May 24th every year, to honour the French culinary dish of cooked snails! Returning to the verse, the lady’s reply about how busy she is to pick a fight with the man seems to point to us, our own modern sensibility, wherein sometimes we hide behind the mask of work, to avoid facing and solving issues. And, that is food for thought, indeed!