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In this episode, we relish the sights of an ancient seaside village, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Natrinai 323, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Perisathanaar. Set in the coastal regions of ‘Neythal’, the verse speaks in the voice of the confidante to the man, paving the way for his nightly tryst with the lady.
ஓங்கித் தோன்றும், தீம் கள் பெண்ணை
நடுவணதுவேதெய்ய-மடவரல்
ஆயமும் யானும் அறியாது அவணம்
ஆய நட்பின் மாண் நலம் ஒழிந்து, நின்
கிளைமை கொண்ட வளை ஆர் முன்கை
நல்லோள் தந்தை சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கம்:
புலி வரிபு எக்கர்ப் புன்னை உதிர்த்த
மலி தாது ஊதும் தேனோடு ஒன்றி,
வண்டு இமிர் இன் இசை கறங்க, திண் தேர்த்
தெரி மணி கேட்டலும் அரிதே;
வரும் ஆறு ஈது; அவண் மறவாதீமே.
The verse opens with the words ‘ஓங்கித் தோன்றும் தீம் கள் பெண்ணை’ meaning ‘standing high is the palmyra tree, flowing with sweet toddy’ and captures the impressive sight of this soaring tree. The phrase ‘நின் கிளைமை’ means ‘a relationship with you’ and seems to direct the core word ‘கிளை’ or ‘branch’ to signify the oneness of life flowing in two individuals. ‘நல்லோள் தந்தை சிறுகுடிப் பாக்கம்’ is a densely packed description meaning ‘the small village of the good lady’s father’. People of Chennai will be familiar with the word ‘பாக்கம்’ for it’s found in the names of many urban and sub-urban regions here. In the past, this word meant a seaside village and glad that the meaning of the word lives on, in the modern streets of my city. ‘புலி வரிபு’ sketches the ‘stripes on a tiger’ vividly! ‘Copious specks of pollen shower down from the laurel tree’ in ‘புன்னை உதிர்த்த மலி தாது’. When this pollen’s nectar is nearby, we can expect to hear the ‘sweet music of buzzing bees’, as echoed in ‘வண்டு இமிர் இன் இசை’. Ending with ‘மறவாதீமே’ meaning ‘do not forget’, the verse seems to urge us to listen closely!
The man and lady had been leading a love relationship and the man was trysting with the lady by day. After a while, the man wished to tryst with the lady by night. So, he advances this request to the lady’s confidante. To him, the confidante replies, “In the middle of the soaring, sweet-sapped ‘pennai’ trees, those innocent playmates of the lady and I used to play with the good lady, who wears beautiful bangles on her forearms. She has moved away from the fine friendship of her playmates and has chosen to be in a relationship with you. This is her father’s little seaside hamlet. The ‘punnai’ trees shed fine pollen akin to a tiger’s stripes on the sands. Intending to feed on the nectar of these abundant pollen grains, bees would buzz around. It would be hard to hear your powerful chariot’s clear bells amidst the sweet music the bees make. This is the path that leads there, don’t you forget!” With these words, the confidante concludes the man is deserving of a nightly tryst and heeds to his request to seek the lady’s company.
Now, for the details! The confidante starts her response by transporting us to a shore, where tall palm trees are found. She further describes these trees as holding intoxicating toddy. After describing the plant life, she moves on to the past when the lady, the confidante and playmates used to engage in innocent games amidst these trees on the shore. The confidante then adds a ‘but now’ to say that no longer does the lady prefer the company of playmates, instead choosing to spend her time with the man. The confidante describes how the man and lady have grown to know each other with their trysts by day. Continuing, the confidante adds that this place amidst the palm trees was the village belonging to the lady’s father.
After rendering these particulars, the confidante further zooms in to acutely describe the man, the trysting spot. She talks about the ‘punnai’ trees and how they seem to be sketching tiger stripes on the sands as fine pollen from their branches fall downwards. Seeing these showered pollen, bees jump to the task of savouring the nectar. Delighted bees seem to make a racket, so much that the confidante says even the bells of the man’s chariot will be muffled! The confidante concludes that this is the ideal spot and she seems to point to a path nearby to say this is how you get there. She signs off with the words beseeching the man not to forget. From these words, we infer that the confidante plays an integral role in furthering the relationship between the man and lady. Her metaphor of bees seeking the nectar without a care is to grant the man permission to delight in the company of the lady. The highlight of this verse to me is the description of two ancient trees – ‘pennai’ and ‘punnai’. In many Natrinai poems, we have seen that the ‘punnai’ or ‘laurel tree’ is an integral part of life by the shore. Likewise the palmyra tree finds many mentions. The state of Tamilnadu accounts for 50% of these trees in all of India. So celebrated are these trees that they have been chosen as the state tree of Tamilnadu. If we listen closely, these soaring trees will sing these evergreen songs of love even as the rustle in the breeze of the now!
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