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In this episode, we observe the dance of the peacock, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 291-300, situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain landscape’ and penned by the poet Kabilar.
Thus soars the Thirtieth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Trail of the Peacock’s Tail
291 Where peacocks dance
மயில்கள் ஆலக் குடிஞை இரட்டும்
துறுகல் அடுக்கத்ததுவே பணைத் தோள்,
ஆய் தழை நுடங்கும் அல்குல்,
காதலி உறையும் நனி நல் ஊரே.
There, where peacocks dance and owls sing in the rock-filled mountain ranges, is the excellent town, in which my lover, the one with bamboo-like arms, wearing beautiful leaves around her waist, resides!
292 More special to me
மயில்கள் ஆல, பெருந் தேன் இமிர,
தண் மழை தழீஇய மா மலை நாட!
நின்னினும் சிறந்தனள், எமக்கே நீ நயந்து
நல் மனை அருங் கடி அயர,
எம் நலம் சிறப்ப, யாம் இனிப் பெற்றோளே.
Peacocks dance and huge bees resound in the tall mountain, embraced by moist rainclouds, in your country, O lord! She’s more special to me than to you, the one, whom you have desired and brought to our fine house, to perform that rare marriage for our betterment; The one I welcome home today!
293 Who else?
சிலம்பு கமழ் காந்தள் நறுங் குலை அன்ன
நலம் பெறு கையின் என் கண் புதைத்தோயே!
பாயல் இன் துணை ஆகிய பணைத் தோள்
தோகை மாட்சிய மடந்தை!
நீ அலது உளரோ என் நெஞ்சு அமர்ந்தோரே?
With beautiful hands, akin to the flame-lily’s fragrant cluster, which spreads its scent across the mountain slopes, you hid my eyes! O naive maiden, with bamboo-like arms, with an appearance of a peacock, who else can there be, other than you, who have taken residence in my heart?
294 Long life to your father
எரி மருள் வேங்கை இருந்த தோகை
இழை அணி மடந்தையின் தோன்றும் நாட!
இனிது செய்தனையால்; நுந்தை வாழியர்!
நல் மனை வதுவை அயர, இவள்
பின் இருங் கூந்தல் மலர் அணிந்தோயே!
With flowers, akin to flames, is the Kino tree, upon which sits a peacock, appearing like an ornament-clad, naive maiden in your country, O lord! As you have done good things, may your father live long! Performing the good ceremony of marriage, you have tied flowers on her thick, dark tresses!
295 Will it? Won’t it?
வருவதுகொல்லோ தானே வாராது
அவண் உறை மேவலின், அமைவது கொல்லோ
புனவர் கொள்ளியின் புகல் வரும் மஞ்ஞை,
இருவி இருந்த குருவி வருந்துற,
பந்து ஆடு மகளிரின் படர்தரும்
குன்று கெழு நாடனொடு சென்ற என் நெஞ்சே?
Will it return to me? Or wishing to reside there, will it stay and not return to me? Peacocks that seek refuge from the mountain farmers’ firebrands, spread akin to maiden who play ball, scaring away sparrows that were living on the millet fields, in the peak-filled country of the lord. I speak of this heart of mine that parted with him!
296 Midnight visitor
கொடிச்சி காக்கும் பெருங் குரல் ஏனல்
அடுக்கல் மஞ்ஞை கவரும் நாட!
நடுநாள் கங்குலும் வருதி;
கடு மா தாக்கின், அறியேன் யானே.
The huge-stalked millets guarded by the mountain maiden are stolen by the peacock in the ranges, O lord! You come in the darkness of midnight! What will I do if wild beasts attack you?
297 Knows not to part
விரிந்த வேங்கைப் பெருஞ் சினைத் தோகை
பூக் கொய் மகளிரின் தோன்றும் நாட!
பிரியினும், பிரிவது அன்றே
நின்னொடு மேய மடந்தை நட்பே.
On the tall branch of the spreading ‘Indian Kino tree’, appears a peacock, akin to flower-picking maiden, in your country, O lord! Even if you part away, it knows not to part, the unwavering love that naive maiden feels for you!
298 Unforgettable
மழை வரவு அறியா மஞ்ஞை ஆலும்
அடுக்கல் நல் ஊர் அசைநடைக் கொடிச்சி
தான் எம் அருளாள்ஆயினும்,
யாம் தன் உள்ளுபு மறந்தறியேமே!
Knowing the arrival of the rainclouds, peacocks dance in the fine mountain town, where lives the maiden with a swaying gait. Even if she does not render her grace to me, I know not how to forget her!
299 Matchless
குன்ற நாடன் குன்றத்துக் கவாஅன்,
பைஞ் சுனைப் பூத்த பகுவாய்க் குவளையும்
அம் சில் ஓதி அசைநடைக் கொடிச்சி
கண்போல் மலர்தலும் அரிது; இவள்
தன் போல் சாயல் மஞ்ஞைக்கும் அரிதே.
On the slopes of the lord of the mountains, the blue-lily that spreads opens its petals in the fresh springs cannot bloom like the eyes of the mountain maiden, having soft, beautiful tresses and a swaying gait; Likewise for the peacock to have her radiant beauty is impossible too!
300 He is here for you
கொடிச்சி கூந்தல் போலத் தோகை
அம் சிறை விரிக்கும் பெருங் கல் வெற்பன்
வந்தனன்; எதிர்ந்தனர் கொடையே;
அம் தீம் கிளவி! பொலிக, நின் சிறப்பே!
Akin to the mountain maiden’s tresses is the tail of the peacock, when it spreads its feathers in the tall mountain country of the lord. He has come; and he has rendered his offerings! O lady, who speaks sweet and beautiful words, may that glory of yours shine on!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 291- 300. Most of the verses are set in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage, with a couple of songs, set after the marriage of the man and lady. The unifying theme in this section is the presence of that radiant peacock, an integral part of this landscape. The words are uttered either by the man, the confidante or the lady in varying contexts.
Let’s focus on the peacock and its manifestations here. We see these peacocks dancing in most instances, the spreading of their feathers being their most striking feature. In some, the lady is placed in parallel with a peacock. We see how the peacock likes to take residence in ‘Indian Kino’ trees. Then, there’s the unique situation of mountain farmers applying their firebrands towards their slash and burn process of farming, and this frightens the peacocks, who seek refuge elsewhere, and as they move, opening out their feathers, they frighten little sparrows on the millet fields. In another, these peacocks are stealing the millets that the lady has been guarding so carefully from the parrots. The peacock on the Indian Kino tree is compared to a flower-picking maiden in one case. Then, there’s the well-known fact about peacock opening their feathers, predicting the fall of rain. In one, there’s comparison between the peacock’s beauty and the lady’s, and in other, a maiden’s flowing tresses are placed in parallel to a peacock that spreads its feathers in its glorious dance.
Turning to the intent of the speakers, in the first, speaks the man, who is returning from his journey to gain wealth for his wedding and he details to his charioteer the remarkable town, where peacocks dance to the beat of the owls’ hoot, the one where his love lives. In the second, is a unique, never-seen before situation after marriage, where the lady of the house warmly welcomes another woman the man has married, saying this lady is more important to her than even to the man, adding she has come to better their lives. If the interpretation about the speaker and situation is right, then there seems to have been a custom of a man taking another wife, perhaps when the first couldn’t give birth to a child. Let’s see if we find any other reference to this situation in our Sangam travels! Moving on, in the third, the lady playfully closes the eyes of the man from behind, when he comes there to tryst with her. The man passes this test with the trick question of ‘Who is it?’ in flying colours, for he says, ‘Who else can it be but you, the one who lives in my heart?’. In the fourth, the confidante praises the man and blesses his father with a long life, because the man had married the lady as promised and here we note the ceremony of tying flowers on the lady’s head to mark their marriage. In the fifth, the lady wonders if her heart that left with the man will return to her or whether it would stay there with him, and torment her.
In the sixth, the confidante remarks about the man wanting to arrive at night to tryst with the lady and refuses it, saying that’s filled with danger from roving beasts. This is an indirect way of nudging him to give up trysting and take steps towards marrying the lady. In the seventh, when the man says to the confidante that he has to part away for a little while, she remarks about the painful state of the lady, whose love knows not how to part away from the man. In the eighth, when the confidante conveys the lady’s shy reaction to the man’s request to meet with her, he replies whether the lady accepts or not, he cannot forget her, words meant to win the confidante’s support. The ninth sees the man in throes of fresh love as he declares that even a blue-lily cannot shine like the lady’s eyes and even a peacock cannot be as beautiful as the lady. In the final one, the confidante declares with much jubilation that the man has returned to claim the lady’s hand and all good things are to follow.
Taking in the metaphors, the peacock that is scared by the firebrand is a metaphor for the man who has parted away from the lady, fearing the gossip of the townsfolk, and the sparrows that are scared by the action of the peacock, refer to the lady and the confidante, who wonder if the man will return and claim the lady’s hand. In the one, where the peacock steal the millets inspite of the lady’s guard, that’s a metaphor for how the man must claim the lady’s hand to overcome the circle of confinement put up by the lady’s family. And with this section, we come to the end of our travels in the mountains, which revealed to us, the throbbing life here as well as the vibrant young love that first sprouts here in this picturesque landscape. Now, it’s time to wave farewell to these awe-inspiring mountains and walk on to our next destination!
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