Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we listen to the laments of the man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Ainkurunooru 441-450, situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape’ and penned by the poet Peyanaar.
Thus blooms the Forty Fifth Ten of Ainkurunooru: Heartbeats from the Battlefield
441 Her words
ஐய ஆயின, செய்யோள் கிளவி;
கார் நாள் உருமொடு கையறப் பிரிந்தென,
நோய் நன்கு செய்தன எமக்கே;
யாம் உறு துயரம் அவள் அறியினோ நன்றே.
Gentle and beautiful are the words of my flawless maiden; In this day in the rainy season that resounds with thunder, as I’m parted from her helplessly, it renders much affliction in me; It would be good if she knows of the sorrow I feel!
442 Mother of my son
பெருஞ் சின வேந்தன் அருந் தொழில் தணியின்,
விருந்து நனி பெறுதலும் உரியள்மாதோ
இருண்டு தோன்று விசும்பின் உயர்நிலை உலகத்து
அருந்ததி அனைய கற்பின்,
குரும்பை மணிப் பூண் புதல்வன் தாயே.
If this hard mission of the raging king ends, she will attain a fine feast; the woman, with the chastity of ‘Arunthathi’ who resides in the heavens above the dark-hued skies; the mother of my son, adorned with ornaments, appearing like palm fruits.
443 Flight on the chariot
நனி சேய்த்து என்னாது, நற்றேர் ஏறிச் சென்று,
இலங்கு நிலவின் இளம் பிறை போலக்
காண்குவெம் தில்ல, அவள் கவின் பெறு சுடர் நுதல்
விண் உயர் அரண் பல வௌவிய
மண்ணுறு முரசின் வேந்து தொழில் விடினே.
Without hesitating that it’s too far away, climbing on the fine chariot, I shall instantly see the young crescent of the shining moon, her beautiful and radiant forehead, if the king, who has conquered many sky-soaring forts, with drums on the ground echoing aloud, ends his mission!
444 King’s enmity
பெருந் தோள் மடவரல் காண்குவெம் தில்ல
நீள் மதில் அரணம் பாய்ந்தெனத் தொடி பிளந்து
வைந் நுதி மழுகிய தடங் கோட்டு யானை,
வென் வேல், வேந்தன் பகை தணிந்து,
இன்னும் தன் நாட்டு முன்னுதல் பெறினே.
The white-speared king wields an elephant, whose protective covering has broken and the sharp end of its curving tusk has become blunt because it pounced on the long-walled fort. If this king’s enmity towards his foes ceases, and he thinks about returning to his own country, then I shall see the long-armed, naive maiden!
445 Oscillating heart
புகழ் சால் சிறப்பின் காதலி புலம்பத்
துறந்து வந்தனையே, அரு தொழில் கட்டூர்
நல் ஏறு தழீஇ நாகு பெயர் காலை
உள்ளுதொறும் கலிழும் நெஞ்சம்!
வல்லே எம்மையும் வர இழைத்தனையே!
Making my esteemed lover lament, you left her and came here, O heart! Now you cry every time you think about the sight of the fine bull embracing its mate and parting away, as you stay in this well-protected battle camp! It was you who pressed me to come here with haste!
446 Sight of fragrant tresses
முல்லை நாறும் கூந்தல் கமழ் கொள
நல்ல காண்குவம், மாஅயோயே!
பாசறை அருந் தொழில் உதவி, நம்
காதல் நல் நாட்டுப் போதரும் பொழுதே.
O dark-skinned maiden, I will relish the sight of those tresses, wafting with the fragrance of wild jasmines, the moment I return to our adorable, fine country, after I complete rendering my aid in this mission at the battle camp!
447 Season of the pink jasmine
பிணி வீடு பெறுக, மன்னவன் தொழிலே!
பனி வளர் தளவின் சிரல் வாய்ச் செம் முகை,
ஆடு சிறை வண்டு அவிழ்ப்ப,
பாடு சான்ற; காண்கம், வாணுதலே!
If my ties to the king’s mission ends, then now when the pink jasmine blooms in the cold and its red bud appears like the bill of a kingfisher, making bees flutter their wings, I shall get to see the song-worthy maiden with a radiant forehead!
448 Face to Face
தழங்குரல் முரசம் காலை இயம்ப,
கடுஞ் சின வேந்தன் தொழில் எதிர்ந்தனனே;
மெல் அவல் மருங்கின் முல்லை பூப்பப்
பொங்கு பெயல் கனை துளி கார் எதிர்ந்தன்றே;
அம் சில் ஓதியை உள்ளுதொறும்,
துஞ்சாது அலமரல் நாம் எதிர்ந்தனமே.
As the resounding drums echoed in the morning, the furious king stood face to face in his mission; In the soft and gentle pits, making wild jasmine bloom, the rainy season unfolds as rising clouds scatter rain drops; Whenever I think of that maiden with soft and gentle tresses, unable to sleep, I stand face to face with anxiety!
449 Ready to Ride
முரம்பு கண் உடையத் திரியும் திகிரியொடு
பணை நிலை முணைஇய வயமாப் புணர்ந்து,
திண்ணிதின் மாண்டன்று தேரே;
ஒண்ணுதல் காண்குவம், வேந்து வினை விடினே.
Waiting to be tied with the strong horse that hates to remain in this yoked state, with wheels that can break apart pebbles on the path, awaits my sturdy chariot, ready to leave. I shall get to see my maiden with a shining forehead, if the king’s mission ends.
450 End of the Sighs
முரசு மாறு இரட்டும் அருந் தொழில் பகை தணிந்து
நாடு முன்னியரோ பீடு கெழு வேந்தன்;
வெய்ய உயிர்க்கும் நோய் தணிய,
செய்யோள் இளமுலைப் படீஇயர், என் கண்ணே!
When this difficult war mission, resounding with the voice of drums, ends, and the proud and mighty king decides to return to his country, this affliction that makes me sigh will abate, and my eyes will find sleep on the young bosom of my flawless maiden!
So concludes Ainkurunooru 441-450. All the verses are situated in the context of a man’s post-marital relationship with his lady. The unifying theme of all the songs is that all are words expressing the man’s helplessness as he’s held up in the king’s mission of war, while the season he promised to return to the lady has arrived. Most of these songs are solitary laments by the man in the battle camp, uttering these words to himself.
In the first, the man receives a message from the lady about being in a state of affliction, missing him, since the rainy season had arrived. He describes how much pain these words induce in him and wishes that the lady learns how much he misses her and worries about her. In the second, he compares his wife to a symbol of chastity called ‘Arunthathi’ and refers to her as the mother of his son, saying that she would get the feast of seeing him, if the king’s war mission ends. Again in the third, he says wistfully, if only the king’s work of conquering forts ends, in an instant, he would fly off on his chariot to see his maiden’s glowing forehead. In the fourth, the man describes in detail the kind of war the king wages, with his elephants blunting their tusks in the ramming of enemy forts. For a moment, it feels like we are back in Puranaanooru! But the man pulls us into the world of ‘Agam’ or ‘Inner life’, when he talks about how he would get to see his maiden if the king’s enmity towards his foes abates. In the fifth, the man talks to his heart, as if it were a separate entity, and blames it for making him leave his lover and journey with haste to this battlefield, but now whenever it sees the sweet sight of bulls embracing their mates and retiring in the evening hour, it seemed to wallow in sorrow and want to go back to her!
In the sixth, the man thinks about the lady’s fragrant tresses and says he would see it if his work for the king ends. In the seventh, the rainy season had arrived making the pink jasmines open their red buds, called in parallel to a kingfisher’s bill, an instance of the plant-animal connections that Sangam poets are adept at. Saying this season has arrived, the man once again indicates if the king’s mission ends, he can get to see his maiden, who is worthy of songs being penned for her. Much love throbs in this heart, we see! The eighth sees the man contrasting the way the king stands facing his enemies in the morning with the way he stands facing anxiety at night, when thoughts of the lady don’t let him get a moment’s sleep, now that the wild jasmines are blooming and the rainy season had arrived. In the ninth, the man details about how ready his horse and chariot are, to fly to the lady the moment the king’s mission ends. The intricate note here is about how his horse hates to be tied to the stable in the battle camp, and thereby subtly hints at his own state of being yoked to fulfil the king’s mission. In the final one, the man declares if only the king decides to return to his own country, ending this war, then he will get to stop sighing and finally find sleep on the bosom of his perfect wife!
In these verses, we see how a man is being pulled apart in two directions, one by the fierce horse of his duty towards his king, and the other, by the gentle horse of his love for his lady. The highlight here is the importance given to expressing emotions. Just because this man is a noble and brave warrior, he does not swallow his tears and face the battlefield without any feeling. His human side is revealed by his missing of his woman and that’s a beautiful thing to learn from these verses that regardless of gender, emotions need to find an outlet. The other facet I admired is how all these songs are not about any historical character of prominence, some king or queen, but rather about a nameless man and his feelings for his lady, something that anyone, anytime can relate to, and through this, we can infer the value accorded by these ancient people on all humans, regardless of position or power!
Share your thoughts...