Kalithogai 48 – Lady’s angst

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ஆம் இழி அணி மலை அலர் வேங்கைத் தகை போல,
தே மூசு, நனை கவுள், திசை காவல் கொளற்கு ஒத்த,
வாய் நில்லா வலி முன்பின், வண்டு ஊது புகர் முகப்
படு மழை அடுக்கத்த, மா விசும்பு ஓங்கிய,
கடி மரத் துருத்திய, கமழ் கடாம் திகழ்தரும்
பெருங் களிற்றினத்தொடு, வீங்கு எருத்து எறுழ் முன்பின்
இரும் புலி மயக்குற்ற இகல் மலை நல் நாட!

வீழ்பெயற் கங்குலின் விளி ஓர்த்த ஒடுக்கத்தால்,
வாழும் நாள் சிறந்தவள் வருந்து தோள் தவறு உண்டோ
தாழ் செறி கடுங் காப்பின் தாய் முன்னர், நின் சாரல்
ஊழ் உறு கோடல் போல், எல் வளை உகுபவால்?

இனைஇருள் இது என ஏங்கி, நின் வரல் நசைஇ,
நினை துயர் உழப்பவள் பாடு இல் கண் பழி உண்டோ
‘இனையள்’ என்று எடுத்து அரற்றும் அயல் முன்னர், நின் சுனைக்
கனை பெயல் நீலம் போல், கண் பனி கலுழ்பவால்?

பல் நாளும் படர், அட பசலையால் உணப்பட்டாள்,
பொன் உரை மணி அன்ன, மாமைக்கண் பழி உண்டோ
இன் நுரைச் செதும்பு அரற்றும் செவ்வியுள், நின் சோலை
மின் உகு தளிர் அன்ன, மெலிவு வந்து உரைப்பதால்?

என ஆங்கு
பின் ஈதல் வேண்டும், நீ பிரிந்தோள் நட்பு என நீவிப்
பூங் கண் படுதலும் அஞ்சுவல்; தாங்கிய
அருந் துயர் அவலம் தூக்கின்,
மருங்கு அறிவாரா மலையினும் பெரிதே.

The confidante’s at it again, pleading for the lady’s cause. The words can be translated as follows:

“Thinking that it’s the image of Kino flowers that blooms on the picturesque hill with descending cascades, honey bees swarm around the moist cheeks of elephants in a herd that are worthy of guarding the cardinal directions, with a strength that makes it impossible for opponents to stand in confrontation, with fragrant musth adorning them, in the mountain ranges surrounded by clouds, soaring to the skies, with dense forests amidst the flowing rivers; This is the animal, which the huge tiger with a thick neck and immense strength keeps fighting with, in your fine mountain country, O lord!

Amidst the pouring rains at night, the fine maiden lives only to hear the sound of your signal. What mistake did her languishing arms do, for before the strict guard of her mother, who has locked her firmly within, akin to the mature petals of the flame-lily in your mountain slopes, they seem to shed away those shining bangles?

Amidst the agonising darkness, yearning for you to arrive there, the maiden suffers in sorrow because of you. What sin did her sleepless eyes commit, for before the neighbours, who spread slander about her relationship with you, akin to a blue lily in a heavy downpour in your mountain springs, they seem to shed tears?

For many days, as suffering spread, consumed by pallor, the maiden’s skin appeared as if gold dust had been sprinkled on sapphires. What sin did her dark-skinned form commit, for in the season with foaming and resounding waters, akin to a pale leaf in your groves, echoing her state aloud, it seems to lose its health?

And so, you must render your grace to the one, whom you parted away from. I worry that her flower-like eyes will never find sleep. If one analyses the sorrow and angst that she bears, it is indeed greater than a limitless mountain!”

Let’s delve into the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady, prior to marriage and the words are uttered by the confidante to the man. The confidante starts by describing the man’s country by bringing forth images of bees mistaking the spots on powerful elephants as Kino flowers, tigers seeking to fight with these elephants, descending cascades, dense groves and flowing rivers. Then, she goes on to take about the lady’s state mentioning how the lady seemed to live only for the sound of the man’s trysting signal at night, amidst the darkness and the downpour, even as her mother locked her within and put her on a strict guard, and as the townsfolk spread slander about the lady’s relationship with the man.

The confidante then details the consequences of this state on the lady’s health and appearance, stating how her bangles are slipping away like the mature petals of the flame lily withering away, how her eyes are filled with tears like the blue-lilies, drenched in a downpour in the man’s mountain springs, and how her sapphire-like dark skin seemed to coated with the gold dust of pallor, appearing like a pale leaf, in the water-fed groves of the man’s country. And in each case, she asks the man what sin did the arms, the eyes and the skin of the lady do, to suffer such a fate!

Finally, she asks the man to return to the lady and alleviate her suffering and concludes with the thought that the lady’s suffering is greater than a mountain, spreading tall and wide, without any limits. While it may seem like a mountain is being made out of a mole-hill, perhaps such events and emotions were of crucial importance in those ancient times. Was it such a peaceful, content time and place that the tremors of a woman’s mind, who has only parted away from her love, would be showcased as an earth-shattering event? A repeating question that we keep encountering in our journey through this age!