Kalithogai 76 – Past acts and future hope

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புனை இழை நோக்கியும் புனல் ஆடப் புறம் சூழ்ந்தும்,
அணி வரி தைஇயும், நம் இல் வந்து வணங்கியும்,
நினையுபு வருந்தும் இந்நெடுந்தகை திறத்து இவ் ஊர்
இனையள் என்று எடுத்து ஓதற்கு அனையையோ நீ என
வினவுதி ஆயின், விளங்கு இழாய்! கேள் இனி!

செவ்விரல் சிவப்பு ஊரச் சேண் சென்றாய் என்று அவன்
பௌவ நீர்ச் சாய்க் கொழுதிப் பாவை தந்தனைத்தற்கோ,
கௌவை நோய் உற்றவர் காணாது கடுத்த சொல்
ஒவ்வா என்று உணராய், நீ ஒரு நிலையே உரைத்ததை?

ஒடுங்கி யாம் புகல் ஒல்லேம் பெயர்தர அவன் கண்டு
நெடுங்கய மலர் வாங்கி, நெறித்துத் தந்தனைத்தற்கோ
விடுந்தவர் விரகு இன்றி எடுத்த சொல் பொய் ஆகக்
கடிந்ததும் இலையாய், நீ கழறிய வந்ததை?

வரி தேற்றாய் நீ என வணங்கு இறை அவன் பற்றித்,
தெரி வேய்த் தோள் கரும்பு எழுதித் தொய்யில் செய்தனைத்தற்கோ
புரிபு நம் ஆயத்தார் பொய் ஆக எடுத்த சொல்
உரிது என உணராய், நீ உலமந்தாய் போன்றதை?

என ஆங்கு,
அரிது இனி ஆய் இழாய்! அது தேற்றல் புரிபு ஒருங்கு,
அன்று நம் வதுவையுள் நமர் செய்வது இன்று ஈங்கே,
தான் நயந்து இருந்தது இவ் ஊர் ஆயின் எவன் கொலோ,
நாம் செயற்பாலது இனி?

An instance of what can be described as ‘a confusion of core theme’, meaning that a verse situated in the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ seems to echo elements of the ‘Kurunji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’. The words can be translated as follows:

“‘Gazing at the well-etched ornaments, accompanying when playing in the stream, painting beautiful lines of art, and arriving home and bowing with respect, are the acts of that esteemed man. This town declares with slander that you are his mate. Is this true?’, you ask me, worrying incessantly! Listen to me now:

All he did was, one day, seeing how my red fingers can become redder, because I was working for a long time, he plucked the reeds by the salty waters and rendered me a doll made of it. Yet, without understanding the truth, you too repeat the harsh words of those who have the affliction of gossiping!

All he did was, one day, seeing how I was hesitant to go further and was returning back, leapt into the waters, plucked that flower in the deep pond and gave it to me. Yet, without scolding them and declaring their words as false, you blabber the words of those who slander without kindness!

All he did was, one day, seeing how I didn’t know how to draw the ‘thoyyil’ lines, he held on to my bamboo-like arms and painted a sugarcane on that. Yet, without perceiving that they speak not the truth, you ask full of sorrow about those words rendered by our playmates.

And so, it’s really difficult to make you understand, O maiden wearing well-etched ornaments! Whatever should happen, when my family weds him to me with love, if this town decides, has already happened here and now, what should I do?”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with the lady, prior to marriage and involves a situation of a friendly quarrel between the lady and the confidante. The confidante repeats the words of the townsfolk, who are spreading gossip about the lady and the man, saying how he was looking at the lady’s jewels, was found in her company in the stream and was even painting lines of art on her, and the confidante asks the lady with much worry and anxiety whether this is true. The lady explains this talk by brushing away the acts of the man as something anyone would do. For instance, because her hands were red trying to cut the reeds, the man helped her cut it and made a doll for her with it. Then because she decided not to pluck the flower far away in the huge pond and was returning back, the man leapt into the pond and brought the flower she had desired. Finally, one day, the lady seems to have been making a mess of the ‘thoyyil’ paintings and the man seems to have stepped in to help her, ending up drawing a sugarcane pattern on her arms. ‘These are normal things, aren’t they?’, the lady seems to ask her confidante and scolds her for repeating the thoughtless words of others. Finally, she gives up trying to make the confidante understand, and concludes saying, all the thoughts that should arise when the man finally marries me with our family’s blessing, the townsfolk seemed to be thinking right away.

In this verse, the elements of ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ appears in the shape of the quarrel and sulking between the lady and the confidante. Other than this, it’s all about the lady revealing her relationship with the man to the confidante. Out of her shyness, she dismisses the actions of the man in his special attention to her. In the final lines, she places her hope that one day, she will be married to the man. Thus, in that roundabout technique of communication between these Sangam maiden, by giving an explanation for past interactions with the man and hinting about the hope for her future with him, in a nutshell, the lady reveals to the confidante, her relationship with the man!