Kalithogai 117 – Jasmines from the heart

In this episode, we listen to the words of a lovelorn man, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 117, penned by Chozhan Nalluruthiran. The verse is situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and portrays an expression of interest in a conversation between a couple. தலைவன்மாண உருக்கிய நன் பொன் மணி உறீஇ,பேணித் துடைத்தன்ன மேனியாய்! கோங்கின்முதிரா இள முகை ஒப்ப, எதிரியதொய்யில் பொறித்த வன முலையாய்! மற்று, நின்கையது எவன்? மற்று உரை தலைவிகையதை சேரிக் கிழவன் மகளேன் யான்; மற்று இஃது ஓர்மாதர்ப் புலைத்தி விலையாகச் செய்தது ஓர்போழின் புனைந்த வரிப் புட்டில்….. தலைவன்……..புட்டிலுள் என் உள?காண் தக்காய்! எற் காட்டிக் காண் தலைவிகாண், இனி: தோட்டார் கதுப்பின் என் தோழி அவரொடுகாட்டுச் சார்க் கொய்த சிறு முல்லை மற்று இவை தலைவன்முல்லை இவை ஆயின் முற்றிய கூழையாய்!எல்லிற்று போழ்து ஆயின், ஈதோளிக் கண்டேனால்;‘செல்’ என்று நின்னை விடுவேன், யான்; மற்று எனக்குமெல்லியது ஓராது அறிவு. A short and simple song in the conversational format. The words can be translated as follows: “ManAs if highly valuable fine gold and sapphires have been melted and fused together with much care, glows your skin, O maiden! Akin to the immature, young buds of the buttercup, are your bosoms, etched with ‘thoyyil’ paintings! What is that you are holding in your hand? Tell me. LadyI’m the daughter of this village’s headman. What I hold in my hand is a lined basket, made from palm fronds, by a weaver woman, to be sold, but one she gave me as a gift! ManO maiden, pleasing to the eyes! What is there within the basket? Show it to me! LadySee now! These are little wild jasmines that were spreading in the forest that I plucked along with my friend having flower-filled tresses. ManO maiden with thick tresses! I can see these are wild jasmines and that the night is here. When I look around at this place, I should say, ‘go’, and let you leave. But what can I do when my mind is weak and frail and refuses to let me to?” Time to explore the nuances. The verse is situated in the category of excessive love expressed by a person. These words are exchanged by the man and the lady. The man opens the scene by approaching the lady and praising her for her exquisite complexion which seems to him, as if pure gold and dazzling sapphires have been blended and polished to perfection. Then, he equates her bosom on which ‘thoyyil’ paintings have been drawn to the buds of a buttercup flower. After these high praises, he asks the lady what she is holding in her hand. The lady replies that she is holding a little basket, woven from palmyra leaves. This was actually made for sale by a weaver woman, but because the lady happened to the village chief’s daughter, that worker had given it to the lady, with much affection, she adds. The man questions her further asking what is inside that basket. The lady responds by opening the basket and showing him that those were the wild jasmine flowers that she had plucked along with her friends. Seeing those jasmine flowers, the man decides to show the lady, the blooms of love in his heart, and he concludes by saying, ‘Yes, what’s there are jasmines, the time now is night and this place is so dark and dense. I should let you go. That would be the right thing. However, my mind doesn’t want to let you go. Please tell me what should I do!’. The words are intended to express the man’s brimming love for the lady and win her heart. Whether the lady accepted the man or not is left to the imagination of the reader, like an open-ended movie with varying interpretations! With this verse that speaks the truth of a heart, we come to the end of verses situated in the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest landscape. In most of these few songs in this domain, the focus was on bull taming by young men of this domain and the celebration of that courage by young maiden through their ‘Kuravai’ dances. The facets about love among workers, rather than a man and a woman, who had nothing else to do, but be a lord and lady of a domain, was a refreshing break in perspective. Now, it’s time to bid bye to these men, battling the bulls, and maiden, looking starry-eyed at them, and journey on to our next and last landscape in Kalithogai!