Sleepless night – Kurunthokai 138

Found another beautiful poem. Sangam literature is serving purpose of teaching me botany. By the time I finish reading Sangam literature I hope I can identify most of the plants and trees in Tamil Nadu. If you wondered why I am saying this , the poem below would give a perfect explanation.

Thalaivan has met Thalaivi and the are in love. Thalaivan is from the neighboring village. The love affair between Thalaivan and Thalaivi is a gossip in the town and the parents of Thalaivi come to know about it. Thalaivi is under strict supervision of her parents. Only time she can meet Thalaivan is in the midnight when her parents are asleep. Thalaivan comes through the forest in the dark and hides near the house of Thalaivi and makes some signals – mostly some kind of sound. Thalaivi understanding such signal would sneak out of the house and meet her lover. They would spend the whole night together.

In one such occasion , Thalaivan comes and hides and the Thalaivi didn’t get the signal and they couldn’t meet in the night. So next day when she and her friend(Panki- always accompanies her and more of companion) see Thalaivan , Panki talks very loudly to Thalaivi so that Thalaivan can hear it and utters the poem below.

Kurunthokai 138
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138. குறிஞ்சி


கொன் ஊர் துஞ்சினும், யாம் துஞ்சலமே-

எம் இல் அயலது ஏழில் உம்பர்,

மயில் அடி இலைய மாக் குரல் நொச்சி

அணி மிகு மென் கொம்பு ஊழ்த்த

மணி மருள் பூவின் பாடு நனி கேட்டே.

குறி பிழைத்த தலைமகன் பிற்றை ஞான்று இரவுக்குறி வந்துழி, தோழி சிறைப்புறமாகக் கூறியது; இரவுக்குறி நேர்ந்ததூஉம் ஆம். – கொல்லன் அழிசி

பரந்து விரிந்த்ருகும் இவ்வூர் தூங்கியது,

எங்கள் வீட்டின் அருகில் உள்ள ,

எழில் என்ற பெயர் கொண்ட மலையில்,

மயிலினது அடியைப் போல் இலைகளை கொண்ட

நொச்சி மரத்தின் மென்மையானக் கொம்புகளில்

அணி அணியாக தொங்கும் பெரிய பூங்கொத்துகள்,

உதிர்ந்து மணி போன்ற பூக்கள் விழும்

ஓசையை கேட்டுக்கொண்டே ,

நாங்கள் தூங்காமல் விழித்திருந்தோம் !

The vast city had slept, we did not.

We heard the sound

of clourful clusters of aged flowers

which look like sapphires,

decorated on the soft branches of

the nochhi tree, with leaves like peacock feet,

falling down

on the Ezhil mountains closer to our house.

Poet:Kollan Azhici

Translated by Palaniappan Vairam

By uttering this poem the Panki says that they were very attentive to the extent they could hear flowers falling but they couldn’t hear any signal from Thalaivan. So if some is to be blamed for Thalaivan and Thalaivi not meeting previous day it must be the Thalaivan for not giving proper signal. She says this to make it clear that Thalaivi did not avoid Thalaivan , rather she was waiting to meet Thalaivan the previous night.

Ezhil here is the mountain in Kingdom of King Nannan

Now it would be interesting to learn about the Nocchi tree.

The poet compares the blue shades of the flower and the Sapphire stone as well as says the tree’s leaves are like peacock’s feet. The Sangam poets have always described nature as integral part of love poems to add to the emotions of the poem.

We also come to know that Noocchi flowers fall in the night!

Now you would understand that learning Sangam poem also gives you a big lesson in Botany!

After seeing this tree you should understand the underlying sarcasm of Panki. She mocks at the Thalaivan saying we could hear even leaves from the tree falling but not your signal!