As Splendid as a peacock – Ainkurunuru 74

Short poem with great visual imagery.

74. விசும்பு இழி தோகைச் சீர் போன்றிசினே
பசும் பொன் அவிர் இழை பைய நிழற்ற,
கரை சேர் மருதம் ஏறிப்
பண்ணை பாய்வோள் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பே.

When She climbed the Marutham tree on the banks

with her glittering jewel

made of pure gold creating radiance,

and dived into the pond,

her cool fragrant hair

looked like a beautiful peacock

descending from sky.

Poet: Orampokiyar

Translated by Palaniappan Vairam Sarathy

கரையில் உள்ள மருதமரத்தை ஏறி

மின்னும் பசும் பொன் அணிகலன் ஒளி வீச

குளத்தில் பாய்ந்தப்  பொழுது

அவள் தண்மையான நறுமணமிக்கக்  கூந்தல்

வானத்தில் இருந்து கீழே வரும் மயில் போல் சீராக இருந்தது!

Background:

The additional notes to the poem say that the Husband wants to bathe with his wife in the river like they used to do when they were in love. But the wife is not a good mood and she wont come. So our hero goes to his wife’s friend and talks to her loudly so that his wife can hear what he is saying. He describes the beauty of his wife when they used to have bath during their pre-martial days.

The Visual Imagery:

The Hair of the Thalaivi is compared to the feathers of the Peacock. The thalaivi is falling down from a Marutam tree into the pond/stream.

So first lets check out the Marutam tree,
மருது marutu
— நீர்மருது. Common name:Arjuna, Scientific name: Terminalia arjuna

Maruthu- arjuna

http://www.mrt.ac.lk/society/natureteam/Pictures/photos/12.JPG

So our Heroine jumps from one such branch of a Marutam tree into the water below. The poet says that her hair while jumping into the water is like that of a peacock descending down from sky. So first to understand this comaprision we have to visualize how a peacocks feathers would really look like. So here are the pictures,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/38839711@N00/445288349
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62756481@N00/2283923199
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27604349@N03/3393688017

And now finally comes the illustration I have been waiting for, thanks to Bala for such beautiful piece of art,

Ainkurunuru 74 Illustration by Bala

Hope you enjoyed this visual treat. Soon you can see more of Bala’s illustration for Sangam poems. And once again special thanks to Mr. Vijayakumar of Poetryinstone.com.

Maruthu- arjuna

Ainkurunuru 74 Illustration by Bala

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Reference:

Ainkurunooru – Translation by P.Jyotimuthu

Learn Sangam Tamil

Tamil Lexicon – University of Madras

Poems on Love and war – A.K.Ramanujan

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விசும்பு இழி தோகைச் சீர் போன்றிசினே

Sky –descend -feather – fine/excellence – alike !

பசும் பொன் அவிர் இழை பைய நிழற்ற,

Pure – gold – glitter – jewel –radiant – lustre

கரை சேர் மருதம் ஏறிப்

Bank- attached – marutham – climb

பண்ணை பாய்வோள் தண் நறுங் கதுப்பே.

Lake/pond – Dive she – cool – pleasant smelling – hair