In this episode, we listen to a playful conversation between a man and lady in love, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Kalithogai 64, penned by Kabilar. The verse is situated in the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountains landscape’ and etches an attempt to reconcile a disgruntled person.

தலைவன்
அணி முகம் மதி ஏய்ப்ப, அம் மதியை நனி ஏய்க்கும்,
மணி முகம், மா மழை, நின் பின் ஒப்ப, பின்னின்கண்
விரி நுண் நூல் சுற்றிய ஈர் இதழ் அலரி
அரவுக்கண் அணி உறழ் ஆரல் மீன் தகை ஒப்ப,
அரும் படர் கண்டாரைச் செய்து, ஆங்கு இயலும்
விரிந்து ஒலி கூந்தலாய்! கண்டை; எமக்குப்
பெரும் பொன் படுகுவை பண்டு

தலைவி
ஏஎ, எல்லா! மொழிவது கண்டை, இஃது ஒத்தன்; தொய்யில்
எழுதி இறுத்த பெரும் பொன் படுகம்;
உழுவது உடையமோ யாம்?

தலைவன்
உழுதாய்! சுரும்பு இமிர் பூங் கோதை அம் நல்லாய்! யான் நின்
திருந்து இழை மென் தோள் இழைத்த, மற்று இஃதோ,
கரும்பு எல்லாம் நின் உழவு அன்றோ? ஒருங்கே
துகள் அறு வாள் முகம் ஒப்ப மலர்ந்த
குவளையும், நின் உழவு அன்றோ? இகலி
முகை மாறு கொள்ளும் எயிற்றாய்! இவை அல்ல,
என் உழுவாய் நீ, மற்று இனி

தலைவி
எல்லா! நல் தோள் இழைத்த கரும்புக்கு நீ கூறு;
முற்று எழில் நீல மலர் என உற்ற,
இரும்பு ஈர் வடி அன்ன உண்கட்கும், எல்லாம்,
பெரும் பொன் உண்டு என்பாய்! இனி

தலைவன்
நல்லாய்! இகுளை! கேள்:
ஈங்கே தலைப்படுவன், உண்டான் தலைப்பெயின்,
வேந்து கொண்டன்ன பல

தலைவி
‘ஆங்கு ஆக!’

தலைவன்
‘அத் திறம் அல்லாக்கால், வேங்கை வீ
முற்று எழில் கொண்ட சுணங்கு அணி பூண் ஆகம்
பொய்த்து ஒருகால் எம்மை முயங்கினை சென்றீமோ,
முத்து ஏர் முறுவலாய்! நீ படும் பொன் எல்லாம்
உத்தி எறிந்துவிடற்கு’

An exchange of ‘I did that for you’ and ‘You did what?’ by the man and lady! The words can be translated as follows:

“Man
Your beautiful face is akin to the moon; Akin to the dark clouds that surround that beautiful moon, framing your sapphire-radiant face, are your tresses that fall behind; Upon those falling tresses, the moist-petaled flowers in the garland, stitched together with a long and thin string, appears akin to the exquisite patterns on a snake’s skin, in the shape of shining stars in the sky; All this induces a deep suffering in those who behold you, O maiden with swaying, luxuriant, thick tresses! Don’t forget that you have obtained a golden treasure from me!

Lady:
Hey, look at this! Such words from this man! The only treasure I attained were the thoyyil paintings you did on my arms! Did I get the pleasure of your embrace?

Man:
You have attained it indeed, O maiden wearing bee-buzzing flower garland! Doesn’t the pleasure shine on your perfect and delicate soft shoulders, where I drew sugarcane patterns? Doesn’t it glow in the flawless, bright face, whose eyes bloom like blue lilies? O maiden with teeth that compete with jasmine buds! What other pleasure do you seek now?

Lady:
Hey! Maybe you are right about the sugarcane paintings etched on my fine arms! But will you claim that my beautiful, blue-lily-like, kohl-streaked eyes, which now appear like a tender mango sliced in two, have attained this golden treasure from you?

Man:
O beautiful and young maiden! Listen, if I were to attain you, I will reap the benefits of a king, who attains the services of a skilled person!

Lady:
So shall it be!

Man:
O maiden with a smile, akin to shining pearls, when your anger subsides, with your jewel-clad bosom decked with beautiful spots, akin to Kino flowers, at least render me a fake embrace, so that you can throw away that golden treasure of pallor that has spread upon you!”

Let’s explore the details. The verse is situated in the context of a man’s love relationship with a lady prior to marriage and describes a conversation between the man and the lady, during the trysting phase of their relationship. The man had parted away from the lady after trysting for a while and this conversation unfolds when he returns to her. He starts by praising the face, tresses and flower adornments on the lady, placing them in parallel to the moon, the clouds and stars in the sky, and declares all this causes distress in the beholder, for having to take in so much beauty! Then, he reminds the lady that she has obtained a golden treasure from him in the past. The lady scoffs at this and says to the man, the only thing I have attained from you are the thoyyil paintings on my arms, and yet, you talk so much! The man replies saying indeed, your arms glowed, and your blue-lily-like eyes glowed, because of me. To this, the lady says ‘Yes, you made my arms glow by drawing sugarcane patterns on them but will you accept the responsibility for the gold-like pallor that spreads in my eyes?’. The man talks about how if the lady’s father accepts him, he would attain the satisfaction of a king, who has won over a capable person. And the lady hopes and wishes that this will come true. The man concludes with the words that the lady should at least render him a fake embrace once she has gotten over her anger, so as to shed that gold-like pallor that spreads on her skin.

And so we see how the entire verse is a play on the words ‘golden treasure’, implying the good the man did in the past, as well as the pallor he caused in the lady by parting away. Yet again, I’m impressed by the importance rendered to this minor conversation between two young people in love. But then I’m reminded of all the love songs that have been written and continue to be written in languages many, many, across space and time, and smile in understanding to see this timeless theme of love, echoing from these pages of the past!