THE TIRUKKURAL OF TIRUVALLUVAR

SECTION 109

VERSES 1081 TO 1090

êéæáú§ªÆ×êÐêùª     Illicit Love

 
íú§ªÆâæèùª ? Íáªëá¨ùª âæèùªîùè ? æ䧪ÆéÈ  1081
ëèêõÐâæèùª ? ëèÙëªöäª â墪à

íú§ªÆâæèùª   angel?
Íáªëá¨ùª   a rare bird like a peahen
âæèùªîùè   is she ?
æ䧪ÆéÈ   adorned with a heavy ear-ornament
ëèêõÐâæèùª   a maiden
ëèÙëª   (I am) overwhelmed
öäª âå¢ªà   in my heart

 
Is she an angel, a rare bird like a peahen,
or a bejewelled maiden ? In my heart I am
overwhelmed (1081).

 
îåèæÐæ¨äèóª îåèæÐâæê¨õÐ îåèæÐÆêùª êèæÐæú§ªÆ   1082
êèéäæÐâæèúª ìäªäÊ ãéìêÐÊ

îåèæÐæ¨äèóª   this comely
îåèæÐÆ   her glances
öê¨õÐ   in return
îåèæÐÆêùª   when she looks
êèæÐÆ íú§ªÆ   the celestial (army) poised to attack
êèéä   an army
âæèúªÌ  íäªäÊ  having brought
ãéìêÐÊ   have the nature of


When this lady returns my look, her look seems
to have the force of an attacking army (1082).

 
çúªì÷¨îáäª Ô÷ªâ÷äª çêéä ¬ä¨á÷¨åÐîê䪠 1083
âçúªìéæáèùª îçõëõÐæÐ æìªÌ

çúªÌ í÷¨îá䪠  did not know earlier
Ô÷ª×   the god of death
öäªçêéä   known as
¬ä¨  from now on
í÷¨åÐîê䪠  (I) realise
âçúª êéæáèùª   taking the female form
îçõÐ íëõР  big and which seem ready for war
æìªÌ   eyes

 
I did not know earlier the god of death; but now I
know he takes the form of a beautiful woman with eyes
that seem ready for war (1083).

æúªìèõÐ ãá¨ÕúªÑëª îêè÷ª÷êÐêèùª âçúªìéæ窠  1084
îçéêæÐÆ íëõÐêÐêä æúª

æúªìèõР  of those on whom her eyes rest
ãá¨õÐ ãúªÑ몠  consuming life
îêè÷ª÷êÐêèùª   with the sight
âçúª êéæ   having the form of a woman (of grace)
îçéêæÐÆ   this maiden
íëõÐêÐêä   (has) different
æúª  eyes

She appears a woman of grace yet she seems to consume
the lives of those on whom her eyes rest (1084).

Ô÷ª÷îëè æúªîúè ç¨éúîáè ëìôõùª  1085
îåèæÐæëª¬ëª ßäª×ëª ãéìêÐÊ

Ô÷ª÷îëè   is it the god of death
æúªîúè   is it her eye
ç¨éúîáè   is it a gazelle
ëìôõùª   this maiden's
îåèæÐæ몠  gaze
¬ëª ßäª×몠  these three
ãéìêÐÊ   of the nature of

Is this the Lord of Death, or a gazelle or just
a pair of eyes? Her gaze seems to encompass all
three (1085).

 
âæèÌ몵Õôëª îæèìè ëé÷çªç¨äª å̧ªæ¢õР  1086
âòáªáù ë䪬ôóª æúª

âæèÌ몵Õô몠  cruel eyebrows
îæèìè  ëé÷çªç¨äª   (if only) cover her (eyes)
å̧ªÆ í¢õР  intense suffering
âòáªáù   will not bring
ëäª  O!
¬ôóª æúª   her eyes

If only her curved eyebrows temper her glances,
my heart will not suffer and tremble so (1086).

æìèíëª æó¨÷ª÷¨äªîëùª æìªçìèëª ; ëèêõÐ   1087
çìèí Ëéùîëùª Êæ¨ùª

æìèí   with rut streaming down its cheeks
æó¨÷ª÷¨äªîëùª   on the elephant
æúª çìè몠  the blinds
ëèêõÐ   this lady
çìèí Ëéùîëùª   on the firm breasts of
Êæ¨ùª   the garment

 

The cloth that veils the firm breasts of the maiden is like the blinds placed over the eyes of the
rutting elephant to keep it under control (1087).

øúªÑê÷ª îæèø ãéìåÐêîê ¢èìªç¨Äóª   1088
åúªúèÕëª ãìªÆëªöäª ç©Ì

øóª Åê÷ªÆ   for her shining temple (eyebrow)
øØ  O!
ãéìåÐêîê   is brought to naught
¢èìªç¨Äóª   in the battlefield
åúªúèÕ몠  even the enemies
ãìªÆ몠  dread
öäª ç©Ì   my might

Where goes all my might which foes dread even in anticipation of battle, when I face the beautiful
brow of this maiden ! (1088).

 
ç¨éúîáõÐ ëìîåèæÐÆëª åèÑëª ãéìáèìªÆ 1089
íú¨öôîäè Öê¨ù êåÐÊ

ç¨éú ÖõР  the dainty gazelle
ëìîåèæÐÆ몠  timid looks
åèÑ몠  modesty
ãéìáèìªÆ   to this maiden who possesses all these
íú¨  jewels
öôäª   of what use
Ø  O!
Öê¨ù êåÐÊ   other jewels

With the timid looks of a fawn and her own modesty, where is the need for jewels to adorn her ? (1089)

 
ãúªìèõÐæúª íùªùÊ íÌå÷èæÐ æèëëªîçèùª 1090
æúªìèõÐ ëæ¨Èªâòáªêùª ¬äª×

ãúªìèõÐæúª   (only) those who consume liquor
íùªùÊ   other than
íÌå÷è   brewed liquor
æèëëªîçèùª   like the intoxication of
æúªìèõР  the mere sight of the beloved
ëæ¨Èªâòáªêùª   give happiness
¬äª×  does not

 
Wine gives joy to those who drink it, but joy comes
from the mere sight of the beloved (1090).

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