In this episode, we perceive the piercing pain of parting, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 305, penned by Vadama Vannakkan Peri Saathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the changes in the season and the sounds in the breeze.

பகலினும் அகலாதாகி, யாமம்
தவல் இல் நீத்தமொடு ஐயெனக் கழிய,
தளி மழை பொழிந்த தண் வரல் வாடையொடு
பனி மீக்கூரும் பைதல் பானாள்,
பல் படை நிவந்த வறுமை இல் சேக்கை,
பருகுவன்ன காதலொடு திருகி,
மெய் புகுவன்ன கை கவர் முயக்கத்து,
ஓர் உயிர் மாக்களும் புலம்புவர்மாதோ;
அருளிலாளர் பொருள்வயின் அகல,
எவ்வம் தாங்கிய இடும்பை நெஞ்சத்து
யான் எவன் உளெனோ தோழி! தானே
பராரைப் பெண்ணைச் சேக்கும், கூர்வாய்,
ஒரு தனி அன்றில் உயவுக் குரல் கடைஇய,
உள்ளே கனலும் உள்ளம் மெல்லெனக்
கனை எரி பிறப்ப ஊதும்
நினையா மாக்கள் தீம் குழல் கேட்டே?

Rather than stepping onto that barren domain, we step into the lady’s heart, as we listen to her say these words to her confidante, when she receives the news that the man has parted away, in search of wealth:

“Without dispersing during the day, not ceasing at night too, bringing heavy floods, rainclouds pour down and then move away slowly, ushering in the cold and moist northern winds. On one such freezing midnight hour of suffering, imagine a couple, who lies on a mattress, bereft of poverty, stacked to many levels, with love that seems like a drink to be relished, intertwined in an embrace, tied by hands of desire, and seem to be made of one life. Even they would feel lonely! 

While that is so, when that man without grace any has parted away in search of wealth, at this time, with an angst-ridden heart, where sorrow has taken residence, how can I bear this, my friend? Especially, as the solitary, sharp-beaked red-naped ibis, sitting on a rough-trunked palmyra tree, kneads me with its melancholic song, and without thinking that the burning embers in my heart will burst into flames when I hear that, those thoughtless people play on their sweet flutes?”

Time to let our empathy surface as we listen to this song of separation! The lady starts by talking about how the rains have poured, day in and day out, without taking a break even at night, and then decided to move away. Immediately following in their tracks, the northern winds had entered the scene, the lady adds. She declares that even a couple, inseparably intertwined in love, would feel lonely in those brief moments this northern wind assails them. Then as if saying ‘imagine my plight’, she goes on to talk about how the man has decided to leave at such a time, without thinking of the angst in her heart, which will have to host sorrow until his return. The lady concludes by telling her friend her pain is specially sharp when she hears the twin sounds of a solitary ‘Andril’ bird calling out to its mate, from atop a palmyra tree, and that of flutes being played by people, who spare no thought for the flames that erupt from the embers of her heart! 

What is exquisitely beautiful in the world outside becomes extraordinarily painful, when the eyes within see it so! The only cure is for the rains of these pains to part and for the man to return like the timely northern winds, and make these sounds become the solace they truly are!

In this episode, we listen to a man’s anxious words, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 304, penned by Idaikaadanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers and pouring showers of the ‘Mullai’ or ‘Forest Landscape’ and etches the beauty of the land in the season of rains.

இரு விசும்பு இவர்ந்த கருவி மா மழை,
நீர் செறி நுங்கின் கண் சிதர்ந்தவை போல்,
சூர் பனிப்பன்ன தண் வரல் ஆலியொடு
பரூஉப் பெயல் அழி துளி தலைஇ, வான் நவின்று,
குரூஉத் துளி பொழிந்த பெரும் புலர் வைகறை,
செய்து விட்டன்ன செந் நில மருங்கில்,
செறித்து நிறுத்தன்ன தெள் அறல் பருகி,
சிறு மறி தழீஇய தெறிநடை மடப் பிணை,
வலம் திரி மருப்பின் அண்ணல் இரலையொடு,
அலங்கு சினைக் குருந்தின் அல்கு நிழல் வதிய,
சுரும்பு இமிர்பு ஊத, பிடவுத் தளை அவிழ,
அரும் பொறி மஞ்ஞை ஆல, வரி மணல்
மணி மிடை பவளம் போல, அணி மிகக்
காயாஞ் செம்மல் தாஅய், பல உடன்
ஈயல் மூதாய் ஈர்ம் புறம் வரிப்ப,
புலன் அணி கொண்ட கார் எதிர் காலை,
”ஏந்து கோட்டு யானை வேந்தன் பாசறை
வினையொடு வேறு புலத்து அல்கி, நன்றும்
அறவர்அல்லர், நம் அருளாதோர்” என,
நம் நோய் தன்வயின் அறியாள்,
எம் நொந்து புலக்கும்கொல் மாஅயோளே?

A plethora of pleasant sights greet us in this trip to the forests, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, at a time when he continues to remain parted away from his beloved:

“Dark clouds that arose in the wide skies, in the manner of a water-filled palmyra fruit, whose eye breaks and scatters, have showered moist hailstones, as if frozen by spirits, along with a heavy downpour that has leaped from the skies and turned into rain drops in the dawning horizon.

As if painted, appear the red forest lands. Here, drinking up the clear waters, which appear as if filtered and heaped, a naive female deer, with a trotting gait, embraces its little one, and along with its esteemed mate with right-whorled antlers, rests in the serene shade of the wild lime tree with a swaying branch. As bees buzz around, sprouts of wild jasmine open their buds; A peacock with precious spots dances; Upon the lined sand, appearing like a jewel made from coral tied with sapphires, amidst the withered flowers of the ironwood tree, many red velvet mites with moist backs crawl around. On one such picturesque, well-adorned morning in the rainy season, without understanding my affliction and my yearning for her, would that dark-skinned maiden say, ‘The one who graces me not, staying in a far away land on a mission for the king, who wields elephants with uplifted tusks, is not a man of justice’, denouncing and detesting me?”

Time to bask in the bounty of nature! The man starts by pointing to the skies and the way the dark clouds that were looming in the sky had opened up and poured down. To compare this scene, he conjures an image of the black palmyra fruit, whose eye has broken, and down falls, the white fruit and moisture within. The man talks about how freezing hailstones and fat drops of rain fall and decorate the horizon at dawn. From the skies, the man flies straight to the red earth beneath, and calls it a painting, and there, we have crystal clear water, which a female deer is delighting in, then with love, hugging its little one, and finally resting with its antlered mate, in the shade of the wild lime tree.

In addition, the wild jasmines are being opened by the buzzing of bees, and most exquisitely, on the ground, around the faded, violet flowers of the ironwood tree scattered about, red velvet mites roam around, making it appear as if it’s a jewel made by interweaving corals and sapphires. Precious simile indeed! Looks like all the world is filled with joy. However, the man’s mind wonders if at this time, his promised season of return, the lady would be lamenting about how he continues to remain far away at the behest of his king, accusing him of not caring about her, without knowing how much he yearns to be back in her company. A classic clash between love and duty indeed. Hope the king is satisfied soon with his conquests and the lady remains with hope till the chariot bells resound in her ears! 

In this episode, we observe a woman’s angst, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 303, penned by Avvaiyaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse sketches the glory and fame of some Sangam kings and their lands.

இடை பிறர் அறிதல் அஞ்சி, மறை கரந்து,
பேஎய் கண்ட கனவின், பல் மாண்
நுண்ணிதின் இயைந்த காமம் வென் வேல்,
மறம் மிகு தானை, பசும்பூண் பொறையன்
கார் புகன்று எடுத்த சூர் புகல் நனந்தலை
மா இருங் கொல்லி உச்சித் தாஅய்,
ததைந்து செல் அருவியின் அலர் எழப் பிரிந்தோர்
புலம் கந்தாக இரவலர் செலினே,
வரை புரை களிற்றொடு நன் கலன் ஈயும்
உரை சால் வண் புகழ்ப் பாரி பறம்பின்
நிரை பறைக் குரீஇயினம் காலைப் போகி,
முடங்கு புறச் செந்நெல் தரீஇயர், ஓராங்கு
இரை தேர் கொட்பின் ஆகி, பொழுது படப்
படர் கொள் மாலைப் படர்தந்தாங்கு,
வருவர் என்று உணர்ந்த, மடம் கெழு நெஞ்சம்!
ஐயம் தெளியரோ, நீயே; பல உடன்
வறல் மரம் பொருந்திய சிள்வீடு, உமணர்
கண நிரை மணியின், ஆர்க்கும் சுரன் இறந்து,
அழி நீர் மீன் பெயர்ந்தாங்கு, அவர்
வழி நடைச் சேறல் வலித்திசின், யானே.

This trip to this drylands domain is full of detours to fertile hills ruled by famous kings, as we listen to the lady say these words to her heart, when the man continues to remain parted away, having left the lady before their wedding, to go in search of wealth:

“Fearing that others would come to know, I hide my heart within, akin to how those who have seen a ghost in their dream talk not about it. However, the nuanced, well-etched passion of mine resounds, akin to gushing cascades that leap from the peaks of the huge and dark ‘Kolli hills’, filled with wide spaces, which the rain clouds love and divine spirits reside, ruled by Pasumpoon Poraiyan, with a victorious spear and a courageous army. Resounding so, it spreads slander all around town.

From the ‘Parambu hills’, ruled by Paari, celebrated in songs many, and renowned for his generosity of rendering fine vessels and elephants, akin to hills, to those supplicants, who arrive before him, climbing those highlands with their talent as their pole, birds which spread their wings in neat rows, fly out in the morning, so as to bring red paddy crop ears with curved backs, search with precision for what they seek, and as the day diminishes, in that suffering-filled evening hour, would return back to the hills. Akin to this assured return of the birds in the evening hour, you think the one who had left, letting slander spread in town, would come back to me, O naive heart! Be rid of these thoughts! To those spaces in the drylands, filled with barren trees, where crickets chirp, akin to the sound of bells on herds of cattle, driven by salt merchants, akin to a fish that migrates from diminishing waters, I have decided to dare and go join that path he now treads!”

Let’s be transported to that arid region and see the rain of love in the lady’s heart! She starts by explaining her situation, mentioning how she had tried hard to hide whatever she was feeling for the man. To etch this, she presents a unique simile, talking about how people who had seen a ghost in their dream would never talk about it to anyone. This points to a specific Sangam belief and I wonder if the reason is the fear that talking about a dream would make that come true! Though we will not know the answer to this riddle, what we can understand is that the lady had tried her best to conceal what was in her heart. While that may be so, her heart refused to heed her restraints and seemed to shout out, akin to the cascades in the divine and lush ‘Kolli hills’, ruled by the Chera King ‘Pasumpoon Poraiyan’, known for his brave army and conquering spear. So consequentially, the townsfolk saw these loud changes in the lady and spread slander about her relationship with the man, the lady adds. 

Next, she starts narrating about a significant event that happened in the ‘Parambu hills’, ruled by ‘Paari’, who was renowned all over the land for his extraordinary charity to supplicants, honouring their intelligence with elephants and gifts many. This event is the act of certain birds, mentioned as parrots in other verses, and how they were trained to go search for paddy crops. and that they would leave in the morning as a huge flock, and return back to the hills in the evening, carrying those crop ears in their beaks. Why is this significant is that this was a time when Paari’s domain was laid siege by the three emperors, the Chera, Chola and Pandya kings, who put up a food blockade. This story tells us how that blockade was overcome with strategy of training these parrots.

Coming to why the lady has mentioned these famous parrots is to point out to her heart that in the manner of the returning birds in the evening, the lady’s heart too was holding on to the hope that the man would return to her. The lady concludes by asking her heart to banish such thoughts and follow her, as she has dared to leave like a fish in a pond with receding waters, to that path in the drylands space, where crickets call out, amidst barren trees, like the sounds of cattle bells, belonging to salt merchants, where her man walks now!

How can a fish leave a pond, no matter how much it wants to? Likewise, the lady knows it’s a futile desire to think she can go where the man is, and yet renders this wish in a nuanced way to etch the helplessness of her situation. An insightful verse that paints a person’s state in a philosophical manner, dipping the brush of poetry in the hues of history!

In this episode, we perceive how a pointed message is relayed in a hidden manner, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 302, penned by Madurai Aruvai Vaanikan Ilavettanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming Kino flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches scenes of serenity.

சிலம்பில் போகிய செம் முக வாழை
அலங்கல் அம் தோடு, அசைவளி உறுதொறும்,
பள்ளி யானைப் பரூஉப் புறம் தைவரும்
நல் வரை நாடனொடு அருவி ஆடியும்,
பல் இதழ் நீலம் படு சுனைக் குற்றும்,
நறு வீ வேங்கை இன வண்டு ஆர்க்கும்
வெறி கமழ் சோலை நயந்து விளையாடலும்
அரிய போலும் காதல் அம் தோழி!
இருங் கல் அடுக்கத்து என்னையர் உழுத
கரும்பு எனக் கவினிய பெருங் குரல் ஏனல்,
கிளி பட விளைந்தமை அறிந்தும், ”செல்க” என,
நம் அவண் விடுநள் போலாள், கைம்மிகச்
சில் சுணங்கு அணிந்த, செறிந்து வீங்கு, இள முலை,
மெல் இயல் ஒலிவரும் கதுப்பொடு,
பல் கால் நோக்கும் அறன் இல் யாயே.

In this little trip to the highlands, we delight in picturesque images and learn about the situation at hand, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, pretending not to notice the man listening nearby, but making sure he’s in earshot:

“The beautiful, swaying leaves of the red plantain that soars on slopes, nudged by the breeze, gently caresses the thick back of a sleeping elephant in the fine mountain ranges of the lord. It seems like bathing in the cascades, plucking many-petaled blue lilies from picturesque springs, and playing with desire in those thickly scented groves, where swarms of bees buzz around fragrant flowers of the Kino tree, in the company of the man, are all no longer possible for you, my loveable friend! Even though she knows that parrots are raiding the fields, where thick-stalked millet crops, sown by our brothers in the huge mountain spaces, have bloomed prosperously, akin to stalks of sugarcane, she doesn’t say to us, ‘Go there’’. Instead, that unjust mother of ours looks pointedly at your close-set, blooming young bosoms, adorned with exquisite pallor spots, and the gently swaying, thick, dark tresses of yours, over and over again!”

Time for the trek through those ancient mountains that never fails to amaze! The confidante starts with a description of the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she freezes an image of a sleeping elephant, whose back is gently caressed by the long leaves of the red plantain, every time a mountain breeze swirls around. What a delight for the senses to see and sense this image! A moment of appreciate this renowned delicacy, the red plantain, from various regions of Western Ghats called by the contemporary Tamil name ‘Sevvaazhai’, with sub-varieties growing in ‘Palakkad’ and ‘Thiruchur’ regions of Kerala, as well as the ‘Palani Hills’ and ‘Kumbum valley’ in Tamil Nadu. It’s a nutritional powerhouse having high Vitamin ‘A’ and ‘C’, a rich source of fibre and potassium, and inspite of its exquisite sweetness, having a lower glycemic index than other bananas!

Returning from our sweet fruit meanderings, we find the confidante now talking about all the activities the lady had been relishing with the man, such as bathing together in the bubbling cascades, plucking blue-lilies from the springs, and relaxing in the groves, filled with Kino trees and swarming bees around those fragrant flowers. These young lovers from these lush mountains seem to have realised that the foundation of a long and lasting relationship is spending time with one other! Returning, we find the confidante saying that all these activities are no longer possible. She explains the reason for this shocker by describing Mother’s attitude. Mother can clearly see the millet crops are fully grown, like thick sugarcanes that too, and are tempting the passing parrots, and yet she takes no steps to ask the lady and the confidante to go there and chase away those birds. The confidante concludes by declaring all that unjust mother seemed to do was to look at the lady’s blooming bosoms and thick tresses, with something on her mind! 

In essence, we have the lady’s buddy informing the man that these trysts he had been taking for granted are no longer going to be feasible, pointing out how it’s the time for harvest and underscoring mother’s suspicions. It’s a way of telling the man to give up his temporary trysting and come seek the lady’s hand in marriage. The beauty of this communication is that instead of throwing a spear of words straight into the man’s heart, in the gentle manner of those caressing leaves upon the sleeping elephant’s back, the confidante relates to the man, the consequences of the winds of change blowing through the lady’s life just then!

In this episode, we perceive a person’s state of mind, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 301, penned by Athiyan Vinnathanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse builds a stack of similes to reach the peak of a perfect and precise portrayal.

‘வறன் உறு செய்யின் வாடுபு வருந்தி,
படர் மிகப் பிரிந்தோர் உள்ளுபு நினைதல்
சிறு நனி ஆன்றிகம்’ என்றி தோழி!
நல்குநர் ஒழித்த கூலிச் சில் பதம்
ஒடிவை இன்றி ஓம்பாது உண்டு,
நீர் வாழ் முதலை ஆவித்தன்ன
ஆரை வேய்ந்த அறை வாய்ச் சகடத்து,
ஊர் இஃது என்னாஅர், ஊறு இல் வாழ்க்கை,
சுரமுதல் வருத்தம் மரமுதல் வீட்டி,
பாடு இன் தெண் கிணை கறங்க, காண்வர,
குவி இணர் எருக்கின் ததர் பூங் கண்ணி
ஆடூஉச் சென்னித் தகைப்ப, மகடூஉ,
முளரித் தீயின் முழங்கு அழல் விளக்கத்துக்
களரி ஆவிரைக் கிளர் பூங் கோதை,
வண்ண மார்பின் வன முலைத் துயல்வர,
செறி நடைப் பிடியொடு களிறு புணர்ந்தென்னக்
குறு நெடுந் தூம்பொடு முழவுப் புணர்ந்து இசைப்ப,
கார் வான் முழக்கின் நீர்மிசைத் தெவுட்டும்
தேரை ஒலியின் மாண, சீர் அமைத்து,
சில் அரி கறங்கும் சிறு பல் இயத்தொடு
பல் ஊர் பெயர்வனர் ஆடி ஒல்லென,
தலைப் புணர்த்து அசைத்த பல் தொகைக் கலப் பையர்,
இரும் பேர் ஒக்கல் கோடியர் இறந்த
புன் தலை மன்றம் காணின், வழி நாள்,
அழுங்கல் மூதூர்க்கு இன்னாதாகும்;
அதுவே மருவினம், மாலை; அதனால்,
காதலர் செய்த காதல்
நீடு இன்று மறத்தல் கூடுமோ, மற்றே?

In this long song with musical line after line, which takes us on a trip to the familiar drylands, we encounter a specific group of people, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the man continues to remain parted away, in response to the confidante’s words of consolation:

“‘Akin to a dried-up field in summer, you wilt away and worry, thinking about the one, who parted away, leaving you in suffering. Can you stop doing that for at least a little while?’, you ask me, my friend!

Saving not even a little from the gifts their patrons bestowed upon them, consuming it all, travelling in resounding carts with thatched roofs, which appear akin to a yawning crocodile that lives in the water, they never claim any town to be theirs, and instead live a life free of impediments. They leave behind the fatigue of their travels through the drylands in the shade of the trees therein. Men among them adorn their heads with dense flower clusters of the pointed milkweed flowers, so pleasing to the eyes, and womenfolk wear garlands, which sway around their radiant and beautiful bosoms, woven with the bright and shiny Tanner’s Cassia forest flowers, which appear akin to the glowing light of a blazing flame on a firebrand.

As the music of their clear ‘kinai’ drums resounds; As the small and long ‘thoombu’ horns and the ‘muzhavu’ drums unite, akin to the sight of a male elephant uniting with its mate that has an elegant gait, and send out their musical notes; As many small instruments send out short, sharp sounds in rhythm, akin to the croaks of frogs that resound upon the surface of the ponds, when the rainy skies thunder on, these men and women move across many different towns, dancing steadily, carrying many different instruments in their string bags, travelling as a huge group of people. When these performers have left a town after the festivities, and the day after, if the people of that uproarious town happen to look at the dull and listless town centre, they would feel much sadness; That’s exactly what I feel in this evening hour. So, how can you think I can forget the love of my beloved even for a little while?”

Let’s brave that desolate space that echoes the dejection in the heart of the protagonists and learn more! The lady starts by repeating the words of her confidante, who had felt much sadness seeing her friend wallowing in pining since the man left. The friend had compared the state of the lady to a field that’s drying up in summer, without its nourishing supply of water, and had asked the lady to stop thinking and worrying about the man at least for a short while. 

After repeating this question from her friend, the lady launches into a long narrative about a group of people. First she says these people live just for today, meaning that they don’t save a thing that’s rendered to them as income for their services, and finish it all up, without a thought. Then, she turns to talk about their transport, which is a cart having a roof made of thatched grass, and tastefully, she compares these carts to yawning crocodiles. Into the mouths of these travelling crocodiles, these people jump in and traverse the harsh drylands, the lady continues. No doubt the heat and exhaustion of this domain will attack them but they have the talent of leaving behind all their troubles under the few trees they encounter, sketches the lady. That’s a remarkable trait to not carry your burdens but to leave them at the first sign of respite! 

Moving on, the lady continues by describing the accessories of the men and women in this group. Apparently, the men wear head garlands of bright white and purple ‘milkweed’ flowers, whereas the women wear neck garlands of radiant ‘tanner’s cassia’ flowers, which are placed in parallel to a flame atop a firebrand, and searching for these flowers, there I found them to be a bright and radiant yellow! 

From attire, the lady moves on to the music that seems to surround these people. There’s drums roaring, and another drum and horn fusing together, like elephants in union, the lady compares. Another delightful comparison is between the short, sharp sounds from certain musical instruments, and that of frogs croaking in the surface of the ponds in reply to the thundering skies. No doubt expert musicians will be able to tell which instrument makes this particular sound!

With so much music in the air, how can these people remain without dancing? Indeed they do, they dance on, even as they carry their heavy instruments, and walk on through towns many, not claiming any town to be their own, and they live a life free of hurdles any, the lady describes. You can almost sense a note of envy in her voice at the carefree life of these people, who travel wherever they want, whereas she is bound to the confines of her home. So, who are they? As you must have guessed, they are performers, who go from town to town, to take part in the festivities therein. 

The lady then pictures a situation, where the performers had helped the town celebrate to the full, and then taken leave to go elsewhere. When the townsfolk wake up the next day and look at that barren arena in the town centre, without all the throbbing life of the day before, they would be crestfallen, and that’s exactly what I’m feeling, the lady connects finally. She ends by asking her friend, ‘Given this situation, how do you expect me to do what you are saying, and even for a short while, forget all the warmth and love of being with my beloved?’!

Fair point! With so much missing going on within, the lady no wonder declares that it’s not possible to follow what her friend says! If we can leave behind the familiar notes of pining, we can hear a resounding music in this verse, and that is the attitude and the way of life of these travelling performers. They seem to see all the world as their own, know where to leave their burdens, and to find the music even in difficult circumstances. In more ways than one, these people of the past do show us the way forward through the drylands of our own lives!

In this episode, we perceive a nuanced technique of communicating a message, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 300, penned by Ulochanaar. The verse is situated amidst the leaping fish of the ‘Neythal’ or ‘Coastal landscape’ and brings out a trait, deeply encoded in the culture of the Tamils.

நாள் வலை முகந்த கோள் வல் பரதவர்
நுணங்கு மணல் ஆங்கண் உணங்கப் பெய்ம்மார்,
பறி கொள் கொள்ளையர் மறுக உக்க
மீன் ஆர் குருகின் கானல் அம் பெருந் துறை,
எல்லை தண் பொழில் சென்றென செலீஇயர்,
தேர் பூட்டு அயர ஏஎய், வார் கோல்
செறி தொடி திருத்தி, பாறு மயிர் நீவி,
”செல் இனி, மடந்தை! நின் தோழியொடு, மனை” எனச்
சொல்லியஅளவை, தான் பெரிது கலுழ்ந்து,
தீங்கு ஆயினள் இவள்ஆயின், தாங்காது,
நொதுமலர் போலப் பிரியின், கதுமெனப்
பிறிது ஒன்று ஆகலும் அஞ்சுவல்; அதனால்,
சேணின் வருநர் போலப் பேணா,
இருங் கலி யாணர் எம் சிறு குடித் தோன்றின்,
வல் எதிர் கொண்டு, மெல்லிதின் வினைஇ,
”துறையும் மான்றன்று பொழுதே; சுறவும்
ஓதம் மல்கலின் மாறு ஆயினவே;
எல்லின்று; தோன்றல்! செல்லாதீம்” என,
எமர் குறை கூறத் தங்கி ஏமுற,
இளையரும் புரவியும் இன்புற, நீயும்
இல் உறை நல் விருந்து அயர்தல்
ஒல்லுதும், பெரும! நீ நல்குதல் பெறினே.

In this trip to the seas, we observe a plan being hatched, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, as he prepares to leave after his tryst by day with the lady:

“Bringing their day’s catch, those killer fishermen, who wield intricate fishing tools, bring their bounty and spread it to dry on the fine sands. Disturbing their plans, birds feast on the drying fish in those orchard-filled, beautiful shores. After spending the day in these cool groves, wishing to leave, you ordered your chariot be yoked. Then straightening her thick, round bangles, and stroking her scattered tresses, you said to her, ‘Go on, O naive maiden, along with your friend, to your home’. The moment you said those words, she started shedding copious tears and ended up wallowing in suffering. If at all you were to leave like an uncaring stranger, I fear something terrible may befall her. So, pretending as if you are coming from far away and acting as if you do not know us, if you were to arrive at our beautiful and fertile hamlet, filled with much uproar, they will quickly approach you, inquiring softly, and will say to you, ‘This is a time when the shore is filled with confusion, when sharks abound in the waters, bringing much danger. The day has ended, O noble heir! Do not leave now!’. As our kith and kin press on you, heeding their request, if you were to stay at our home happily, letting your helpers and horses to delight too, agree to relish the fine feast and accept our offerings, O lord, that would make us joyous indeed!”

Let’s take a dip in these waters and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the shores, where the man and lady have had their day’s tryst. To do that, she focuses on fishermen, who reel in their catch, spread it on the sands and let it dry in the warmth. Much to their misery, birds do raid the spread and feast on the drying fish, the confidante adds. She connects by saying in the groves of this shore the man and lady had spent the day together, and now, that the evening had arrived, the man had summoned his helpers and asked them to tie the horses to his chariot, in preparation to leave. When the man turned to the lady and requested that she too leave to her home with her friend, this lady started crying and feeling much pain, the confidante continues. To the man, she pointedly says, ‘Now, if you walk away, like a stranger, who doesn’t care, something bad might happen to the lady, I fear’.

So, she outlines a plan to the man, asking him to not leave but instead come to their village, pretending as if he’s coming from a far distance and acting as if he has never met the lady or confidante before. If he were to do that, their townsfolk, the lady’s relatives would welcome the man and insist that he should not leave so late in the evening, citing the danger of rising floods and attacking sharks, the confidante predicts. She concludes by saying if the man were to agree to this request by their kith and kin, that is the very thing that would bring much happiness to the lady and herself!

Hidden in this sweet invitation is a sharp message, asking the man to ‘Marry the lady’! How so?, you may ask! If he were to accept this plan to stay at the lady’s home, there would be obvious deception on the man’s part. If the man were to pretend not to know the lady and act as if he were a famished stranger from afar, that might not suit his noble character of honesty, especially to his beloved’s kith and kin. So, the man would decide the right thing to do would be to seek the lady’s hand to avoid leaving her in a state of misery after every such tryst!

Beyond these minute manipulations, the thing to focus our attention is that mention of the townsfolk’s welcome to a stranger. In their words, they show true care for the welfare and safety of a person they don’t even know, and etch in indelible letters, an ingrained trait that Tamils are known for, even to this day – Their heartfelt, heartwarming hospitality!

In this episode, we perceive the thing that seems impossible to forget, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 299, penned by Eyinanthai Makanaar Ilankeeranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the emotions of a person at the moment they receive a particular news.

எல்லையும் இரவும், வினைவயின் பிரிந்த
முன்னம், முன் உறுபு அடைய உள்ளிய
பதி மறந்து உறைதல் வல்லினம் ஆயினும்,
அது மறந்து உறைதல் அரிது ஆகின்றே

கடு வளி எடுத்த கால் கழி தேக்கிலை
நெடு விளிப் பருந்தின் வெறி எழுந்தாங்கு,
விசும்பு கண் புதையப் பாஅய், பல உடன்
அகல் இடம் செல்லுநர் அறிவு கெடத் தாஅய்,
கவலை கரக்கும் காடு அகல் அத்தம்,
செய் பொருள் மருங்கின் செலவு தனக்கு உரைத்தென,
வைகு நிலை மதியம் போல, பையென,
புலம்பு கொள் அவலமொடு, புதுக் கவின் இழந்த
நலம் கெழு திருமுகம் இறைஞ்சி, நிலம் கிளையா,
நீரொடு பொருத ஈர் இதழ் மழைக் கண்
இகுதரு தெண் பனி ஆகத்து உறைப்ப,
கால் நிலைசெல்லாது, கழி படர்க் கலங்கி,
நா நடுக்குற்ற நவிலாக் கிளவியொடு,
அறல் மருள் கூந்தலின் மறையினள்,’ திறல் மாண்டு
திருந்துகமாதோ, நும் செலவு’ என வெய்து உயிரா,
பருவரல் எவ்வமொடு அழிந்த
பெரு விதுப்புறுவி பேதுறு நிலையே.

It’s more about the inner world, in this trip to this domain, as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands:

“Having left in search of wealth, with a heart that ceaselessly thinks of the past, day and night, it may be possible to remain here, forgetting one’s town, but it’s impossible to be so, forgetting that particular moment!

Dried leaves from the teak tree, severed from stems by the harsh winds, rise high, and appearing akin to a flock of screeching kites, spread around, hiding the skies. Then these leaves drop down, confusing wayfarers, and preventing them from finding their way, in those drylands, filled with wide jungles. When I spoke to her, expressing my intention to journey thither, in pursuit of wealth, akin to the fading moon at the moment of dawn, slowly, with the thought of loneliness attacking her, her exquisite face lost its new beauty. She bent down, and stroked the land with her toe, as her moist, petaled, rain-like eyes battled with the brimming tears, and losing, shed those clear drops upon her bosom. Her feet wouldn’t stand steady and with anxiety brimming over, her tongue started quivering. Hiding herself in her river-sand-like tresses, with unclear words, she said, ‘May this journey of yours attain success and flawless perfection’, even as she sighed hotly. The confused state of that maiden, devastated by deep pain and shaken by sorrow, flashes before me, and that is what is impossible for me to forget even now!”

Let’s keep in pace with this man through the drylands and listen to the echo of his heartbeat! The man starts by declaring that as he goes on his mission in the pursuit of wealth, it was quite possible to forget one’s town and the familiar ways of life. But whatever he does, he’s unable to forget that one thing, the man adds. He then describes the drylands, where there’s nothing but dried leaves, torn from the teak trees, and the way these rise up, looking like kites with a loud call, hiding the skies, and then these plop down and hide the paths that guide wayfarers to their destination, leaving them in confusion.

The man talks about how he had mentioned that he was leaving to those drylands spaces to the lady and goes on to etch the lady’s reactions in intricate detail. He compares the way the lady’s face changed at that moment to how the moon loses its glow when the sun raises its head at dawn. With her luminous beauty lost, the lady seems to have bent her head down, scraped the ground beneath with her toe, and though her rain-like eyes tried to contain her swelling tears, it broke the barrier and split on her bosom. He recollects how the lady was unable to even stand steadily, and hiding herself behind her long, river-sand-like tresses, the lady seems to have spoken in a mumble, wishing him success for his journey, while sighing with sadness. The man concludes by saying it’s exactly this image of his beloved in pain that he’s unable to forget, no matter how far he’s walked on towards his mission.

The man etches that relatable feeling of how some scenes remain alive as if they are mountains in our mind, which nothing can shake or shatter. Like this man from the past, all we can do is acknowledge their presence and find our way through them or around them! 

In this episode, we listen to a nuanced rendition of one’s state of mind, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 298, penned by Madurai Panda Vaanikan Ilanthevanaar. The verse is situated amidst the blooming flowers of the ‘Kurinji’ or ‘Mountain Landscape’ and sketches the man’s domain and his journey to his beloved in vivid detail.

பயம் கெழு திருவின் பல் கதிர் ஞாயிறு
வயங்கு தொழில் தரீஇயர், வலன் ஏர்பு விளங்கி,
மல்கு கடல் தோன்றியாங்கு, மல்கு பட,
மணி மருள் மாலை, மலர்ந்த வேங்கை
ஒண் தளிர் அவிர் வரும் ஒலி கெழு பெருஞ் சினைத்
தண் துளி அசைவளி தைவரும் நாட!

கொன்று சினம் தணியாது, வென்று முரண் சாம்பாது,
இரும் பிடித் தொழுதியின் இனம் தலைமயங்காது,
பெரும் பெயற் கடாஅம் செருக்கி, வள மலை
இருங் களிறு இயல்வரும் பெருங் காட்டு இயவின்,
ஆர் இருள் துமிய வெள் வேல் ஏந்தி,
தாழ் பூங் கோதை ஊது வண்டு இரீஇ,
மென் பிணி அவிழ்ந்த அரை நாள் இரவு, இவண்
நீ வந்ததனினும், இனிது ஆகின்றே

தூவல் கள்ளின் துனை தேர் எந்தை
கடியுடை வியல் நகர் ஓம்பினள் உறையும்
யாய் அறிவுறுதல் அஞ்சி, பானாள்,
காவல் நெஞ்சமொடு காமம் செப்பேன்,
யான் நின் கொடுமை கூற, நினைபு ஆங்கு,
‘இனையல் வாழி, தோழி! நத் துறந்தவர்
நீடலர் ஆகி வருவர், வல்லென’
கங்குல் உயவுத் துணை ஆகிய
துஞ்சாது உறைவி இவள் உவந்ததுவே!

In this trip to the hills, we get to see plenty of this fertile landscape, as we listen to the lady say these words to the man, when he arrives for his nightly tryst with her:

“Akin to the many-rayed sun, which renders fertile wealth to the world, one which, in order to perform its radiant duty, climbs on the right, shining upon those brimming seas, in that sapphire-hued evening hour, the brimming clusters of the Kino flowers appear, opening their petals upon the resplendent sprouts that shoot up on the luxuriant, huge branch, shedding cool drops of dew, as the breeze blows through, in your mountain country, O lord!

With a rage that subsides not even after killing, with an enmity that recedes not even after conquering, wanting not to mingle with a herd of dark female elephants, with musth flowing like a huge downpour, a humungous male elephant roves in the wide jungles of the fertile mountains. In those paths, bearing a white spear, which slices through the deep darkness, chasing away buzzing bees, upon your low-hanging, flower garland, which has opened its buds, in that midnight hour, that you arrive, is something sweet.

In the guarded, wide mansion of my father, who showers copious toddy and wields fast chariots, lives mother, taking care of me. Fearing that she would come to know, in that midnight hour, with a restrained heart, without speaking of my passion, I only spoke of your cruelty. At that time, understanding what I meant, she said to me, ‘Worry not, my friend! May you live long! The one who has parted from you shan’t delay any further. He shall return promptly!’. What is sweeter than your coming here, is the joy this caring companion of the night, the one who stayed beside me sleepless, feels now that you are here!”

Let’s take that mountain trek and climb the hills of this relationship’s dynamics! The lady starts by describing the man’s mountain country, and to do that, she starts talking about the sun and the way it shines so radiantly upon the sapphire seas, only to connect its appearance to the golden Kino flowers on a branch, shedding dew drops in the breeze. After that pleasant and vibrant image to mark the man’s land, the lady moves on to talk about the way the man arrives in the midnight hour, with a spear for company, walking those very paths, where a huge male elephant roves madly, with its anger no way down, even after killing its enemy, most probably a tiger, without even thinking of joining in a herd of female elephants and relaxing, with its musth fluids pouring down like rain. That denotes the danger the man braves to come meet the lady!

Moving on from the man’s situation, the lady talks about her own state, as she lives under the care of her mother in her father’s well-protected, rich mansion. She mentions how she feared that mother would learn of the passion in her for the man, and discreetly spoke to her confidante, mentioning how cruel he must be, for not coming there. The lady continues by saying the friend understood what the lady actually meant, seeing the love brimming over in her heart, and promised the lady that the man would soon be there. The lady concludes by saying to the man, ‘Yes. It’s sweet that you have come here now. But what is even sweeter is the joy of my friend, who stayed near me, sleepless through the night, when she sees you arriving her, fulfilling those words she said to me!’.

The lady talks about the dangers in the man’s path, the trouble in her own home and heart, and brings out the need for the man to give up these risky ventures and choose the safe path of marriage. Without saying these exact words, she instead praises the goodness of her friend who stood by her, in that hour of need, hoping to bring out the transformation in the man’s heart. Instead of fighting and accusing, with good words about a friend’s kindness, this lady paves the path to change her life, and shows us, her descendants, that it’s possible to influence someone, without even the slightest hint of force, just with that feather-like weapon of positivity!

In this episode, we listen to the worry of a person about another, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 297, penned by Madurai Maruthan Ilanaakanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands Landscape’, the verse sketches scenes of human life and wildlife in this domain.

பானாட் கங்குலும், பெரும் புன் மாலையும்,
ஆனா நோயொடு அழி படர்க் கலங்கி,
நம்வயின் இனையும் இடும்பை கைம்மிக,
என்னை ஆகுமோ, நெஞ்சே! நம் வயின்
இருங் கவின் இல்லாப் பெரும் புன் தாடி,
கடுங்கண் மறவர் பகழி மாய்த்தென,
மருங்குல் நுணுகிய பேஎம் முதிர் நடுகல்,
பெயர் பயம் படரத் தோன்று குயில் எழுத்து
இயைபுடன் நோக்கல்செல்லாது, அசைவுடன்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் விட்டனர் கழியும்
சூர் முதல் இருந்த ஓமை அம் புறவின்,
ஈர் முள் வேலிப் புலவு நாறு முன்றில்,
எழுதியன்ன கொடி படு வெருகின்
பூளை அன்ன பொங்கு மயிர்ப் பிள்ளை,
மதி சூழ் மீனின், தாய் வழிப்படூஉம்
சிறுகுடி மறவர் சேக் கோள் தண்ணுமைக்கு
எருவைச் சேவல் இருஞ் சிறை பெயர்க்கும்
வெரு வரு கானம், நம்மொடு,
”வருவல்” என்றோள் மகிழ் மட நோக்கே?

Plenty of intricate images as we listen to the man say these words to his heart, in the middle of his journey through the drylands:

“In the middle of the night and in the long, dull evenings, with an unceasing affliction, filled with suffering and sorrow, as the pain that arises in worrying about me gets out of bounds, what will become of her, O heart?

As those harsh-eyed robbers, with long, coarse beards, lacking in any great beauty, sharpened their arrows, edges have chipped on those fearsome, ancient hero stones, and those words of praise etched on them, which celebrate the name and fame, had become indecipherable. Ignoring the stones, without looking closely, with much fatigue, wayfarers hastily cross these paths, in those scrub jungles filled with toothbrush trees, atop which spirits reside. Here in the front yard of a hut that reeks of flesh, surrounded by a fence of moist thorns, lies a litter of a painting-like wild cat’s kittens, having bushy hair, akin to mountain knotgrass, around their mother, akin to stars that encircle the moon, in that small hamlet, where hearing the cattle-raiding drum beats of robbers, a male vulture spreads its huge wings and flutters away. Such are those formidable, fear-evoking jungles, and it’s to such spaces, that maiden, with a joyous, naive appearance had said, ‘I shall come with you!’”

Let’s tread the paths of this difficult domain and learn more! The man starts by expressing his anxiety about the lady’s state, who he sees as worrying about him in the night and in the lonely evenings. Then, he goes on to describe the drylands space, and to do that, he zooms on to an ancient hero stone, and how it has become somewhat mutilated because the robbers of the land seemed to use that as the whetstone to sharpen their arrows, and because of this, the words that describe the name and fame of those buried there had become broken, and owing to this state of affairs, wayfarers seemed to rush past these stones, without even reading closely and paying their respects. A lot of culture lies embedded in this description and we’ll delve into that shortly. The man continues by talking about these spaces and now he shifts his attention to a bunch of wild cat kittens lying around their mother, like stars around the moon, and also paints an image of a vulture, spreading its wings and scattering away, upon hearing the drumbeats of the said robbers, announcing a cattle raid. The man concludes by remarking with astonishment that it’s to such a fearsome space that the lady had wanted to accompany him! 

This implies that the lady thought all that danger in the world outside was far better than the loneliness of lamenting without the man’s presence. Together, you can conquer anything, is it not? Wonder why the man still refused to bring along his beloved! Maybe his culture forbade him. Speaking of culture, the mention of those ancient hero stones in this ancient verse tells us this practice extended to a time long before this record, and particularly, the mention of words and letters speaking of the glory of that buried person echoes aloud that this was a literate society that had mastered language centuries in the past! And so we find how a few lines about a familiar terrain reveal to us the depth of culture and learning in this ancient society!

In this episode, we listen to an emphatic refusal, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 296, penned by Madurai Peralavayaar. The verse is situated amidst the gushing rivers of the ‘Marutham’ or ‘Farmlands landscape’ and narrates scenes of celebration in the domain of a famous Pandya king.

கோதை இணர குறுங் கால் காஞ்சிப்
போது அவிழ் நறுந் தாது அணிந்த கூந்தல்,
அரி மதர் மழைக் கண் மாஅயோளொடு
நெருநையும் கமழ் பொழில் துஞ்சி, இன்றும்
பெரு நீர் வையை அவளொடு ஆடி,
புலரா மார்பினை வந்து நின்று, எம்வயின்
கரத்தல் கூடுமோ மற்றே? பரப்பில்
பல் மீன் கொள்பவர் முகந்த இப்பி
நார் அரி நறவின் மகிழ் நொடைக் கூட்டும்
பேர் இசைக் கொற்கைப் பொருநன், வென் வேல்
கடும் பகட்டு யானை நெடுந் தேர் செழியன்,
மலை புரை நெடு நகர்க் கூடல் நீடிய
மலிதரு கம்பலை போல,
அலர் ஆகின்று, அது பலர் வாய்ப் பட்டே.

In this crisp trip to the farmlands, we get to witness familiar scenes of romping about, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the man, when he had returned after leaving the lady to go court a courtesan:

“With that dark-skinned maiden, having tresses, adorned with the fragrant pollen from clusters of blooming flowers, akin to flowering garlands, on the short-legged Portia tree, and radiant, red-streaked, rain-like eyes, you had rested in the fragrant orchards yesterday. Today too, after playing with her in the gushing waters of the Vaigai river, you come here, and stand with your chest, still moist. Did you think it was possible for you to hide all this from us? Those men, who gather heaps of fish in the seas, bring along shells in their catch and sell it in exchange for that delightful, well-filtered toddy in the city of ‘Koodal’, ruled by the King of Korkai, one of immense fame, one who wields arrogant, strong elephants, tall chariots and victorious spears, having the name of ‘Chezhiyan’. Akin to the uproar that brims over in the streets of ‘Koodal’ with mansions, soaring akin to peaks, spreads slander in our town, from the mouths of many, many.”

Time to stroll these lands of plenty and learn more! The confidante starts by describing the courtesan as a maiden who has dark skin, whose tresses waft with the scent of Portia tree flowers and whose eyes are rain-like. So much praise for an adversary! Returning, next she tells the man that he had spent his time with the said courtesan, resting together in the orchards and then today, he had taken to playing with the courtesan in the new floods of the Vaigai river. After all this, he has the gall to come and act as if nothing has happened, standing so audaciously, with a moist chest that too, the confidante adds. She asks him whether he thought he could hide his antics from the lady and herself. Then she switches tracks and goes on to describe the valour of King Chezhiyan, the conqueror of many battlefields and his capital of ‘Koodal’, referring to the contemporary city of ‘Madurai’, and how people from the shores would arrive to the streets of this world-famous city, to barter their shells for its delicious toddy. The confidante concludes by asking the man to reflect on the kind of buzz that would rise from the streets of Koodal and connects by saying that’s how loud the gossip about the man’s meanderings were, in their town!

In essence, it’s a strict ‘No’ to the man for his request to enter the lady’s home. Yet again, it’s a depiction of the state of wandering and quarrelling, in the land of riches. Within these pages, however, we get to travel in time and glimpse the buzzing streets of Koodal, and witness scenes involving trade and toddy, the seemingly age-old preoccupations of humans everywhere! 

In this episode, we perceive a promise rendered to a person, as portrayed in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 295, penned by Maamoolanaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse details the nature of the spaces traversed by wayfarers in this formidable domain.

நிலம் நீர் அற்று நீள் சுனை வறப்ப,
குன்று கோடு அகைய, கடுங் கதிர் தெறுதலின்,
என்றூழ் நீடிய வேய் படு நனந்தலை,
நிலவு நிற மருப்பின் பெருங் கை சேர்த்தி,
வேங்கை வென்ற வெரு வரு பணைத் தோள்
ஓங்கல் யானை உயங்கி, மதம் தேம்பி,
பல் மர ஒரு சிறைப் பிடியொடு வதியும்
கல்லுடை அதர கானம் நீந்தி,
கடல் நீர் உப்பின் கணம் சால் உமணர்
உயங்கு பகடு உயிர்ப்ப அசைஇ, முரம்பு இடித்து
அகல் இடம் குழித்த அகல் வாய்க் கூவல்
ஆறு செல் வம்பலர் அசை விட ஊறும்,
புடையல் அம் கழற் கால் புல்லி குன்றத்து,
நடை அருங் கானம் விலங்கி, நோன் சிலைத்
தொடை அமை பகழித் துவன்று நிலை வடுகர்,
பிழி ஆர் மகிழர், கலி சிறந்துஆர்க்கும்
மொழி பெயர் தேஎம் இறந்தனர்ஆயினும்,
பழி தீர் மாண் நலம் தருகுவர்மாதோ
மாரிப் பித்திகத்து ஈர் இதழ் புரையும்
அம் கலுழ் கொண்ட செங் கடை மழைக் கண்,
மணம் கமழ் ஐம்பால் மடந்தை! நின்
அணங்கு நிலைபெற்ற தட மென் தோளே.

In this trip to this familiar region, we get to see sweltering scenes, as we listen to the confidante say these words to the lady, when the man continues to remain parted away:

“The land had lost all its moisture, even wide springs have dried up, branches on hills are set ablaze, owing to the scorching attack of the harsh rays, in those bamboo-filled, wide spaces, where the heat extends unceasingly. Here, even a towering elephant, with a thick, long trunk, which had won over a tiger, languishes in musth, and rests with its mate, on the side of many dried-up trees. Crossing such stony, scrub jungles, groups of merchants, carrying salt from the seas, hastening their sighing, tired bulls, dig up wide-mouthed wells, in those barren spaces, which spouts succour for those wayfarers, who traverse those paths. Such are the peaks ruled by ‘Pulli’, clad in resounding warrior anklets, and even when your lover has crossed these formidable jungles spaces, where Vadugars, who shower speeding arrows from sturdy bows, and rejoice in the taste of toddy, spending their time in revelries, and even if he has reached to such lands, where other tongues are spoken, he’s sure to return that flawless, fine beauty of your divine, curving soft arms, O young maiden, having red-streaked, rain-like eyes, brimming with beauty, akin to the moist petals of the rainy season’s wild jasmines and fragrant, five-part tresses!”

Time to take a long walk through this fearsome region! The confidante starts by talking about the arid nature of the drylands, where there’s not a drop of water, even deep springs are dead, and branches catch fire out of nowhere. Explaining all this as the result of the blazing heat, the confidante shows how even a mighty elephant, which had won over a tiger, is made to bow before the fierceness of this heat. She then turns to talk about how wise salt merchants, who rove the land selling their harvest from the seas, join together and dig up wells, that serve as the only source to quench the searing thirst of wayfarers crossing these paths. She mentions how even if the man had crossed such spaces and reached the peaks of Pulli, heard the revels of the Vadugars, who wield bows and arrows and love their drink, and even if the man goes beyond to lands, where other languages are spoken, the man would surely return the beauty of his beloved that he seems to have stolen. The confidante concludes by praising the beauty of the lady’s rain-like eyes and her fragrant tresses!

In short, a message of hope to a pining friend! Amidst this promise, the highlight is the mention of those salt merchants, who exert their efforts so that all those who come after them can enjoy a drop of oasis in that desert. That’s the shining beacon of humanity that spreads its light across the centuries through the pages of this poetry!