Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.1 · verse 3761 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The Alwar speaks as a cowherd girl parted from Krishna at dusk.) The southern breeze, fragrant with jasmine, cuts through me, alas! The rich kurinji melody strikes me down, alas! The evening, as the sun departs, bewilders me, alas! The fine red clouds of sunset tear me apart, alas! Our Lord Krishna, with eyes like lovely lotuses, the bull among cowherds, the lion, our wondrous One, held us close; and now, with these breasts and shoulders, we know nowhere to turn. We are alone, alas!
Word by word
- mallikai kamaḻ teṉṟal
- the southern breeze fragrant with jasmine
- īrum ālō
- cuts through me, alas!
- vaṇ kuṟiñci icai
- the rich kurinji melody
- cel katir mālaiyum
- the evening as the sun departs
- cekkar nal mēkaṅkaḷ
- the fine red clouds of sunset
- āyarkaḷ ēṟu ari ēṟu
- bull among cowherds, lion among lions
- pukaliṭam aṟikilam
- we know nowhere to turn
- tamiyam ālō
- we are alone, alas!
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.2 · verse 3762 of the four thousand
Meaning
We know nowhere to turn; we are alone, alas! The lamenting bells of the cattle, the southern breeze, the night lilies, alas! The evening that slays the day, the rich sandal paste, alas! The panchamam tune, the jasmine, the cool north wind, alas! The cowherd, the wondrous One, who created the wide earth, lifted it up, swallowed it, brought it out, measured it, and protects it everywhere, He who is death to the asuras in battle, does not come. How shall I stay alive now and guard my life?
Word by word
- pulampuṟu maṇi
- the lamenting bells (of cattle coming home)
- āmpal
- the night lily
- pakal aṭu mālai
- the evening that slays the day
- pañcamam
- the panchamam tune, sung at dusk
- taṇ vāṭai
- the cool north wind
- acurarkaḷ kūṟṟam
- death to the asuras
- vārāṉ
- He does not come
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.3 · verse 3763 of the four thousand
Meaning
How shall I stay alive now and guard my life? He loved us closely, through sweet quarrels and embraces, until our slender waist swayed, and then that thief Krishna left us and went away. Our wondrous One, the young lion without equal, does not come. His lotus eyes, His red lips, His dark, cool, thick curls and His four shoulders stand in my sinful mind and tear at me, alas!
Word by word
- nuṇ iṭai nuṭaṅka
- the slender waist swaying
- tuṉi irum kalaviceytu
- loving deeply, with sweet quarrels
- tuṟantu emmai iṭṭu akal
- abandoned us and went away
- kaṇṇaṉ kaḷvaṉ
- Krishna, the thief
- taṉi iḷam ciṅkam
- the young lion without equal
- nīlap paṉi irum kuḻalkaḷum
- His dark, cool, thick curls
- pāviyēṉ maṉattē niṉṟu
- standing in my sinful mind
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.4 · verse 3764 of the four thousand
Meaning
They stand in my sinful mind and tear at me, alas! The north wind, the cool north wind, has turned into a scorching wind, alas! The cool moon that rises has become a burning moon, alas! The bed of soft flowers has become a bed of fire, alas! This is the lovely flower of our womanhood that the divine bee, Lord of the bird with beautiful plumes, pressed close upon, alas! These torments are more than life can bear; even our own heart is no companion to us, alas!
Word by word
- vev vāṭai
- a scorching north wind
- vem matiyam
- a burning moon
- meṉ malarp paḷḷi
- the bed of soft flowers
- tūvi am puḷ
- the bird of lovely plumes, Garuda
- teyva vaṇṭu
- the divine bee, Krishna
- peṇmai am pū
- the lovely flower of our womanhood
- āviyiṉ param alla
- more than life can bear
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.5 · verse 3765 of the four thousand
Meaning
Even our own heart is no companion to us, alas! The evening when the cows come home has come, alas! The heart of our cowherd is stone, alas! His sweet flute cuts through us, alas! Even our friends, whom we called our support, will pine away for Him before we do, alas! How shall we guard our dear life? The hour when we receive His grace is hard to come by.
Word by word
- tuṇai aṉṟu
- is no companion
- ā puku mālaiyum
- the evening when the cows come home
- maṉam kal ālō
- His heart is stone, alas!
- tīm kuḻal
- sweet flute
- emmil muṉ avaṉukku māyvar
- will pine away for Him before us
- aruḷpeṟum pōtu aritē
- the hour of His grace is hard to come by
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.6 · verse 3766 of the four thousand
Meaning
The hour of His grace is hard to come by, and any favour other than that grace is no favour at all; and life will not last until we receive it. The evening that slays the day is here, and I cannot find my heart. His holy body, where Shiva and Brahma and the gracious Lady of Sri have their place, tears at our life. Where can I go now? What shall I do? O mothers, to whom shall I tell this?
Word by word
- av aruḷ allaṉa
- whatever is other than that grace
- āvi nillātu
- life will not last
- aṭu pakal mālaiyum
- the evening that slays the day
- vaṇ tirumaṭantai
- the gracious Lady of Sri, Lakshmi
- cēr tiru ākam
- the holy body where they have their place
- aṉṉaimīrkāḷ
- O mothers
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.7 · verse 3767 of the four thousand
Meaning
O mothers, to whom shall I tell this? This sharp, cool north wind is more than life can bear. That lone heart of mine, stolen by the thieving ways of our Krishna whose body is like a rain cloud, is now with Him. The north wind comes to war on me, carrying the rich smoke of agil incense, the panchamam from the strings of the yazh, the touch of cool fresh sandal paste; it scoops up the fresh scent of cool jasmine and flings it at me, alas!
Word by word
- kūr taṇ vāṭai
- the sharp, cool north wind
- kār okkum mēṉi
- body like a rain cloud
- kavarnta at taṉi neñcam
- that lone heart He stole
- akil pukai
- smoke of agil incense
- yāḻ narampu
- the strings of the yazh, a Tamil harp
- pōr uṟṟa vāṭai
- the north wind come to make war
- eṟiyum ālō
- flings it at me, alas!
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.8 · verse 3768 of the four thousand
Meaning
It scoops up the fresh scent and flings it at me, alas! The surging young north wind, the faint red sky of dusk, alas! Crueller than Krishna Himself are the thieving ways of our Krishna, who loved us and left. And crueller still is that sweet flute He plays for the cowherd girls He favours, blending the honey-scent of jasmine, soft low notes and the panchamam tune with rich fresh sandal. I cannot survive it.
Word by word
- poṅku iḷa vāṭai
- the surging young north wind
- puṉ cekkar
- the faint red sky of dusk
- maṇantu akaṉṟa
- who loved us and left
- kaṇṇaṉil koṭitu
- crueller than Krishna Himself
- matu maṇa mallikai
- honey-scented jasmine
- iṉ aruḷ āycciyarkkē
- for the cowherd girls He favours
- uyyēṉ nāṉ
- I cannot survive
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.9 · verse 3769 of the four thousand
Meaning
That sweet flute He plays, I cannot survive it! Between the notes He speaks with His eyes, messengers of His beauty; He gazes, His glance carried on pure, word-like strains; He makes a face of longing, aching and aching, and plays a song that breaks a simple heart to pieces. We cannot make out any of it, O mother, mother! Evening has come, and the wondrous One does not come.
Word by word
- iṭai iṭai
- between the notes
- tūtu cey kaṇkaḷ
- eyes that act as messengers
- tū moḻi icaikaḷ
- pure, word-like strains
- pētuṟu mukamceytu
- making a face of longing
- pētai neñcu
- a simple heart
- amma amma
- O mother, mother!
- māyaṉ vārāṉ
- the wondrous One does not come
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.10 · verse 3770 of the four thousand
Meaning
Evening has come, and the wondrous One does not come. Lovely young heifers, who have joined the strong bulls with great bells ringing, frolic, alas! Cruel flutes play their warbling notes, alas! Bees dance as they stir the shining white mullai, the karumugai and the jasmine, alas! Even the sea roars and breaks up into the sky, alas! What can I say to survive here, parted from Him?
Word by word
- mā maṇi pulampa
- great bells ringing
- val ēṟu aṇainta
- having joined the strong bulls
- kōla nal nākukaḷ
- lovely young heifers
- koṭiyaṉa kuḻalkaḷum
- cruel flutes
- vaṇṭu ālum ālō
- bees dance, alas!
- vēlaiyum vicumpil
- even the sea, up into the sky
- eṉ colli uyvaṉ
- what can I say to survive?
Tiruvaymozhi 9.9.11 · verse 3771 of the four thousand
Meaning
This is the evening lament of the cowherd girls in lovely ornaments, who could not bear their lives once parted from Him. Grieving at such parting, Sadagopan Maran, Nammalwar, of beautiful Kurugur, sang it of Him who swallowed the earth and brought it out again. O devotees, take these ten of his thousand, cry them out here on earth, draw near to the Lord they sing of, worship Him, and be saved.
Word by word
- uyir āṟṟakillā
- who could not bear their lives
- aṇi iḻai āycciyar
- cowherd girls in lovely ornaments
- mālaip pūcal
- the evening lament
- caṭakōpaṉ māṟaṉ
- Sadagopan Maran, Nammalwar
- avaṉi uṇṭu umiḻntavaṉmēl
- of Him who swallowed the earth and brought it out
- alaṟṟi niṉṟu uymmiṉ toṇṭīr
- devotees, cry them out and be saved
Verse text: the word-separated e-text of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham by Project Madurai, checked verse by verse against its second edition. Meanings are simple renderings in the light of the acharyas' commentaries, written for this site, and are awaiting a scholar's review.