Periya Tirumadal 11 · verse 2723 of the four thousand
Meaning
they sit. There maidens with long, sword-bright eyes wave chowries, the bundles of the fans spread open, and a sweet, gentle young southern breeze stirs. Beside them sit soft women with waists slender as lightning, and their white smiles,
Word by word
- ciṅkācaṉattiṉmēl
- upon the lion-throne
- vāḷ neṭuṅ kaṇ
- long, sword-bright eyes
- kavarip poti aviḻntu
- the chowrie bundles spreading open
- pūn teṉṟal
- the gentle southern breeze
- nuṇ maruṅkul
- slender waist
- veṇ muṟuval
- white smiles
Periya Tirumadal 12 · verse 2724 of the four thousand
Meaning
like moonlight in bud, break into bloom; they drink in those women's doe-like glances. There, in the forest of golden kalpaka trees laden with lovely flowers, with the mandara blooming all around them, and drops of honey
Word by word
- mukiḻ nilā
- moonlight in bud
- māṉ nōkkam uṇṭu
- drinking in the doe-like glances
- kaṟpakattiṉ kāṭu
- the forest of kalpaka, the wish-granting trees
- mantāram
- the mandara, a tree of heaven
- matut tivalai
- drops of honey
Periya Tirumadal 13 · verse 2725 of the four thousand
Meaning
fall in the groves where sweet-humming bees settle. There they play with women whose garlanded hair is like a fine peacock's plumes, whose wide eyes are dark as rain-clouds, whose waists are lightning; and wherever they wish, on floors set with gems, with clusters of rubies,
Word by word
- iṉ icai vaṇṭu
- sweet-humming bees
- cōlaivāy
- in the groves
- mā mayil pōl kūntal
- hair like a fine peacock's
- maḻait taṭaṅ kaṇ
- wide eyes dark as rain-clouds
- miṉ iṭaiyārōṭum
- with women whose waists are lightning
- māṇikka mañcariyiṉ
- of clusters of rubies
Periya Tirumadal 14 · verse 2726 of the four thousand
Meaning
with crystal edges bright as lightning, coral pillars and red gold, in a hall made of these, they listen to the sweet songs that the swan-gaited heavenly dancers draw from the yaal with their hands, and they delight. Then, in the vast sky,
Word by word
- paḷiṅku viḷimpu
- crystal edges
- pavaḷak kāl
- coral pillars
- cem poṉ cey maṇṭapattuḷ
- in a hall made of red gold
- arampaiyar
- the apsaras, dancers of heaven
- yāḻp pāṭal
- songs on the yaal, an ancient harp
- iru vicumpil
- in the vast sky
Periya Tirumadal 15 · verse 2727 of the four thousand
Meaning
in mansions that ride the sky, bright as lightning, where clouds creep along and the long, shining moon brushes past, they light abiding gem-lamps; and on a bed that women with rain-dark eyes have spread in many wonderful ways,
Word by word
- maḻai tavaḻum
- where clouds creep along
- nīḷ mati tōy
- touched by the long moon
- vicumpu ūrum māḷikaimēl
- in mansions that ride the sky
- maṇi viḷakkai
- gem-lamps
- paṉṉu vicittiramāp
- in many wonderful ways
- paḷḷimēl
- upon the bed
Periya Tirumadal 16 · verse 2728 of the four thousand
Meaning
when the bolted doors set in latticed walls are opened, wearing the fine, fragrant pollen of the bright blue lilies that swans have trampled and scattered, brushing their shoulders with the fragrant blossoms of a mandara tree, and from the kalpaka's
Word by word
- cālēkam
- lattice windows
- katavam tāḷ tiṟappa
- as the bolted doors open
- aṉṉam uḻakka
- as the swans trample
- vāḷ nīlac
- of bright blue lilies
- naṟun tātu cūṭi
- wearing fragrant pollen
- tōḷ koṭṭi
- brushing against their shoulders
Periya Tirumadal 17 · verse 2729 of the four thousand
Meaning
open flowers, with gem-dark bees following it, the sweet, gentle young southern breeze comes in and dries the fragrant sandal paste on their young breasts. And sitting with a hand resting on a waist slender as lightning, of a beauty hard to bear, on the high young breasts
Word by word
- maṇi vaṇṭu piṉtoṭara
- with gem-dark bees following
- pūn teṉṟal
- the gentle southern breeze
- cantaṉac cēṟu
- sandal paste
- ulartta
- drying it
- miṉ iṭaimēl
- on a waist slender as lightning
- ēntu iḷa mulaimēl
- on the high young breasts
Periya Tirumadal 18 · verse 2730 of the four thousand
Meaning
necklaces of golden buds tinkle, and hearts melt. Such are those women with wide, unblinking eyes; and the men drink in their doe-like glances there and sip the sweet nectar of their lovely smiles, and so they stay. Is this not
Word by word
- poṉ arumpu āram
- a necklace of golden buds
- akam kuḻaintu
- hearts melting
- imaiyāt taṭaṅ kaṇṇār
- women with wide, unblinking eyes, as in heaven
- aṇi muṟuval
- lovely smile
- iṉ amutam mānti
- drinking sweet nectar
Periya Tirumadal 19 · verse 2731 of the four thousand
Meaning
the fruit of that dharma? And bright wealth too leads to the very same end. So we shall hold to the lasting way of love. That women with doe-like glances and swan-like gait, however gossip may mock them, should never for men's sake
Word by word
- aṟattiṉ payaṉ
- the fruit of dharma
- oṇ poruḷum
- bright wealth too
- kāmattiṉ
- of love
- vaḻimuṟaiyē niṟṟum nām
- we shall stand by that way
- alar ēca
- as gossip mocks
- āṭavarmēl
- for the sake of men
Periya Tirumadal 20 · verse 2732 of the four thousand
Meaning
ride the madal: that is a saying we know from the southern usage. We do not accept it; we have chosen the abiding northern way. As for those who do not want it, those who do not know what the rich sandal paste of the Pandya's Pothigai hill
Word by word
- maṭal ūrār
- will not ride the madal
- teṉ uraiyil
- in the southern usage, Tamil love poetry
- yām teḷiyōm
- we do not accept it
- vaṭa neṟiyē
- the northern way, as in the Sanskrit epics
- potiyil
- Pothigai, the Pandya's hill
- cantaṉak kuḻampiṉ
- of sandal paste
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.