Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.1 · verse 1198 of the four thousand
Meaning
(The girl in love speaks.) Little bee with your spotted stripes, you who never part from your mate, trampling the flowers till their pollen scatters and drinking honey as they open: go to Thiruvali, home of glorious men who tend the Veda as the sacred fires blaze, and tell my state to the Lord of the fierce bow strung with arrows.
Word by word
- tuṇaiyōṭum piriyātē
- never parting from your mate
- matu nukarum
- drinking honey
- poṟi variya ciṟu vaṇṭē
- little bee with spotted stripes
- tī viriya maṟai vaḷarkkum
- who tend the Veda as the fires blaze
- ē vari vem cilaiyāṉukku
- to the Lord of the fierce bow with arrows
- eṉ nilaimai uraiyāyē
- tell Him my state
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.2 · verse 1199 of the four thousand
Meaning
Little six-legged bee, who with your mate split open the fragrant blue lily as it frees itself from the bud, and drink honey on lovely flowers: I do not know how to approach the Bridegroom of Ali, whose fields bloom with gem-like water lilies all around. You go, and tell Him of this pallor, the sickness of my longing.
Word by word
- piṇi aviḻu naṟu nīla malar
- the fragrant blue lily opening from its bud
- aṟu kāla ciṟu vaṇṭē
- little six-legged bee
- maṇi kaḻunīr
- gem-like red water lilies
- vayal āli maṇavāḷaṉ
- the Bridegroom of Ali of the fields
- paṇi aṟiyēṉ
- I do not know how to serve or approach Him
- payalai nōy
- the pallor of lovesickness
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.3 · verse 1200 of the four thousand
Meaning
The tall Lord, who stands as water, sky, earth, fire and wind, will not grant me the fragrant tulasi of His garland, though I am fit to receive it. Little sharp-beaked heron, living in the fields of Thiruvali ringed by rich, growing groves: understand what I mean, and tell Him.
Word by word
- nīr vāṉam maṇ eri kāl
- water, sky, earth, fire and wind
- neṭumāl
- the tall, great Lord
- naṟun tuḷavam
- fragrant tulasi
- aruḷāṉē
- He will not grant
- kūr vāya ciṟu kurukē
- little sharp-beaked heron
- kuṟippu aṟintu kūṟāyē
- understand my meaning and tell Him
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.4 · verse 1201 of the four thousand
Meaning
If He will not think of me of His own accord, must I, who pine thinking of Him, waste away as tall Kama of the fish banner torments me? Striped bee with honey in your mouth, go to the Cowherd who rules the city of Thiruvali, and tell Him the sickness I suffer, so that He may know.
Word by word
- tāṉāka niṉaiyāṉēl
- if He will not think of me Himself
- mīṉ āya koṭi neṭu vēḷ
- tall Kama, whose banner is the fish
- vali ceyya melivēṉō
- must I waste away as he torments me?
- tēṉ vāya vari vaṇṭē
- striped bee with honey in your mouth
- āṉ-āyaṟku
- to the Cowherd
- uṟu nōy
- the sickness I suffer
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.5 · verse 1202 of the four thousand
Meaning
My sword-like eyes stream with tears, golden pallor spreads over my soft breasts, and day after day I pine, thinking of You. O You whose feet measured the earth, Ruler of cool Kudanthai, You whose shoulders lifted the hill: will You not become my companion?
Word by word
- vāḷ āya kaṇ paṉippa
- sword-like eyes streaming with tears
- poṉ arumpa
- golden pallor spreading
- naivēṟku
- to me who pine away
- maṇ aḷanta tāḷāḷā
- O You whose feet measured the earth
- taṇ kuṭantai nakarāḷā
- Ruler of cool Kudanthai (Kumbakonam)
- varai eṭutta tōḷāḷā
- You whose shoulders lifted the hill
- tuṇaiyāḷaṉ ākāyē
- will You not be my companion?
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.6 · verse 1203 of the four thousand
Meaning
His chest is broad as a hill, and bees plough through the tulasi of His garland; He broke the tusk of the war elephant; He rides the bird; He is my Lord, the dark Cowherd who rules the city of Thiruvali with its long streets full of chariots. Will He steal even my heavy bangles too?
Word by word
- vaṇṭu uḻuta
- ploughed by bees
- varai mārpaṉ
- He of the hill-like chest
- pōr āṉaik kompu ocitta
- who broke the war elephant's tusk
- puḷ pākaṉ
- rider of the bird, Garuda
- kār āyaṉ
- the dark Cowherd
- kaṉa vaḷaiyum kavarvāṉō
- will He steal my heavy bangles too?
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.7 · verse 1204 of the four thousand
Meaning
O gracious One, who long ago lay like a noble mountain on the serpent bed on the roaring sea where clamouring waves roll, and who measured the earth! O young Lord of Ali, with its fields ringed by rich groves where bees abide! You have taken the sleep from my eyes: do I owe You my heavy bangles as well?
Word by word
- kurai kaṭalmēl
- on the roaring sea
- kulavaraipōl
- like a noble mountain
- araviṉ aṇaik kiṭantu
- lying on the serpent bed
- pār aḷanta paṇpāḷā
- gracious One who measured the earth
- kaṇ tuyil nī koṇṭāykku
- to You who took the sleep of my eyes
- kaṉa vaḷaiyum kaṭavēṉō
- do I owe You my heavy bangles too?
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.8 · verse 1205 of the four thousand
Meaning
You danced with the pots in cool Kudanthai, ringed by rich groves where cuckoos call. Must I, whose eyes never close, suffer thinking of You? And meanwhile, having lost my bangles to the young moon where the hare plays, O Bridegroom of Ali of the fields, will You take my gem-bright colour too?
Word by word
- kuyil ālum
- where cuckoos call
- kuṭam āṭi
- You who danced with the pots
- tuyilāta kaṇ iṇaiyēṉ
- I whose two eyes never sleep
- muyal ālum iḷa matikkē
- to the young moon where the hare plays
- vaḷai iḻantēṟku
- to me who have lost my bangles
- koḷvāyō maṇi niṟamē
- will You take my gem-bright colour too?
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.9 · verse 1206 of the four thousand
Meaning
O steadfast Lord, even if You do not want me to bow to You, hold me one day to Your broad chest. O Lord of the bow, mighty One who shot through the trees, Lord of the hill of Thirumeyyam: while You hold sway over me, I cannot even keep my bangles.
Word by word
- nilai āḷā
- O steadfast Lord
- uṉ akalattāl āḷāyē
- claim me with Your broad chest
- cilaiyāḷā
- O Lord of the bow
- maram eyta tiṟal āḷā
- mighty One who shot through the trees
- tirumeyya malaiyāḷā
- Lord of the hill of Thirumeyyam
- vaḷai āḷa māṭṭōmē
- I cannot keep my bangles
Periya Tirumozhi 3.6.10 · verse 1207 of the four thousand
Meaning
Kaliyan, with the shining spear in his hand, saw and sang this Tamil garland on the tall Lord of Ali, whose fields bloom with dark kuvalai lilies bright as collyrium, the Lord who bears the discus weapon radiant as a ghee-fed flame. Hard karma will not come near those who master these twice five verses.
Word by word
- mai ilaṅku karuṅ kuvaḷai
- dark kuvalai lilies bright as collyrium
- ney ilaṅku cuṭar āḻip paṭaiyāṉai
- Him who bears the discus, radiant as ghee-fed flame
- neṭumālai
- the tall, great Lord
- kai ilaṅku vēl kaliyaṉ
- Kaliyan with the shining spear in hand
- ai iraṇṭum
- twice five, these ten
- aru viṉaikaḷ aṭaiyāvē
- hard karma will not come near
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.