Periya Tirumozhi 8.5

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.1 · verse 1688 of the four thousand

Meaning

(The girl in love speaks, as evening falls.) Ever since the noble One came to be born so that the fetters fell from His father's legs, my lonely heart has gone after Him. I stayed here, waiting until I could win His holy grace. But the moon, guardian of the evening, burns me with its fresh rays full of nectar, and with it the gentle breeze keeps stroking my breast, and it will not stop tormenting me.

Word by word

tantai kālil vilaṅku aṟa

so that the fetters fell from His father's legs

tamiyēṉ-taṉ cintai

my lonely heart

tiruvaruḷ

His holy grace

antikāvalaṉ

the guardian of evening, the moon

amutu uṟu pacuṅ katir

fresh rays full of nectar

mantamārutam

the gentle breeze

valiceyvatu oḻiyātē

it will not stop tormenting me

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.2 · verse 1689 of the four thousand

Meaning

He is dark as the great rain-filled sea, the younger brother of the conch-white Balarama. My heart went off, longing for the garland on His mountain-like chest, and it has sunk low; I see no one to stand by me. The town is asleep, the world is asleep, the chariot of the radiant sun that moves across the sky has gone, and all the directions have vanished in the dark. I do not know what to do.

Word by word

māri māk kaṭal

the great rain-filled sea

vaḷaivaṇaṟku iḷaiyavaṉ

younger brother of the conch-white one, Balarama

tāriṉ ācaiyil

longing for His garland

tuṇai kāṇēṉ

I see no companion

ūrum tuñciṟṟu

the town is asleep

oḷiyavaṉ vicumpu iyaṅkum tērum

the chariot of the radiant sun moving in the sky

ceyvatu oṉṟu aṟiyēṉē

I do not know what to do

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.3 · verse 1690 of the four thousand

Meaning

What is this but the cowherd's trickery? The bangles on my hand will not stay on even for a moment. The child who drank up the very life of the demoness: will He pity the life of a mere girl like us? The rays of the pure great moon burn me; I have no companion, and my breasts are on fire. My heart is wasting away at the cowherd's flute, and there is no one to tell me, 'Do not fear.'

Word by word

āyaṉ māyamē

the cowherd's trickery

iṟai nillā

will not stay even a moment

pēyiṉ ār uyir uṇṭiṭum piḷḷai

the child who drank up the demoness's life

peṇ uyirkku iraṅkumō?

will He pity a girl's life?

tūya mā matik katir cuṭa

as the pure great moon's rays burn

āyaṉ vēyiṉukku

at the cowherd's bamboo flute

añcēl eṉpār ilaiyē

no one to say 'Do not fear'

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.4 · verse 1691 of the four thousand

Meaning

In the great war of kings wearing warrior anklets, driving fierce elephants with wounded heads, the young Lord put His white conch to His lips and threw them into confusion; and still He has not come. The breeze that moves over my young breasts carries a fire, the fine spray of the shimmering white waves of the rolling sea. If only that breeze would keep away, I might keep my life as my own.

Word by word

puṇ talaik kaḷiṟu

elephants with wounded heads

kaḻal maṉṉar

kings wearing warrior anklets

mayaṅka veṇ caṅkam vāy vaitta

who blew the white conch to confound them

vantilaṉ

He has not come

nuṇ paṉi eṉum taḻal

the fire that is called fine spray

iyaṅkum mārutam

the moving breeze

eṉakku eṉap peṟalāmē

I might keep my life as my own

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.5 · verse 1692 of the four thousand

Meaning

He is the Lord of the discus who bent His bow so that seven great sala trees were pierced through, and made Lanka tremble. With only the grace He once showed us, the bounds of the day are passing. Friend, what shall we do about this? There is no one to help. An evening comes upon me to slay my life, which lies sunk deep in the ancient sea where the sun goes down.

Word by word

ēḻu mā maram tuḷaipaṭa

so that the seven great sala trees were pierced

ilaṅkaiyai malaṅkuvitta

who made Lanka tremble

āḻiyāṉ

the Lord of the discus

pakal ellai kaḻikiṉṟatāl

the bounds of the day are passing

tōḻi

O friend

cuṭar paṭu mutunīril

in the ancient sea where the sun sinks

anti vantu aṭaikiṉṟatē

the evening comes upon me

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.6 · verse 1693 of the four thousand

Meaning

The young Lord bent His fierce striped bow and loosed arrows of roaring flame, so that the ancient sea with its breaking white waves caught fire; and still He has not come. What shall I do? The burning sun has gone to sleep, but my long eyes, sinner that I am, will not sleep. These dark hours are longer than the ages, and I do not know how they will pass.

Word by word

muriyum veṇ tirai mutu kayam

the ancient sea with breaking white waves

tīppaṭa

so that it caught fire

muḻaṅku aḻal eri ampiṉ

arrows of roaring, blazing flame

eriyum vem katir tuyiṉṟatu

the burning sun has gone to sleep

iṇai neṭuṅ kaṇ tuyilā

my pair of long eyes do not sleep

kariya nāḻikai ūḻiyiṉ periyaṉa

the dark hours are longer than the ages

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.7 · verse 1694 of the four thousand

Meaning

Our Lord churned the great sea until it heaved, bridged it, and in fierce battle loosed killing arrows that made the mountain-like chest of the king of Lanka reel; and He does not come. The young moon, shining with burning rays, and with it the bell of the bull, slay me; and so does the sound of the cowherd's flute of hill bamboo. I do not know what will happen now.

Word by word

māk kaṭal kaṭaintu aṭaittu

churning the great sea, and bridging it

ilaṅkaiyar kōṉatu varai ākam

the mountain-like chest of Lanka's king

aṭu caram turanta

who loosed killing arrows

ilaṅku vem katir iḷa mati

the young moon shining with burning rays

viṭai maṇi

the bull's bell

vilaṅkal vēyiṉatu ōcaiyum

the sound of the hill-bamboo flute

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.8 · verse 1695 of the four thousand

Meaning

When the order of this whole world was lost and the sage was moved to anger, the young Lord with His axe took the lives of kings; and He does not come. In the deep dark of midnight the male bird spreads its lovely wings to gather in and embrace its mate, who shrinks from the falling dew. I know of no cruel fate harder than this loneliness.

Word by word

muṟai keṭa

when order was lost

muṉivaṉum muṉivu eyta

when the sage was angered

maḻuviṉāl

with the axe, as Parasurama

oḻuku nuṇ paṉikku oṭuṅkiya pēṭaiyai

the mate shrinking from the falling dew

am ciṟai kōlit

spreading its lovely wings

naḷ iruḷ

the deep dark of midnight

taṉimaiyiṉ kaṭiyatu

harder than loneliness

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.9 · verse 1696 of the four thousand

Meaning

In a dream I was with the Lord of Kannapuram of massive, great walls, and the joy He gave my heart there came flooding into me; I sat ashamed, my bangles slipping loose. Now the tinkling of the small bells of the fierce great bull scatters my thoughts, and the drowsy, plaintive cry of the anril bird slays my sinful life.

Word by word

kaṉam cey mā matiḷ

massive, great walls

kaṉaviṉil avaṉ tanta

that He gave in a dream

maṉam cey iṉpam

joy that fills the heart

veḷki

ashamed

ciṟu maṇi ōcai

the tinkle of the small bells

aṉṟiliṉ ari kural

the plaintive cry of the anril bird

āviyai aṭukiṉṟatē

slays my life

Periya Tirumozhi 8.5.10 · verse 1697 of the four thousand

Meaning

Young women with soft, banded breasts, longing for the feet of the Lord hued like the wide sea, poured out their laments in their yearning. Knowing those laments, Kalikanri, Thirumangai Alwar, guardian of Mangai with its fresh, cloud-capped groves, spoke these verses. Those who master this song will enter the beautiful great city of Vaikuntha and join the celestials.

Word by word

taṭaṅkaṭal vaṇṇaṉait

the Lord hued like the wide sea

tāḷnayantu

longing for His feet

pulampiya pulampalai

the laments they poured out

kārkoḷ paimpoḻil

fresh, cloud-capped groves

maṅkaiyar kāvalaṉ

guardian of Mangai

vaikunta mānakar

the great city of Vaikuntha

yavaroṭum kūṭuvarē

will join the celestials

The word-separated edition leaves this verse out; the text is from the Project Madurai edition by K. Kalyanasundaram (pmuni0006_02 / pmuni0007), unseparated as printed there.