The love scene I always love!

I have read thousands of love scenes from books and novels. Saw a few thousands on the idiot box and the movie screen. But so far nothing has moved my heart as this one.

This is a scene from an epic translated from sanskrit into Tamil by Bharathidasan. (Name of the poem is puratchik kavi: The Revlountionary Poet)

A very typical case of love.

A kingdom is ruled by a Dictator and as all love stories would have it, he has a very beautiful daughter by name Amudhavalli. Now she wants to learn Tamil poetry.

As nothing but the best would do for the princess, they search the nation far and wide for the best Tamil poet who can teach poetry as well. They then find Udharan, a sweet young man in his mid twenties, most handsome and who is breathing Tamil.

The King is suspicious. Amudhavalli is the very embodiment of feminine beauty. And this man, of the masculine form. If these two are to be closeted in a room discussing the nuances of Kaanal Varihal of Silapadhikaram or discuss the poetic subtleties of Valluvar's Inbathu Paal! My God, the Dictator does not want anything of that type.

The Evil minister suggests a wonderful way out.

According to his plan it was suggested to the princess that the poet who was going to teach her poetry was congenitally blind. And to the poet it was hinted that the princess who was going to be taught by him had leprosy and hence would be very grotesque to look at. Accordingly a screen was erected between the two and the lessons commenced.

How long can a mortal screen hold when real Tamil, real Poetry flows in between unhindered.

One day the poet had come for the class. It was a full moon day. The moon had just come out from the sky. The Princess is yet to come for the class.
That should have been the month of December when a cool breeze was wafting across the room.
Udhaaran saw the moon emerging from the skies, showing its full face. The Tamil in him, the poetry in him could not hold any longer. He sings a poem which has since been made immortal. Simple words in describing a natural incident has brought out the richness of Tamil.

He describes the moon.

"நீலவான் ஆடைக்குள் உடல் மறைத்து
நிலாவென்று காட்டுகின்றாய் ஒளி முகத்தைக்!
கோலமுழு தும்காட்டி விட்டால் காதற்
கொள்ளையிலே இவ்வுலகம் சாமோ? வானச்
சோலையிலே பூத்ததனிப் பூவோ நீதான்!
சொக்கவெள்ளிப் பாற்குடமோ, அமுத ஊற்றோ!
காலைவந்த செம்பரிதி கடலில் மூழ்கிக்
கனல்மாறிக் குளிரடைந்த ஒளிப் பிழம்போ!

உனைக்காணும் போதினிலே என்னு ளத்தில்
ஊறிவரும் உணர்ச்சியினை எழுது தற்கு
நினைத்தாலும் வார்த்தைகிடைத் திடுவ தில்லை;
நித்திய தரித்திரராய் உழைத் துழைத்துத்
தினைத்துணையும் பயனின்றிப் பசித்த மக்கள்
சிறிதுகூழ் தேடுங்கால், பானை ஆரக்
கனத்திருந்த வெண்சோறு காணும் இன்பம்
கவின்நிலவே உனைக்காணும் இன்பம் தானோ!

Hiding your full body in the beautiful blue dress of the sky,
You reveal just your shiny face as the full moon!;
It is better you do that way for if you had deigned to show your full form
This whole world would simply die of love.
You are the solitary flower in full bloom
In the heavanly Garden of Eden
And you are the silvery milk-pot
The fountainhead of nectar!
Nay, you are the morning sun
Drenched in the cool waters of the sea
Lost your heat to become the cool glitter of a moon

On seeing you my mind is bubbling with emotions
To put them all into words, is not given to me.
It is as if people accustomed to abject poverty
While going in search of a little gruel
To hold their body and soul together
Finding a pot of well-cooked rice ,
What could have been their joy,
And that is my joy when I see thee,
Ever-beautiful moonly form!

As it normally happens in cases like this, Amudhavalli had walked in exactly when Udharan started his poetry recital. She thinks that a person who is so sensitive to beauty in the moon, cannot be blind. And in a whiff she pulls aside the screen. Then starts a saga of love complete with everything - a villain, lovers sentenced to death and how they are rescued at the last moment.

Hello Sridhar,

Fantastic poem. beautiful phrases - hiding full body, reveal shiny face, die of love, solitary flower, full bloom, bubbling with emotions, etc.etc.etc......
even after reading it a dozen times, I just can't get enough of it.

No wonder Moon match (moon sign compatability) is taken so very seriously by our elders. With Moon ruling our emotions & deep rooted feelings just the mention of Moon brings in a lot of beautiful emotions - mostly feeling of peace, love, romance, passion, etc.

Once hubby & myself were driving back home on a full moon day (late evening) & moon was shining right in front of us -felt like we were driving into the moon & it was the most romantic scene ever.... Inspite of the hustle & bustle of the blore roads, the moon caught me completely.

Its gonna be a romantic night after reading this wonderful poem.

thanks Sridhar.

PS - hope you are doing fine now. You can't afford to fall sick any more - we've turned 3K now & its too big a no. to disappoint. Pls take care.

Hello Sridhar,

Seems like being away from work and taking rest has worked on you by not only driving away the illness but by triggering old romantic moments !!!

I was catching up with all the posts that I had missed while I was away ( had taken vacation), glad to know that you have recovered and back in action.

Enjoyed the breathtakingly superb poem!

Take care,
Sihi

Dear Sridhar,

Because of you, am getting a small whiff of Tamil poetry and prose. Thanks. Also, the translation was very good and did not lose the original essence.
Looks like the flu bug has travelled through the computer and now it is my turn to be sick:(
I am glad that you are back to health and posting again!

L, Kamla

You have conveyed, rather translated very beautifully the poem of B Dasan in English words.
I enjoyed these the most!
சொக்கவெள்ளிப் பாற்குடமோ, அமுத ஊற்றோ!
becomes
you are the silvery milk-pot
The fountainhead of nectar!
கவின்நிலவே
becomes
Ever-beautiful moonly form!

Sridhar, you write that
I was impressed by this love scene when my Tamil Teacher narrated it when I was barely 16, doing my Pre-university Tamil.
What a meaningful coincidence that your interest in a love poem on moon landed you right in front of moon ( INDHU) itself !
Love,
Chithra.

Varalotti,

This wednesday's post is good. My exposure to Tamil poetry is almost zero. However, I am reading more good verse not just in Tamil, but in English too from your forum. Thanks for making my reading list and choices more effective.

I read the poem fully, it must have taken me more time to read it than it took for you to type it. And then read the English translation. I must say that I read the latter skeptically since translations/translators often destroy the essence of the original by putting their own words and even perceptions. Am happy to read a translation that is not a mere change of lingo, but one that conveys the original beautifully.

I liked Sihi's post. If illness conjures up the romantic in a husband, then it is abt time my husband fell ill.

cheers
Vidya Ramji

Dear Sridhar,

This post was good....after all what can u hear from a die hard romantic...
I wonder why the MOON is always considered so pure and a symbol for romance.......i can see this here, when my young daughter is always looking at the moon and falling in love with its full pristine form..(and of course that makes me feel too old for Romance!) he he...
Lovely verse in tamil and the english translation was also so apt...no wonder, after getting this in your heart, like Chitra has said that you fell for Indhu!

Also looks like you have a talent for these translations also. And people like me who prefer to erad in English will definetely benefit if u continue to translate such lovely writings , that too without the essence being spoilt!
Enjoyed this post and does lighten the spirit a lot! Thanks,....

(But Vidhya , and Sihi i would prefer if my hubby gets romantic without having to fall ill......just imagine after all the care we have to take to grt them back to health, we may have very little energy to reciprocate the romantic mood .....what do u say!?)

posted twice

Dear Sridhar,

Great write up as usual. I do recall reading this story way back when. And found it so romatic then and ofcourse it snot lost its romance even now. Both the original poem and the translation made a great read.

Yes the full moon in all its glory does cast a spell on all of us. My favorite is to go to the beach on a full moon night for picnic .

Vandhana