உள்ளார் கொல்லோ தோழி கள்வர்
பொன்புனை பகழி செப்பங் கொண்மார்
உகிர்நுதி புரட்டும் ஓசை போலச்
செங்காற் பல்லி தன்றுணை பயிரும்
அங்காற் கள்ளியங் காடிறந்தாரே
– சேரமான் பாலை பாடிய பெருங்கடுங்கோ, பாலைத்திணை

ULLaar kollo thozhi kaLvar
Ponpunai pakazhi seppam konmaar
Ukirnuthi purattum osai pola
Senkaal palli than thunai payirum
amkaal kaLLiyankaadu iRanthare

The red legged male house lizard is calling out to his mate
It sounds like desert robbers sharpening their arrows`
When my lover crosses the cactus covered desert
Will he think of me?
– Cheraman Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko, Palai Thinai (Desert Landscape)

This poem speaks to me.

The longing comes out beautifully. The statements are disjointed, she is just jumping from one topic to another. One line talks about the house lizard; that takes her to desert robbers; a jump to the desert, and then then poignant question, “will he think of me?”. That is the only thought in her mind, isn’t it?

She misses him, and she is just babbling. Nothing else matters to her. The first two words in the verse “ULLaar kollo?” – will he think of me? – that is the poem, that is the core of this poem. Everything else is build up, just emphasizing the core of the poem by being so far from her real thoughts.

This is what makes Kurunthokai brilliant poetry in my eyes. It captures an ageless feeling in a few lines – typically in a few words within those few lines. “ULLaar kollo?” – that is the poem! How the hell do you write an ageless poem in 2 words?

The poet was a king. Cheraman means a Chera king. Tamil Nadu in those days include present day Kerala, Chera kings ruled the western Tamil Nadu and the Kerala. The adjective to his name – “Paalai Paadiya” – literally means the one who wrote poetry of the Paalai thinai, the desert landscape. More than 60 verses have been written by him, all on Paalai Thinai, and have been collected under various Sangam collections – 10 in Kurunthokai itself.

This poem refers to cactus plants and robbers, typical motifs of the desert landscape. Hence the classification of Paalai Thinai, the desert landscape.

Category: Kurunthokai Page

உள்ளார் கொல்லோ தோழி கள்வர்
பொன்புனை பகழி செப்பங் கொண்மார்
உகிர்நுதி புரட்டும் ஓசை போலச்
செங்காற் பல்லி தன்றுணை பயிரும்
அங்காற் கள்ளியங் காடிறந்தாரே
– சேரமான் பாலை பாடிய பெருங்கடுங்கோ, பாலைத்திணை

ULLaar kollo thozhi kaLvar
Ponpunai pakazhi seppam konmaar
Ukirnuthi purattum osai pola
Senkaal palli than thunai payirum
amkaal kaLLiyankaadu iRanthare

The red legged male house lizard is calling out to his mate
It sounds like desert robbers sharpening their arrows`
When my lover crosses the cactus covered desert
Will he think of me?
– Cheraman Paalai Paadiya Perunkadunko, Palai Thinai (Desert Landscape)

This poem speaks to me.

The longing comes out beautifully. The statements are disjointed, she is just jumping from one topic to another. One line talks about the house lizard; that takes her to desert robbers; a jump to the desert, and then then poignant question, “will he think of me?”. That is the only thought in her mind, isn’t it?

She misses him, and she is just babbling. Nothing else matters to her. The first two words in the verse “ULLaar kollo?” – will he think of me? – that is the poem, that is the core of this poem. Everything else is build up, just emphasizing the core of the poem by being so far from her real thoughts.

This is what makes Kurunthokai brilliant poetry in my eyes. It captures an ageless feeling in a few lines – typically in a few words within those few lines. “ULLaar kollo?” – that is the poem! How the hell do you write an ageless poem in 2 words?

The poet was a king. Cheraman means a Chera king. Tamil Nadu in those days include present day Kerala, Chera kings ruled the western Tamil Nadu and the Kerala. The adjective to his name – “Paalai Paadiya” – literally means the one who wrote poetry of the Paalai thinai, the desert landscape. More than 60 verses have been written by him, all on Paalai Thinai, and have been collected under various Sangam collections – 10 in Kurunthokai itself.

This poem refers to cactus plants and robbers, typical motifs of the desert landscape. Hence the classification of Paalai Thinai, the desert landscape.

Category: Kurunthokai Page