ASIAN 226: Poetries of Asia

Poems/Hymns for Vishnu by Nammalvar

(translated by A.K. Ramanujan)

What she said

Our Kannan dark as rain cloud
	has stolen my heart
	and it has gone away with him
			all by itself.

But this north wind
	seems ready for battle.

Gathering the sweet smoke of incense,
	and beauty of lutestrings,
	the fifth tune of night and love,
	and cool moist sandal,

it blows and blows,
	culling on its way
	the fragrance of new jasmine,

and it burns:

how can I say anything to anyone
O mothers?				
				Tiruvaymoli 9.9.7



		What she said

		Evening has come,
			but not the Dark One.

		The bulls,
			their bells jingling,
			have mated with the cows
		and the cows are frisky.
	
		The flutes play cruel songs,
			bees flutter in their bright
				white jasmine
			and the blue-black lily.

		The sea leaps into the sky
				and cries aloud.

		Without him here,
			what shall I say?
			how shall I survive?		

						Tiruvaymoli 9.9.10

My little girl says,
	"I've no relations here
		and everyone here is my relative."

	"I'm the one who makes relatives relate,"  she says.

	"I also end relations,
	and to those related to me
	I become all relations,"  she says.

Can it be the lord of illusions
			beyond all relations
has come and taken her over?

How can I tell you,
my kinsmen,
what she means?			
			Tiruvaymoli 5.6.7


				While I was waiting eagerly for him
					saying to myself,

					"If I see you anywhere
					I'll gather you
						and eat you up,"

				he beat me to it
					and devoured me entire,
		
					my lord dark as a raincloud,
				my lord self-seeking and unfair.	

						Tiruvaymoli 9.6.10


		My Lord, My Cannibal

		My dark one 
		    stands there as if nothing's changed

		after taking entire
		into his maw
		    all three worlds
			the gods
		    and the good kings
		who hold their lands
		    as a mother would
			  a child in her womb -

		and I by his leave
		have taken him entire

		and I have him in my belly
			for keeps
					    Tiruvaymoli 8.7.9