Declaring the Excellence of Love
தோழியிடம் தன் நெஞ்சில் பூத்த காதலின் ஆழத்தைப் பகிர்ந்துகொள்ளுதல். — Confiding the depth of her boundless affection to her companion.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
vāḻta luyirkkaṉṉa ḷāyiḻai cāta / lataṟkaṉṉa ṇīṅku miṭattu.
“Life is she to my very soul when she draws nigh; / Dissevered from the maid with jewels rare, I die!”
“It is as life when she is near: but it is as very death when she leaveth my side.”
Her presence is like living breath to the body; her departure feels like bitter death.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஆயிழை உயிர்க்கு வாழ்தல் அன்னள்= தெரிந்த இழையினை உடையாள் எனக்குப் புணருமிடத்து, உயிர்க்கு உடம்போடு கூடி வாழ்தல் போலும்; நீங்கும் இடத்து அதற்குச் சாதல் அன்னள்= பிரியுமிடத்து அதற்கு அதனின் நீங்கிப்போதல்போலும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
When she is near, this well-adorned maid is like life animating the body; when she departs, it is as though life itself has departed in death.