Declaring the Excellence of Love
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pāloṭu tēṉkalan taṟṟē paṇimoḻi / vāleyi ṟūṟiya nīr.
He is not praising a grand thing. He is praising the smallest detail of the woman he loves — the moisture on her teeth as she speaks softly — and saying it is milk and honey mixed: two sweet things become one sweetness that cannot be taken apart again.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The dew on her white teeth, whose voice is soft and low, / Is as when milk and honey mingled flow.”
“Even as honey and milk mingled together is the dew on the lips of this fair one with the subdued speech.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பணிமொழி வால் எயிறு ஊறிய நீர்= இம்மெல்லிய மொழியினை உடையாளது வாலிய எயிறு ஊறிய நீர்; பாலொடு தேன் கலந்தற்றே= பாலுடனே தேனைக் கலந்த கலவை போலும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Here the hero speaks about the woman he loves. The moisture that gathers on the bright teeth of this woman of gentle speech is like a mixture of milk blended with honey — so Parimelazhagar explains.