Declaring the Excellence of Love
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kaṇṇuḷḷiṟ pōkā rimaippiṟ paruvarār / nuṇṇiyareṅ kāta lavar.
The one I love has not gone anywhere — he stands inside my eyes, and even when I blink he takes no hurt from it. He is that fine, that weightless: present without pressing on me.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“My loved one's subtle form departs not from my eyes; / I wink them not, lest I should pain him where he lies.”
“He will not go from my eyes, neither will he be hurt when I wink: so subtle is the form of my beloved.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
எம் காதலர் கண்ணுள்ளில் போகார்= தாம் காணாமைபற்றிச்சேய்மைக்கண் போயினார் என்றுகருதுவார் கருதுக, எ்ம்முடைய காதலர் எம் கண்ணகத்துநின்றும் போகார்; இமைப்பின் பருவரார்= யாம் அறியாது இமைத்தோமாயின், அதனால் வருந்துவதும் செய்யார்; நுண்ணியர்= ஆகலான் காணப்படா நுண்ணியர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that the woman is speaking of the man she loves. Because others cannot see him, let them suppose he has gone far away; but he never leaves the inside of her eyes. If she blinks without meaning to, that blink causes him no hurt either. He is therefore so subtle that he cannot be seen at all — this is what Parimelazhagar says.