Declaring the Excellence of Love
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uvantuṟaiva ruḷḷattu ḷeṉṟu mikantuṟaiva / rētila reṉṉumiv vūr.
He has never actually left — he lives inside her, gladly, every day. The town, seeing only an empty seat beside her, decides he stopped caring.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Rejoicing in my very soul he ever lies; / 'Her love estranged is gone far off!' the village cries.”
“He dwelleth lovingly within my bosom and is never away from thence: and yet the village folk declare that he hath abandoned me, and call him cruel.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
என்றும் உள்ளத்துள் உவந்து உறைவர்= காதலர் எஞ்ஞான்றும் என் உள்ளத்துள்ளே உவந்து உறையா நிற்பர்; இகழ்ந்து உறைவர் ஏதிலர் என்னும் இவ்வூர்= அதனை அறியாது அவரைப் பிரிந்து உறையா நின்றார், அன்பிலர் என்று சொல்லாநிற்கும் இவ்வூர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that the lover dwells always, and gladly, within the heroine's own heart; the townspeople, who do not know this, say instead that he lives apart from her and is without love.