Unendurable Separation
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aḷittañca leṉṟavar nīppiṟ ṟeḷittacoṟ / ṟēṟiyārk kuṇṭō tavaṟu.
He was tender with me, and he said: do not be afraid. If that same man then leaves, is any fault owed by the one who took the words he settled her with as true?
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“If he depart, who fondly said, 'Fear not,' what blame's incurred / By those who trusted to his reassuring word?”
“If he who bade me be of good cheer consenteth to part from me, can I be blamed for having placed my trust in his solemn promise?”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அளித்து அஞ்சல் என்றவர் நீப்பின்= எதிர்ப்பட்ட ஞான்றே தலையளி செய்து, 'நின்னிற்பிரியேன் அஞ்சல்' என்றவர்தாமே பின் பிரிவாராயின்; தெளித்த சொல் தேறியார்க்குத் தவறு உண்டோ= அவர்க்குஅன்றி அவர் தெளிவித்த சொல்லை மெய்யெனத் தெளிந்தார்க்குக் குற்றமுண்டோ?
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar reads it as a question with only one possible answer. The man showed her great tenderness at the very moment of their meeting and told her not to be afraid, saying he would never part from her. If he is then the one who parts, is there any fault in the woman who took the words he used to settle her as the truth? The fault is his, and not hers for believing.