The Wasting Away
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muyaṅkiya kaikaḷai yūkkap pacantatu / paintoṭip pētai nutal.
I loosened the arms that were holding her, only so as not to hurt her — and at that much alone the forehead of that trusting girl in her bright bangles lost its colour.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“One day the fervent pressure of embracing arms I checked, / Grew wan the forehead of the maid with golden armlet decked.”
“As we were embracing each other one day, I but relaxed my arms a little, and the forehead of that artless one grew pale at once!”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
முயங்கிய கைகளை ஊக்க= தன்னை இறுக முயங்கிய கைகளை, இவட்கு நோகும் என்று கருதி ஒருஞான்று யான் நெகிழ்த்தேனாக; பைந்தொடி பேதை நுதல் பசந்தது= அத்துணையும் பொறாது, பைந்தொடிகளை அணிந்த பேதையது நுதல் பசந்தது, அப்பெற்றித்தாய நுதல் இப்பிரிவிற்கு யாது செய்யுமோ, எ-று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar puts the whole line in the man's mouth. One day, he says, I loosened the arms that were holding her close, thinking the pressure might be hurting her. She could not bear even that much, and the forehead of the young woman in her fresh bangles lost its colour. The commentary closes on the question he is left with: what will a forehead like that do with a separation of this length?