Speaking with the Heart
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kāmam viṭuvoṉṟō nāṇviṭu naṉṉeñcē / yāṉō poṟēṉiv viraṇṭu.
Let the longing go, my good heart; or if not that, then let the modesty go. As for me, I have no strength to carry these two at once.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Or bid thy love, or bid thy shame depart; / For me, I cannot bear them both, my worthy heart!”
“O my Heart! Either give up love or give up bashfulness: for, I am unable to support both of them at the same time.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நன்னெஞ்சே= நல்ல நெஞ்சே; ஒன்றோ காமம் விடு= ஒன்றின் நாண்விட மாட்டாயாயின் காம வேட்கையை விடு; (ஒன்றோ) நாண் விடு= ஒன்றின் அது விடமாட்டாயாயின், நாணினை விடு; இவ்விரண்டு யானோ பொறேன்= அன்றியே இரண்டும் விடாமை நின்கருத்தாயின், ஒன்றற்கொன்று மறுதலையாய இவ்விரண்டனையும் உடன்தாங்கு மதுகை யான்இலன், எ-று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar sets the line out as a choice offered twice over. Good heart: if you cannot give up modesty, then give up the longing; if you cannot give up the longing, then give up modesty. And if your intention is to release neither, he says, then know that I have no strength to hold up two things that are contrary to each other at once. The commentator does not decide which one should go. He fixes only that both cannot stay.