Desire for Reunion
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uḷḷak kaḷittaluṅ kāṇa makiḻtaluṅ / kaḷḷukkil kāmattiṟ kuṇṭu.
To be elated by the mere thought of them, and gladdened by the mere sight: palm wine has neither of these. Love has both.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Gladness at the thought, rejoicing at the sight, / Not palm-tree wine, but love, yields such delight.”
“Rapture at the very thought and delight at the mere seeing belong not to wine: they belong only unto love.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
உள்ளக் களித்தலும்= நினைந்த துணையானே களிப்பு எய்தலும்; காண மகிழ்தலும்= கண்ட துணையானே மகிழ்வு எய்தலும்; கள்ளுக்கு இல் காமத்திற்கு உண்டு= கள்ளுண்டார்க்கு இல்லை, காமம் உடையார்க்கு உண்டு, எ-று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The elation comes by the mere measure of having thought of the person; the gladness comes by the mere measure of having seen them. Those who have drunk palm wine do not get these two; those who have love do.