The Pleasures of Temporary Estrangement
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ūṭaliṟ ṟōṉṟuñ ciṟutuṉi nallaḷi / vāṭiṉum pāṭu peṟum.
By the small distress that rises out of a lovers' sulk, the good tenderness they show us gains a greatness of its own — even if that tenderness has withered.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“My 'anger feigned' gives but a little pain; / And when affection droops, it makes it bloom again.”
“Though the tenderness of the beloved hath to wait a little, there is a charm in the pinprick that we feel in being pettish.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஊடலில் தோன்றும் சிறுதுனி= ஊடல் ஏதுவாக நம்கண் தோன்றுகின்ற சிறிய துனி தன்னால்; நல்லளி வாடினும் பாடுபெறும்= காதலர் செய்யும் நல்ல தலையளி வாடுமாயினும் பெருமை எய்தும் எ-று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar reads it this way: a small distress arises in us because the sulk gives it cause, and by means of that small distress the good tenderness the lover shows us attains greatness, even should it wither. He separates the three parts carefully — the sulk is the cause, the small distress is the instrument, and the tenderness is what comes into greatness. AI draft, pending review.