Tamil Heritage Month began in 2010 and seeks to celebrate Tamil heritage, culture, and history. Throughout this month, we will be providing you with educational material such as this that seeks to help us understand our culture, roots and heritage. Today, we will be looking at “The Song of Kaniyan Punkunran,” which appears in the ‘Pura naanooru’, a classical work of Tamil literature.
The song of Kaniyan Punkunran is a famous and widely known Tamil poem, it’s first lines, “Yaavum Oore Yavarum Kelir” is one widely recognized by Tamils. This poem originates from the ‘Pura naanooru’, a classical work of Tamil literature that speaks of life outside the home, particularly with Kingship, War, Ethics and Statenesmanship. It has been translated in English, and now appears in many poetry anthologies, and can resonate with a variety of people.
யாதும் ஊரே ; யாவரும் கேளிர் ;
தீதும் நன்றும் பிறர்தர வாரா ;
நோதலும் தணிதலும் அவற்றோ ரன்ன ;
சாதலும் புதுவது அன்றே ; வாழ்தல்
இனிதுஎன மகிழ்ந்தன்றும் இலமே; முனிவின்,
இன்னா தென்றலும் இலமே; ‘மின்னொடு
வானம் தண்துளி தலைஇ, ஆனாது
கல்பொருது இரங்கும் மல்லற் பேர்யாற்று
நீர்வழிப் படூஉம் புணைபோல, ஆருயிர்
முறைவழிப் படூஉம்’ என்பது திறவோர்
காட்சியின் தெளிந்தனம் ஆகலின், மாட்சியின்
பெரியோரை வியத்தலும் இலமே;
சிறியோரை இகழ்தல் அதனினும் இலமே.
எட்டுத்தொகை நூல்களில் ஒன்றாகிய
புறநானூறு. 192 – பாடியவர்: கணியன் பூங்குன்றன்
The Song of Kaniyan Punkunran
Every city is your city. Everyone is your kin.
Failure and prosperity do not come to you because others
Have sent them! Nor do suffereings and the end of suffering.
There is nothing new in death. Thinking and living
Is sweet, we do not rejoice in it. Even less do we say
If something unwanted happens, that to live is miserable!
Through the vision of those who have understood we know
That a life, with its hardship, makes its way like a raft
Riding the water of a huge and powerfull river roaring
Without pause as it breaks against rocks because the clouds
Crowded with bolts of lightning pour down their cold
Drops of the rain, and so we are not amazed
At those who are great and even less do we despise the weak!
(Pura naanooru – Tamil Literature ~2 B.C.)
English Tranalation – George L.Hart
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