thiruppaavai -- Verse 8 (keezh vaanam)

From the Bhakti List Archives

• December 23, 1997


[ Today, December 23, is the 8th day of maargazhi
  (December-January).  On each day of maargazhi,
  one verse from Andal's divine poem ``thiruppaavai'' 
  is savored. Today's verse "keezh vaanam".

  What I have presented is the surface meaning.
  Each verse can actually be understood in many 
  poetic and profoundly philosophical ways. Perhaps
  others can offer their thoughts and reactions.

  An introduction to Andal and the thiruppaavai
  can be found on the Web:

  http://www.best.com/~mani/new/andal-bio.html
  http://www.best.com/~mani/andal.html 

  -- Mani ]

-------------------------------------
thiruppaavai, verse 8 -- keezh vaanam
-------------------------------------

keezh vaanam veLLenRu erumai siRu veedu *
mEyvaan parandhana kaaN mikkuLLa piLLaigaLum *
pOvaan pOginRaarai(p) pOgaamal kaaththu * unnai(k)
koovuvaan vandhu ninROm * kOdhugalam udaiya
paavaay ezhundhiraay paadi(p) paRai kondu *
maavaay piLandhaanai mallarai maattiya *
dhEvaadhi dhEvanai(ch) chenRu naam sEviththaal *
aavaavenRu aaraayndhu aruL ElOr em paavaay!


Translation
-----------

The eastern sky is brightening
The buffaloes have already gone to 
   their little houses to graze
Look! The remaining girls who
   want to go have not yet gone,
      waiting here for you

We've come to call you, dear girl
   delightful as you are
      Wake up!

We will sing to get the drum
If we go and approach the
   God of gods, who
Split the demon's big mouth
And vanquished those wrestlers
He will look into our concerns
   with great compassion
      and grace us!


Word for Word meaning
---------------------

keezh vaanam	eastern sky
veL		brightening
erumai		buffaloes
siRu veedu	little house

mEyvaan		to graze
parandhana	spread, gone there
kaaN		look
mikkuLLa	those who are remaining
piLLaigaLum	girls

povaan		those who want to go
pOginRaarai	who are going
pOgaamal	without going
kaaththu	waiting

unnai		you
koovuvaan	to call
vandhu		have come
ninROm		we are standing

kOdhugalam	happy
udaiya		with
paavaay		O girl!
ezhundhiraay	get up!
paadi		sing
paRai kondu	to get the drum

maavaay		big mouth
piLandhaanai	he who split
mallarai	wrestlers
maattiya	vanquished

dhEvaadhi dhEva	God of gods
chenRu		having gone
naam		we
sEviththaal	if we serve, worship

aavaavenRu	with great compassion, concern
		("aa! aa!" enRu)
aaraayndhu	having looked into
aruL		grace