Tiruppavai

Verse 8

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

What I have presented is the surface meaning. Each verse can actually be understood in many poetic and profoundly philosophical ways.

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 sky brightens in the east
The buffaloes, let out for their short graze,
Have already spread out
Look here! 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

"Ah yes, yes!" 
   is what he will say
As he looks into our concerns
   with great compassion and caring
      and graces us!

Word for Word meaning

keezh vaanam	eastern sky
veL		brightening
erumai		buffaloes
siRu veedu	let go for a short time
                (buffaloes and cows are let go to graze 
                 for a short time in the morning before 
                 they are milked)

mEyvaan		to graze
parandhana	spread
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)	(saying "Ah, ah!")

aaraayndhu	having looked into
aruL		grace

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