Another poem that can never cease to move me

What He Said

What could my mother be

to yours? What kin is my father

to yours anyway? And how

did you and I meet ever?

               But in love our hearts are as red

earth and pouring rain:

               mingled beyond parting.                       

-  Cembulappeyani:ra:r (Kuruntokai 40)

The best love lyric I have set my eyes on. The last

three lines never cease to make me wonder

about the person who has penned them.

The best part of the poet is that

they never sign their name under

the poem but choose to name themselves after the

lines of the poem.

The poem belongs to the Sangam love poetry collection and

is translated by A. K. Ramanujan.

The entire collection is lovely but this

 is one of my favourites.