Tuesday, 31 March 2009

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.

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