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 POPULAR TAMIL POETRY.

July 5, 1872.]

Yêttrălum picchei kideiyamal ékkat Triruppargalé,

But no one e'er relieves them ;

Eri yenakkennum, puluvé yenakkennum,

Fire claims me, worms too claim me, Earth, too, accounts me hers. Kites claim me too, with jackals,

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Hopeless they fade away !

Inta mannum

Sarriyenakkenum, paruntô yenakkenum, Tan pusikka

And despicable curs.

Nariyenakkennum, punnä yenakkennum, in Narudalei

Then wherefore have I cherish'd

This vile ill-odour'd thing, From this my mortal body What benefit can spring 2

Piriamudan valartén, itinal yenna Per enakkē 7

Němangal, Nitteigal, vedangal, àgama Nitineri

Omangal tarpanam Santijeba mantira Yöga nilei

Nāmangal santanam venniru púsi Nalamudanë

Sāmangal dórum ivar seyum pujeigal Sarppaneiyê Some of the most popular poems in Tamil

are those of the Sittar (Siddha) school. These writers are the poetical Quietists of Tamil-land.

A great deal might be written concerning them and their works, but space forbids.

I must

content myself with laying before the reader Wananguvây jagajóti woruvanāki Mä nilatti woru nodiyil vaguté mannil Gunamâna manitareium padeitta pinbu Kuvalayattil tănutittu Guruvây wantu Janamána samusaram wondrillāmal

Sanniyási pâliruntu, davattei katti Anbāna Sittargalei irutti pinbu

Vows, austerities, vedas, Puranas, secular lore, Burnt offerings, sacrifices To men that are no more ; Prayers said in markets, mantras, Fixed postures, names ye say, Sandal, and smear'd white ashes, Ye who, from day to day, Deeming these meritorious, Observe such things, do ye Know that all this is nothing But God-ward perfidy the translation of one—perhaps the most famous —stanza in these writings. This stanza is from the Gnanam Nuru, a work ascribed to Agastiyar, the father of the Tamil language. It is a most remarkable stanza, but certainly Agastiyar had no hand in its authorship. Thou shalt adore the World's One Light, Who at a thought this vast earth framed, Made noble man, then, dawn-like, flamed A Priest, upon his sight. No kin had he of mortal race; Ascetic-wise hard deeds he wrought; Then, having made disciples, sought The Illimitable Place.

Agañda talam sendravarei, -anduvâyê. One of the most popular little poems in the Tamil language is the Vivéha Chintámani, a comparatively recent production. Ignorant Tamil women, who know almost nothing of any kind

of Tamil literature, are fond of learning portions of the poem off by heart. And yet one of its most famous stanzas runs thus—

THE FICKLE SEx. Alakāla Vishatteium Nambalām

Atreiyum perungättreium Nambalām

Köla má mata Yāneiyei Nambalām

Kollum vengei puliyeium

Nambalám, Rålanār vidum tiltarei Nambalām

Put faith in the deadliest poison, In torrent, or hurricane-gust,

And elephants, huge and powerful, And murderous tigers trust;

Confide in the angels of Yama The souls of the wicked who fetch, Place credence in robber, or felon,