ABOUT THE POEM:
The poem FLEETING LOVELINESS is a translated version of a poem from Tamil Literature. The poem portrays the scene of storks descending upon a creek after its waters recede, feasting on fish in the slushy bed and perching on the dunes. These storks resemble the king's soldiers with their vibrant attire adorned in colorful plumage. The girl urges the friend to inform the lover who lives on the other side of the creek, that she is pining away. She compares her declining beauty to cattle taken by the king of Mullur. Overall, the poem touches on themes of nature's cycle, beauty and the feeling of loss and longing for a reunion of a distant loved one.
FLEETING LOVELINESS
When waters waned from the creek's domain,
A host of storks, a sight to deem,
Descended to feast on fish so bold,
In slushy beds where secrets teem,
Upon the dunes, they took their hold.
They moved akin to the king's grand guard,
With vibrant plumage, they displayed,
Oh, friend of mine, embark forthright,
To where my lover's dreams have stayed,
Beyond the creek, my fate takes flight.
When waters waned from the creek's domain,
Like cattle robbed by Mullur's king,
My loveliness, once proudly embossed,
Now lost and gone, a fleeting thing,
In silence, the pain of separation endured.
(In this poem a girl urges her friend to inform the lover about her feeling of loss and longing for the lover who lives on the other side of the creek)
(Note: Mullur is a name of a mountain associated with the rulers of ancient Tamil Nadu occurring in Sangam literature )
