ABOUT THE POEM:
The poem titled MYSTERIES OF LOVE is a translated version of a poem from Tamil literature. This poem reflects upon a change in perception and love between two individuals. In the past, the speaker's friend offered her loved one bitter neem fruit but the lover saw it as a sweet lump of sugar, symbolizing their positive interpretation of even unpleasant gestures. However, in the present, the friend provides the loved one with sweet water from the cool springs of Pari's Parambu hill which should be refreshing during the month of Thai. Surprisingly, the loved one now describes it as hot and salty , indicating a shift in his perception and perhaps his feelings of love. The poem questions whether this change in perception reflects a change in the husband’s love for the speaker’s friend.
MYSTERIES OF LOVE
In bygone days, a friend's feast
neem's bitter fruit, a curious banquet,
Yet you, dear love, with joy embraced,
called it sugar, sweetly graced.
But now the friend, with caring zeal,
Offers water from Pari's Hill,
Where springs flow icy, crystal clear,
refreshing drops of Thai this time of year.
Yet, alas, you spurn this gift divine,
Labeling it hot, with taste malign.
Oh, pray tell, has love gone astray?
To your sweetheart’s dismay.
(the poem elaborates on the change in the attitude of the husband of the speaker’s friend in unequivocal terms )
Note:
Pari was a ruler of a great lineage who ruled Parambu nadu and surrounding regions in ancient Tamilnadu towards the end of the Sangam era.
Thai: It is the tenth month of the Tamil calendar and typically falls between mid-January and mid-February. Thai is considered an auspicious month and is associated with new beginnings, prosperity and joyous celebrations. It marks the start of the harvest season
