POEM FROM TAMIL LITERATURE - THE GENEROUS KING NALANKILLI
ABOUT THE POEM:
The poem THE GENEROUS KING NALANKILLI praises the generosity and greatness of King Nalankilli. It highlights his immense generosity by stating that he would gift an entire city for his family’s feast and offer the prosperous city of Madurai to honor poets who sing his praises. The poem invites all to celebrate him, emphasizing that everyone has the right to glorify such a noble ruler. It then compares his strength and stability to a potter’s child shaping wet clay, symbolizing his firm yet adaptable nature. Finally, the poem describes his land as being surrounded by lush green fields, portraying a prosperous and fertile kingdom.
THE GENEROUS KING NALANKILLI
For his kin to feast,
he would gift the city of Vanji whole.
For the bards who weave his praise,
he would offer golden Madurai itself,
to crown their heads with flowers.
Come, all who sing!
Claim your right to praise him—
our voices belong to his name.
Like the potter’s child,
molding wet clay on his father’s wheel,
his mountain stands—
firm yet yielding—
the hill where the temple rests.
His land, a garland of green,
fields embracing his realm in endless embrace.
Come, Sing of Nalankilli!
PURANANURU 32
Poet: Kovur Kizhar
Patron: Chola Nalankilli
