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186
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(OCTOBER, 1926
TWO TAMIL HYMNS FOR THE MARGAZHI FESTIVAL, TRANSLATED BY A. BUTTERWORTH AND PROFESSOR S. KRISHNASWAMI ALYANGAR,
. (Continued from page 167.) .
Hymn (2) 1. Of the Great and Marvellous Splendour which hath no beginning nor end, we sing.
Hearing us sing, canst Thou, O damsel with the bright long eyes, Sleep on? That ear of Thine, is it the ear of deafness? The sound of adoration in praise of the Great God's broad anklet Hath spread through the street, yet sighing, sighing, lost to reality, She turneth on her flowerful couch ; She lieth there, as if she were naught. Why thus, why thus !
Is this the measure of the friendship of our friend? El Or, Our Lady. 2. Transported day and night by devotion to the divine Glory,
When shall we speak His praise, if now thou art Of this flowery couch enamoured, O maid with faultless gems adorned ? Ye beauteously bejewelled ones! Shame on you! Are these also trifles ? Is this the place for sporting and for jest? The Heavenly High One whose flowerlike feet the Gods themselves In shamefast fear do shrink from praising, Those feet the Light Sublime hath come to bestow Upon those his devotees assembled in Tillai's court;
They are those in His affection wrapt ; but who are we? El Or, Our Lady. 3. O thou whose smile is bright as a pearl
Thou who wouldst stand before us and say in words of swelling sweetness, "Our Father, the Bliss eternal, Ambrosia divine," come thou and open the door Ye that are devout, ye of old attachment to the Lord, ye of disciplined conduct, Would it come amiss if ye overlook our unworthiness and accept us as novices in
service unto Him? Is this a trick? Do we not, all of us, know the measure of your Love? Will not those of devout mind sing the glory of our Siva ? Verily all of this we do deserve. El Or, Our Lady. O thou whole smile is a splendid pearl, even now hath it not dawned ? Have all come babbling like the tinted parrots ? We will count and then tell you if they have, meanwhile Waste not thy time in useless sleep, but with melting heart Sing of Him who is the unequalled Elixir (balm) of heaven, Of Him who is the Veda's highest meaning, of Him Whose look is balm to the eye. Singing, dissolve in inmost ecstasy of heart. Nay, we will not; count thyself. If the number fall short
On thy count, then go to sleep. El Or, Our Lady. 6. Lady whose mouth floweth with milk and honey, who mockingly
Utterest falsehoods, telling that such as we do know Him whom, as mountain, Mål knew not, the Four faced saw not, open the gateway. Although we raise the cry Sivan 'Sivan ', singing to the Majesty of Him Whom Earth and Heaven and all the rest have never known And His purifying Goodness which graciously bringeth us beneath His sway, Thou wilt not understand us; lo, thou wilt not wake up. And in this state art thou, lady of the perfumed looks. El Or, Our Lady.
