Login
|
Join PoetrySoup
Home
Submit Poems
Login
Sign Up
Member Home
My Poems
My Quotes
My Profile & Settings
My Inboxes
My Outboxes
Soup Mail
Contest Results/Status
Contests
Poems
Poets
Famous Poems
Famous Poets
Dictionary
Types of Poems
Quotes
Short Stories
Articles
Forum
Blogs
Poem of the Day
New Poems
Resources
Syllable Counter
Anthology
Grammar Check
Greeting Card Maker
Classifieds
Member Area
Member Home
My Profile and Settings
My Poems
My Quotes
My Short Stories
My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder
Soup Social
Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us
Member Poems
Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Random
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread
Member Poets
Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest
Famous Poems
Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100
Famous Poets
Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War
Poetry Resources
Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter
Email Poem
Your IP Address: 3.145.167.176
Your Email Address:
Required
Email Address Not Valid.
To Email Address:
Email Address Not Valid.
Required
Subject
Required
Personal Note:
Poem Title:
Poem
The THIRUK-KURAL on Women who know no bounds : Canto 92 – K913, K919 and K920 (Thiru-Valluvar comes down heavily on women of the « oldest profession in the world » in this Canto 92 consigned within Book Two since the stress laid on the wishes and practices of such women are based on WEALTH, the theme of the section, i.e., PORUDPAAL or ARTHASASTRA. Whilst in other couplets, including those mainly in Book Three : KAMATHTHUPPAAL, he is quite won over by the charms of the fairer sex in their innate innocent behaviour, and responsiveness to male attention, here he demonstrates no compassion for women of easy virtue. What is at stake here is not so much the rigours and dictates of the puritanical society in which he so quite obviously lived (and commented upon), but the material motivations of profit associated with personal and emotional sentiments underlying interpersonal relations between the sexes. To him, a woman bartering her flesh for money was a despicable creature.) K913: porudpendir poymmai muyakkam irudduaraiyil Ethil pinamthalii iyartru As one in darkened room, some stranger corpse in arms, Is he who seeks delight in mercenary women’s charms. (Transl. G.U. Pope) The false embraces of wealth-loving women are like (hired men) embracing a strange corpse in a dark room. (Transl. Drew & Lazarus) Pecuniary-minded women’s embraces resemble those (men experience) while making love to corpses in a dark room. (Transl. T. Wignesan) K919: varaivuilaa aanilaiyaar menthOl puraiilaap pUriyarkal aalum alaru The wanton’s tender arm, with gleaming jewels decked, Is hell, where sink degraded souls of men abject. (Transl. G.U. Pope) The delicate shoulders of prostitutes with excellent jewels are a hell into which are plunged the ignorant base. (Transl. Drew & Lazarus) Limitlessly devoid of excellence, those who fawn over enticing shoulders of women decked in jewels remain mired in vile depths. (Transl. T. Wignesan) K920: irumanap pendirum kallum kavarum Thiru*niikkap paddaar thodarpu Women of double minds, strong drink and dice; to these giv’n o’er, Are those on whom the light of Fortune shines no more. (Transl. G.U. Pope) Treacherous women, liquor, and gambling are the associates of such as have (been) forsaken by Fortune. (Transl. Drew & Lazarus) Indulging in women given to duplicity, drink and dice will cause men to be devoid of any grace (deserted by the Goddess Lakshmi*). (*Thiru = prosperity, wealth, fortune, represented by the Goddess of Lakshmi) © T. Wignesan – Paris, 2017
CAPTCHA Preview
Type the characters you see in the picture
Required