124. Wasting Away

Chapter. 124. Wasting Away
Kural - 1231
Thine eyes grown dim are now ashamed the fragrant flow'rs to see,
Thinking on him, who wand'ring far, leaves us in misery.
Meaning : While we endure the unbearable sorrow, your eyes weep for him who is gone afar, and shun (the sight of) fragrant flowers.
Kural - 1232
The eye, with sorrow wan, all wet with dew of tears,
As witness of the lover's lack of love appears.
Meaning : The discoloured eyes that shed tears profusely seem to betray the unkindness of our beloved.
Kural - 1233
These withered arms, desertion's pangs abundantly display,
That swelled with joy on that glad nuptial day.
Meaning : The shoulders that swelled on the day of our union (now) seem to announce our separation clearly (to the public).
Kural - 1234
When lover went, then faded all their wonted charms,
And armlets' golden round slips off from these poor wasted arms.
Meaning : In the absence of your consort, your shoulders having lost their former beauty and fulness, your bracelets of pure gold have become loose.
Kural - 1235
These wasted arms, the bracelet with their wonted beauty gone,
The cruelty declare of that most cruel one.
Meaning : The (loosened) bracelets, and the shoulders from which the old beauty has faded, relate the cruelty of the pitiless one.
Kural - 1236
I grieve, 'tis pain to me to hear him cruel chid,
Because the armlet from my wasted arm has slid.
Meaning : I am greatly pained to hear you call him a cruel man, just because your shoulders are reduced and your bracelets loosened.
Kural - 1237
My heart! say ought of glory wilt thou gain,
If to that cruel one thou of thy wasted arms complain?
Meaning : Can you O my soul! gain glory by relating to the (so-called) cruel one the clamour of my fading shoulders?
Kural - 1238
One day the fervent pressure of embracing arms I checked,
Grew wan the forehead of the maid with golden armlet decked.
Meaning : When I once loosened the arms that were in embrace, the forehead of the gold-braceleted women turned sallow.
Kural - 1239
As we embraced a breath of wind found entrance there;
The maid's large liquid eyes were dimmed with care.
Meaning : When but a breath of breeze penetrated our embrace, her large cool eyes became sallow.
Kural - 1240
The dimness of her eye felt sorrow now,
Beholding what was done by that bright brow.
Meaning : Was it at the sight of what the bright forehead had done that the sallowness of her eyes became sad?