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Chapter 112 of 133Love

நலம் புனைந்துரைத்தல்

The Praise of her Beauty

Read all ten original Tamil couplets from this chapter with clear, modern interpretations for everyday learning.

Kurals

11111120

Reading

10 couplets

Section

காமத்துப்பால்

A simple reading path

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Tamil + modern meaning

Kural 1111

1 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

நன்னீரை வாழி அனிச்சமே நின்னினும்

மென்னீரள் யாம்வீழ் பவள்.

Modern interpretation

The beloved is said to be softer than the delicate anicham flower. It is a playful way of praising tenderness, like saying a loved one's gentle touch feels softer than anything else you have known.

Read Kural 1111 in full

Kural 1112

2 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

மலர்காணின் மையாத்தி நெஞ்சே இவள்கண்

பலர்காணும் பூவொக்கும் என்று.

Modern interpretation

The speaker's heart mistakes ordinary flowers for the beloved's remarkable eyes, then feels confused when it looks at them. Seeing a flower that reminds someone of a loved one can suddenly bring that person to mind.

Read Kural 1112 in full

Kural 1113

3 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

முறிமேனி முத்தம் முறுவல் வெறிநாற்றம்

வேலுண்கண் வேய்த்தோ ளவட்கு.

Modern interpretation

The beloved is praised with many images at once: a tender shoot for her skin, pearls for her teeth, fragrance for her breath, and a spear for her dark, striking eyes. It captures how love makes every detail seem extraordinary.

Read Kural 1113 in full

Kural 1114

4 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

காணின் குவளை கவிழ்ந்து நிலன்நோக்கும்

மாணிழை கண்ணொவ்வேம் என்று.

Modern interpretation

The blue lotus is imagined as lowering its head because it cannot match the beloved's eyes. When someone admires a friend's exceptional talent, even the usual standards of beauty may seem inadequate beside it.

Read Kural 1114 in full

Kural 1115

5 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

அனிச்சப்பூக் கால்களையாள் பெய்தாள் நுகப்பிற்கு

நல்ல படாஅ பறை.

Modern interpretation

The beloved is so delicate that even an anicham flower becomes painful if its stem is left on. The exaggerated image humorously shows how a small careless detail can trouble someone very sensitive.

Read Kural 1115 in full

Kural 1116

6 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

மதியும் மடந்தை முகனும் அறியா

பதியின் கலங்கிய மீன்.

Modern interpretation

The beloved's face shines so brightly that even the stars seem unable to tell it apart from the moon. When someone enters a dim room with a radiant smile, everyone's attention can turn toward them.

Read Kural 1116 in full

Kural 1117

7 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

அறுவாய் நிறைந்த அவிர்மதிக்குப் போல

மறுவுண்டோ மாதர் முகத்து.

Modern interpretation

The moon has visible marks, but the beloved's face is imagined as having none. This is the affectionate exaggeration of someone who sees no flaw at all in the person they love.

Read Kural 1117 in full

Kural 1118

8 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

மாதர் முகம்போல் ஒளிவிட வல்லையேல்

காதலை வாழி மதி.

Modern interpretation

The moon would be worthy of love only if it could shine like the beloved's face. When a familiar song reminds someone of a loved one, even the song feels special because of that association.

Read Kural 1118 in full

Kural 1119

9 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

மலரன்ன கண்ணாள் முகமொத்தி யாயின்

பலர்காணத் தோன்றல் மதி.

Modern interpretation

The moon is teasingly told not to appear before everyone if it wants to resemble the beloved, because the beloved's beauty feels private and unmatched. A person may want to keep a precious moment with someone special just for themselves.

Read Kural 1119 in full

Kural 1120

10 of 10

Tamil original · தமிழ்

அனிச்சமும் அன்னத்தின் தூவியும் மாதர்

அடிக்கு நெருஞ்சிப் பழம்.

Modern interpretation

Even an anicham flower or a swan feather would feel like a thorn to feet imagined this delicate. The image shows how love magnifies a beloved's gentleness beyond ordinary comparisons.

Read Kural 1120 in full