1913 maṇmakal̤ kel̤vaṉ malar maṅkai nāyakaṉ *
nantaṉ pĕṟṟa matalai *
aṇṇal ilaik kuzhal ūti nam cerikke *
allil-tāṉ vanta piṉṉai **
kaṇ malar corntu mulai vantu vimmik *
kamalac cĕvvāy vĕl̤uppa *
ĕṉ makal̤ vaṇṇam irukkiṉṟavā naṅkāy *
ĕṉ cĕykeṉ? ĕṉ cĕykeṉo?-6
Simple Translation
1913. A cowherdess says,
“ O Yashodā, our lord who was carried to our cowherd village
by his father Nandan at night when he was a child
is the beloved of Lakshmi and of the earth goddess.
He plays a bamboo flute and my daughter loves him.
Her flower-like eyes are weary, her breasts are round,
and her lotus-red mouth has grown pale.
O beautiful friend, come and see how my daughter suffers.
What can I do? What can I do?”