Spgm 054 - Going By Shortcut Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

Encircled by a long deep moat,
And sentries posted at the gate,
The well guarded Madurai City,
It was ruled by Pandian, His Majesty.

Kovalan chose a shortcut,
The royal elephants that let,
And walked the entire distance,
To find out a suitable place.

REACHED THE OUTSKIRT

At the gate the guards
Kept ready their swords,
Their enemies to face,
Even at a short notice.

There unnoticed by anyone
Kovalan entered the town,
A rich and beautiful one,
To seek his good fortune.

GIRLS TOOK RIVER BATH

The arrival of the western wind.
The creepers of the vast land
Warmly greeted and welcomed
As they fluttered and danced.

Leaving their houses the girls,
They went in pairs and couples.
In the river took bath merrily
And spent their time happily.

GIRLS PLAYED IN FLOWER GARDEN

The cool jasmine flowers
And the deep water lily flowers
Sent their powerful scents
From the girls' head tresses.

Nice garlands of white pearls,
And of jasmine adorned the girls.
They had applied sandalwood pastes
To their bodies and slender waists.

They went to the flower garden,
At the outskirts of Madurai town,
To get themselves engaged in play
Joyfully through out the day.

THE GIRLS' EVENING PASTIME

It was time when the sun set.
In the courtyard of moonlight,
The girls were immersed in delight.
With their lovers spent the night.

THE GIRLS IN THE RAINY SEASON

Wearing light red silken dresses,
And variety of flowers in their tresses,
The Madurai girls looked so beautiful
In the rainy season that was bountiful.

IN THE COOL WINDY SEASON

Closing the windows the girls,
Along with their own males,
Around the fireplace they sat.
Also they did daylong chat.

IN THE EARLY WINTER

In the days of south bound sun,
At the start of the winter season,
Any cloud, not even a white one,
O'er the sky was rarely seen.

The girls stood in the courtyard
For the little warmth what they had.
Under the sun's mild heat cover,
Each one spent time with her lover.

IN THE MIDST OF WINTER

In the harbor all the boats
Stood like a crowd of floats,
Facing the eastern cool wind,
Which blew towards the land.

It went deep inside the town,
To invite the Cupid's action
To make all happy and gay
In that festival of love play.

IN THE EARLY SUMMER

The early summer came,
Which was slightly warm,
The couples talked of that time,
Of the severe days yet to come.

THE END OF SUMMER

In the animal inhabited forest,
The heat was like a fire-burst.
Elsewhere the king wished to move out,
To escape from the summer heat.