The Kural or the Maxims of Tiruvalluvar/Chapter 132
CHAPTER 132
THE FINESSES OF BOUDERIE
SHE
1311. All that are women devour thee with their eyes, thou gallant ! I shall have none of thy embrace.
1312. I was in the sulks : he then sneezed, for he thought that I would bless him saying, Long live my beloved !
HE
1313. Even if I wear a garland she would go off in a pique saying, Thou wantest to look smart in some damsel's eyes !
1314. I said to her, I love thee above all : and behold, she frowned at once asking, Above whom ? and above whom ?
1315. I told her, We shall never part in this life : alack, her eyes at once filled with tears ![1]
1316. I said to her, I called thee to mind when away : and she that was about to clasp me to her arms went off in a pet saying, Thou hadst forgotten me then !
1317. I sneezed and she blessed : but then she recalled her blessing and asked with tear-filled eyes, Who thought on thee now, that thou sneezedest ?[2]
1318. I repressed my sneeze: and then aiso she wept saying, Thou wantest to conceal from me that some of thy friends are thinking on thee !
1319. Even if I exhaust all my arts to soothe her, she will only frown harder saying, Thou hast practised well at others' bouderies!
1320. Even if I look in rapture on her own charms, she will chide saying, To whose limbs now art thou comparing mine ?
