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Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma

author, poet, teacher, and performer

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“Between the King and the Careful Poet,” from the Tamil poet Avvaiyar | மன்னனும் மாசறக் கற்றோனும்

March 12, 2021

A poem about poetry and power by the 12th century Tamil woman, poet, and saint Avvaiyar. From her collection, “The Word that Endures.”

Between the king and the careful poet, the poet
Has greater glory.
                              Apart from his kingdom
A king has nothing. Every place a poet goes—
Praise.

Moothurai 26, “Mannanum maasara kattronum.”

Translated from the Tamil by Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma
GIVE, EAT, AND LIFE: POEMS OF AVVAIYAR
Red Hen Press, Los Angeles

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