Perish her intellect: cruel is her servitude*

Her grandmother once carried her husband

to his mistress’s house, in a basket.

As for her father, he had a family

in every village; he’d set off on visits

driving his fine bullock cart.

Her husband, not to be outdone,

would rape the women who weeded his fields.

Eldest son sold off some land, so

he could gad about with prostitutes.

Knowing all this, full well, she brings

freshly laundered clothes to her youngest son

as soon as the drums summon him

to the village festival; asking only

that he return in good time for his meal.

Perish her intellect: cruel is her servitude.

*Malathi Maithri parodies a poem from Puranannuuru (c. 2nd century AD) in which a woman first sends her father and brothers to the war. The next day, after their death, she sends her husband, who also dies. After all this, when she hears the war drums on the third day, she sends her only son to the battleground. The first line of the poem runs ‘Perish her intellect, exceeding is her courage’.