Asoka Kumar E (1977)
This famous poem by Edasseri, written in 1951 in Malayalam (translated into English by Asoka Kumar Edasseri in 2026), blends metaphor and social critique. The Black hawker-women are both real Tamil traders who crossed the mountains into Kerala and symbolic rain-clouds that brought life to the fields. The poem celebrates their generosity while condemning the prejudice they faced, making it timeless in its plea for dignity and cooperation across communities.
The original Malayalam poem was first published in Mathrubhumi Weekly.
(The state of Kerala was a dream I too cherished. Yet, the voices of enmity heard towards Tamilians roused many memories. One such pleasant childhood memory etched upon my mind is of the Tamil-speaking Black hawker women carrying rucksacks filled with cosmetics, who used to visit us singing sweet folk songs).
Herding Profusely the ruddy cows,
The latent waters of Perar drifted,
Black hawker-women reached our coast,
Yesterday, crossing the eastern mountains.
Clad in garments of many hues,
They stood amazed upon the long ridges,
Gazing at the scenic land beyond –
We then thought they were rainbows!
With parted lips and curly hair,
The Mundakan1 fields lay waiting.
Before rising from her birthing bed, alas,
The pallid monsoon closed its eyes forever.
Black women who bore the eastern sea,
Arrived in time, their breasts brimming.
No land can wither if such neighbours
Stand ready to share and cooperate.
In the eyes of my fellow natives, oh Glory!
What beauties these Black women are!
The Tamil they speak is no mere tongue,
Their songs are the sweetest of all.
With arms outstretched, ready to embrace,
The enchanting coconut groves await!
I recall, whenever afflicted,
It was these Tamilians, without ablutions,2
Who came running for our support.
Before crossing the Walayar boundary,
We paid them well, calling ‘uncivilized!’
The greatness the people of Kerala
Uphold proudly is supreme, yet;
Nothing in this world is so vile
As snobbishness, the meanest of the mean!
To let Mridangam’s3 beats resound
For those living in mansions,
To help couples living in humble shacks
To sleep with tender caresses
To give birth to crescent moons
On the green shoots of coconut trees
Black hawker-women reached our shore
Yesterday, crossing the eastern mountains.
A thousand whispers of thanks to you
Dear blue beauties, from indebted Kerala!
You will be reaching this coast before long:
The day, when our barns will be filled
With paddy, grown by drinking your milk!
When nights resume their tender swings
Amidst the mist that blossoms in moonlight,
When graceful male cuckoos tire of singing,
And the fragrance of mango blossoms fills the air.
You visit houses, trading ceremonial items –
Sindhoor, bangles, tilak, mirrors, combs
And scented paste for clothing.
For what atonement of sin, I wonder,
Do you wander, singing your sweet folk songs!
We will see you again; surely, we will know you,
For those Black faces are never forgettable!
- Mundakan: The Mundakan season is particularly sensitive to rainfall, as it requires adequate moisture to thrive. The cultivation process begins with sowing of seeds in August/September and concludes with harvest in February. Kerala receives its rainfall during the north-east monsoon, which occurs in October and November. The clouds that bring the north-east monsoon to Kerala originate from the Bay of Bangal. These clouds travel to Kerala through the Palakkad pass in the eastern mountains of Kerala. (These mountain ranges are popularly known as the Western Ghats).
- Ablution refers to the formal act of bathing, often in rivers. People in Kerala have traditionally been known to bathe twice a day, either by immersing themselves in water or pouring plenty of water over their bodies, as fresh water is relatively abundant in the state. In contrast, Tamil Nadu faces greater challenges with water availability, and in some regions the water available will be hard or saline, making bathing less convenient.
- Mridangam is a barrel-shaped double-headed drum with one head larger than the other, used in south Indian music.