Sembula Peyaneerar

Sempulapeyaneerar (Tamil: செம்புலப் பெயனீரார், literally "he of water that has rained on red fields") was a poet of the Sangam period, to whom a sole verse of the Sangam literature has been attributed.

Sempulapeyaneerar is said to have hailed from a geographic region with an abundance of red clay. With the Tamil literary tradition's practice of identifying a poet by a phrase or word from his or her poem, Sempulapeyaneerar came to be known so owing to his usage of the imagery "red earth and pouring rain" to denote the union of loving couples in his Sangam verse.

Sempulapeyaneerar wrote a sole Sangam verse, verse 40 of the Kurunthogai, and also compiled the Kurunthogai anthology. It is arguably one of the most renowned and oft-quoted of the Sangam anthology. It speaks about two lovers uniting, with the man reassuring his ladylove of his love.

Verse 40 of the Kurunthogai inspired many down the centuries, chiefly by its powerful imagery in the words "red earth and pouring rain" which is considered very evocative. It is the inspiration behind the title of Vikram Chandra's award-winning English novel, Red Earth and Pouring Rain. The poem was exhibited in the London metro train service in 2001. The poetry has also inspired several Tamil film songs, including 'Oru Thanga rathathil' from Dharma Yuddham, 'Narumugaye' from movie Iruvar, 'Solai poovil malai thenral' from movie Vellai Roja, 'Pattam poochi' from movie Chithiram Pesuthadi, 'Munbe Vaa' from movie Sillunu Oru Kaadhal.

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