This is my first message here, & see lots
of talk about Tamil, Indic scripts etc.,
I see many messages from Richard, Daniels,
Michael E., Suzanne McCarthy, ....

Ms. McCarthy's ancient Tamil poem
has spelling problems, (and in fact reverses
the meaning). Hope the correct version
changing few letters can be done.
(Editing a post by author in blogspot is easy.)

http://abecedaria.blogspot.com/2005/11/where-is-your-son.html

The correct poem (with individual words as units) is:
-----------------------------------------------------
சிற்றில் நல் தூண் பற்றி நின் மகன்
யாண்டு உளனோ என வினவுதி - என் மகன்
யாண்டு உளன் ஆயினும் அறியேன், à®"ரும்
புலி சேர்ந்து போகிய கல் அளை போல
ஈன்ற வயிறோ இதுவே,
தோன்றுவன் மாதோ போர்க் களத்தானே.

Roman transliteration
----------------------------
ciṟṟil nal tūṇ paṟṟi niṉ makaṉ
yāṇṭu uḷaṉō eṉa viṉavuti - eṉ makaṉ
yāṇṭu uḷaṉ āyiṉum aṟiyÄ"ṉ, ōrum
puli cÄ"rntu pōkiya kal aḷai pōla
īṉṟa vayiṟō ituvÄ",
tōṉṟuvaṉ mātō pōrk kaḷattāṉÄ".

In a jpeg format,
http://i13.tinypic.com/68mjuo1.jpg

Kind regards,
N. Ganesan

Intro:
I am a new member in this list, & have read with
interest The World's Writing Systems (Daniels/Wright).
I am a Structural Dynamicist at Houston, TX.
My mothertongue is Tamil, and have a long interest in Indology,
Asian art history, languages, spread of scripts from south
India to South East Asia etc., ~ N. Ganesan, Ph.D.