Old Tamil Poetry

Naaladiyaar – 4

“What’s ours, ours won’t be forever ours” realize this;
noble, noble deeds you wanted to do, do them immediately; –
down and down dwindles one’s life time; wrathfully
comes here, comes here the god of death!

‘நின்றன நின்றன நில்லா’ என உணர்ந்து,
ஒன்றின ஒன்றின வல்லே, செயின், செய்க-
சென்றன சென்றன, வாழ்நாள்; செறுத்து, உடன்
வந்தது வந்தது, கூற்று!

This Naaladiyaar poem talks about the impermanence of wealth. All the wealth that we think is ours won’t remain forever ours. So use your wealth to do all good deeds you wanted to do and do them immediately. Don’t wait. Because one’s life time is dwindling rapidly and God of death is approaching one day by day.

The Tamil poem uses simple words repeated twice to achieve an inherent rhythm. I can’t bring that flow in the translation. Yet I have used repetitive words to give a sense of the original poem.

ஒன்றின – suitable / good / noble
வல் – quick
செறு – angry
கூற்று – death