Old Tamil Poetry

Thirukkural – 552

Like a spear wielding robber forcing you to pay –
is a sceptred ruler’s demand to be paid.

வேலொடு நின்றான், ‘இடு’ என்றது போலும்-
கோலொடு நின்றான் இரவு.

Thirukkural – 65

To caress one’s child is a parent’s physical pleasure;
hearing their words is a pleasure, to ears.

மக்கள் மெய் தீண்டல் உடற்கு இன்பம்; மற்று அவர்
சொல் கேட்டல் இன்பம், செவிக்கு.

This couplet is in the chapter Begetting children (புதல்வரைப் பெறுதல்). To touch a child gives pleasure to a parent’s body. To hear their child speak gives pleasure to their ears. Parent is not mentioned explicitly in the original. I added it for clarity.

Thirukkural – 555

அல்லற்பட்டு, ஆற்றாது, அழுத கண்ணீர் அன்றே-
செல்வத்தைத் தேய்க்கும் படை.

Tears shed in unbearable distress,
are forces that erode ruler’s riches.

Under the chapter of The Cruel Sceptre (கொடுங்கோன்மை), Thiruvalluvar cautions rulers who cause unbearable agony to their citizens. The tears shed by citizens are stronger than enemies forces and will erode away the prosperity of the ruler.

Thirukkural – 1221

மாலையோ அல்லை; மணந்தார் உயிர் உண்ணும்
வேலை நீ;-வாழி, பொழுது!.

Oh sunset! You aren’t the evenings of yore,
but death knell of wedded souls.

She laments the separation from her husband. “When we were together the evenings were pleasant. But now that he is away, these evenings remind me of him and kill me”

வேலை – end  of time. Some commentaries take it as வேல் – spear. Both Parimel Alagar and Devaneya Paavanar take ‘time’ as the primary meaning. If taken as spear, it will read

Oh sunset! You are not the evenings of yore,
but a spear, devouring wedded souls.

I prefer to go with death knell – end of time  – இறுதிக்காலம்.

Thirukkural – 412

When there’s nothing on offer for ears to feed,
a little shall be offered for stomach’s need.

செவிக்கு உணவு இல்லாத போழ்து, சிறிது,
வயிற்றுக்கும் ஈயப்படும்.

This couplet is under the chapter listening. Listening to your teachers and learning from them should be your first priority. Only when the teaching is over should you even think about food. I borrowed the feed/need rhyme from Dr.G.U.Pope’s translation.

Thirukkural – 331

Idiocy of believing ephemeral things as enduring
is the worst of them all.

நில்லா தவற்றை நிலையின வென்றுணரும்
புல்லறி வாண்மை கடை.

This couplet is under the chapter Impermanence. Everything in this world is ephemeral. They will vanish. The idiocy of believing them as enduring is the worst idiocy of them all.

Thirukkural – 1124

She’s like the life-force that keeps me alive;
her departure is like death to me.

வாழ்தல் உயிர்க்கு அன்னள், ஆயிழை; சாதல்
அதற்கு அன்னள், நீங்கும் இடத்து.

This is him feeling sad when his lover leaves him. “When we are hugging each other, she is like the life giving force that keeps me alive. When she leaves me , it is like my life leaving me and I feel dead “.

He describes her as ஆயிழை – jeweled beauty. I have settled for a prosaic ‘she’.

Thirukkural – 1255

Dignity to not pine for one who caused them grief,
is not something a love-sick person knows.

செற்றார்பின் செல்லாப் பெருந்தகைமை, காம நோய்
உற்றார் அறிவது ஒன்று அன்று.

He has been away for long. Her friend advises her to forget him,as he has deserted her. She replies, “I should have the dignity and self-respect to not pine for one who has caused me grief. True. But that dignity is something a  love-sick person doesn’t know. Love tramples all propriety and overwhelms me.”