உறுதோறு உயிர் தளிர்ப்பத் தீண்டலான், பேதைக்கு
அமிழ்தின் இயன்றன, தோள்.
As their touch revives my soul every time I embrace her,
this girl’s arms must be made of nectar.
Whenever he is away from her, his soul withers away. Every time he embraces her, her touch revives and rejuvenates his soul. So he says her arms must be made of nectar (life giving drink of Gods) as they revive me with their touch.
Noble men fear the mean horde;
Ignoble though, embrace it as their own.
சிற்றின மஞ்சும் பெருமை சிறுமைதான்
சுற்றமாச் சூழ்ந்து விடும்.
Noble men are afraid of associating with nasty and mean people. But the ignoble ones feel at home with the mean and embrace them as their own.
எனை வகையான் தேறியக்கண்ணும், வினை வகையான்
வேறாகும் மாந்தர் பலர்.
Though chosen after tests aplenty,
men changed by nature of the task are many.
Even though a person passes all kinds of tests and is chosen as suitable for a job, many people change once they start doing the job. The nature of the job – power associated with it, for example – transforms them. So the Ruler has to keep an eye on them and not trust them blindly because they passed all tests.
A just ruler who safeguards, is revered
by his people as God.
முறை செய்து காப்பாற்றும் மன்னவன், மக்கட்கு
இறை என்று வைக்கப்படும்.
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.
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.
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.
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.
His heart does his bidding, you see –
then why are you, my heart, against me?
அவர்நெஞ்சு அவர்க்காதல் கண்டும் எவன்நெஞ்சே
நீஎமக்கு ஆகா தது.
அவர் நெஞ்சு அவர்க்கு ஆதல் கண்டும், எவன்,-நெஞ்சே!-
நீ எமக்கு ஆகாதது?
He hasn’t come back as promised. She is angry with him. But the love in her heart overpowers the anger. So she chides her heart “When he can be stone hearted to be away from me and his heart acts accordingly, why do you not listen to me, but pine for him?” She is torn between love and anger. So she treats her heart as an entity separate from herself.
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.
 | Arunan on Kulasekara Alwar – … |
 | Brindha on Thirukkural 675 |
 | Old Tamil Poetry on Kurunthokai 126 |
 | dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
| dagalti on Kurunthokai 126 |
Old Tamil Poetry 