Quarrelling with the Heart
ஊடலை நிலைநிறுத்த விடாமல் காதலரைக் கண்டதும் சரணடையும் தன் நெஞ்சோடு வழக்காடுதல். — Scolding her treacherous heart for instantly abandoning all pride the moment he appears.
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eḷḷi ṉiḷivāmeṉ ṟeṇṇi yavartiṟa / muḷḷu muyirkkāta ṉeñcu.
“If I contemn him, then disgrace awaits me evermore; / My soul that seeks to live his virtues numbers o'er.”
“My life of a Heart thinketh it a disgrace to our own selves if we humiliate the beloved: and so it is always partial to him.”
My heart, which is in love with its own life, worked it out like this: if I scorn him for scorning me and going, the disgrace will end up mine. Having reasoned that far, it goes on dwelling on his good side instead.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
உயிர்க்காதல்நெஞ்சு= உயிர்மேல் காதலை உடைய என் நெஞ்சு; எள்ளின் இளிவு ஆம் என்று எ்ண்ணி= நம்மை எள்ளிச்சென்றார் என்று நாமும் எள்ளுவேமாயின், பின் நமக்கு இளிவாம் என்று கருதி; அவர்திறம் உள்ளும்= அவர் திறத்தினையே நினையாநின்றது, எ-று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Clinging desperately to life, my heart reflects that if we return scorn for the scorn of him who left us, the shame will be our own; and so it dwells only upon his virtues.
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