Poverty
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naṟporu ṇaṉkuṇarntu colliṉu nalkūrntār / coṟporuḷ cōrvu paṭum.
“Though deepest sense, well understood, the poor man's words convey, / Their sense from memory of mankind will fade away.”
“The words of the indigent will carry no weight even when they expound grand truths with masterly skill and knowledge.”
Though the poor speak profound wisdom with clarity, their words fall on deaf ears.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நற்பொருள் நன்கு உணர்ந்து சொல்லினும்= மெய்ந்நூற் பொருளைத் தெளிய அறிந்து சொன்னாராயினும்; நல்கூர்ந்தார் சொற்பொருள் சோர்வு படும்= நல்கூர்ந்தார் சொல்லும் சொற்பொருள் இன்மையைத் தலைப்படும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Even when impoverished people grasp profound truths and articulate them with clarity, the substance of their words falls unheeded and disregarded by the world.
This verse is in tension
AI draft · pending scholar review