Poverty
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neruppiṉuṭ ṭuñcalu māku nirappiṉuḷ / yātoṉṟuṅ kaṇpā ṭaritu.
“Amid the flames sleep may men's eyelids close, / In poverty the eye knows no repose.”
“It is possible to go to sleep even in the midst of flames: but it is impossible to get even a wink of sleep in the midst of poverty.”
One might even find sleep lying in a fire; but in the grip of poverty, all sleep is impossible.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
நெருப்பினுள் துஞ்சலும் ஆகும்= மந்திர மருந்துகளான் ஒருவனுக்கு நெருப்பிடையே கிடந்து உறங்கலும் ஆம்; நிரப்பினுள் யாதொன்றும் கண் பாடு அரிது= நிரப்பு வந்துழி யாதொன்றாமனும் உறக்கமில்லை.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
A person might manage to fall asleep even while lying in the midst of fire; but when acute poverty strikes, peaceful sleep of any kind is utterly impossible.