The Rumour
ஊரார் தூற்றும் பழிச்சொல் (அலர்) காதலை அணைக்காமல் நெய்யாய் வளர்ப்பதைக் கூறுதல். — Remarking that village gossip acts not as water to quench love, but as ghee to kindle it.
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kaḷittoṟuṅ kaḷḷuṇṭal vēṭṭaṟṟāṟ kāmam / veḷippaṭun tōṟu miṉitu.
“The more man drinks, the more he ever drunk would be; / The more my love's revealed, the sweeter 'tis to me!”
“Even as every cup that is drunk but maketh the drunkard thirst for more, even so doth every discovery of his passion by others but increase its sweetness for the lover.”
Like wine growing sweeter with every sip, love turns sweeter whenever gossip bares it.
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
களித்தொறும் கள் உண்டல் வேட்டற்று= கள்உண்பார்க்குக் களிக்குந்தொறும் கள்ளுண்டல் இனிதாமாறுபோல; காமம் வெளிப்படுந்தோறும் இனிது= எனக்குக் காமம் அலராந்தோறும் இனிதாகாநின்றது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Just as each surge of intoxication makes wine sweeter to the drinker, so does my love grow sweeter each time the town's gossip brings it out into the open.