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.
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
ūravar kauvai eruvāka vaṉṉaicoṉ / ṉīrāka nīḷumin nōy.
“My anguish grows apace: the town's report / Manures it; my mother's word doth water it.”
“The public talk is the manure, and the reproach of mother is the water, that unite to feed and prolong this anguish.”
The town's gossip is fertilizer and mother's scolding is water; my love only grows taller.
Ask about this Kural
Answers are drawn only from this Kural's sourced text and named commentary, and always cite what they used.
Choose a section
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
இந்நோய்= இக்காம நோயாகிய பயிர்; ஊரவர் கௌவை எருவாக அன்னைசொல் நீராக நீளும்= இவ்வூரின் மகளிர் எடுக்கின்ற அலர் எருவாக அதுகேட்டு அன்னை வெகுண்டு சொல்லுகின்ற வெஞ்சொல் நீராக, வளராநின்றது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The town's gossip serves as rich fertilizer, and my mother's angry scolding serves as water; between the two, the crop of my love grows ever taller.