Long-Standing Friendship
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paḻakiya naṭpevaṉ ceyyuṅ keḻutakaimai / ceytāṅ kamaiyāk kaṭai.
“When to familiar acts men kind response refuse, / What fruit from ancient friendship's use?”
“Of what avail is friendship that is longstanding if it acquiesceth not in the liberties taken in its name?”
What use is long-established friendship if, when an old friend performs a familiar act, one does not accept it as though one had done it oneself?
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Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கெழுதகைமை செய்தாங்கு அமையாக்கடை= தாம் உடம்படாதனவேனும் நட்டார் உரிமையாற் செய்தனவற்றிற்குத் தாம் செய்தாற்போல உடம்படாராயின்; பழகிய நட்பு எவன் செய்யும்= அவரோடு பழையதாய் வந்த நட்பு என்ன பயனைச் செய்யும்?
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Of what value is a long-standing friendship if one cannot affectionately accept as one's own an action taken by a companion in loving intimacy?