Not Speaking Useless Words
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payaṉilsol pārāṭṭuvāṉai makaṉeṉal / makkaṭ pataṭi eṉal
The verse sharply calls one who repeatedly dwells on wholly pointless words not a worthy person but ‘chaff among people’—an ancient insult aimed at the habit.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who makes display of idle words' inanity, / Call him not man, — chaff of humanity!”
“Call not him man who loveth idle words: call him rather a chaff among men.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
பயன் இல் சொல் பாராட்டுவானை மகன் எனல் = பயன் இல்லாத சொற்களைப் பலகாலும் சொல்லுவானை மகன் என்று சொல்லற்க; மக்கட் பதடி எனல் = மக்களுள் பதர் என்று சொல்லுக.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The verse harshly says not to call one who repeatedly dwells on useless words a worthy person, but 'chaff among people.'