Renown
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oṉṟā vulakat tuyarnta pukaḻallāṟ / poṉṟātu niṟpatoṉ ṟil
In this world, nothing endures without passing away except exalted renown that has no equal.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Save praise alone that soars on high, / Nought lives on earth that shall not die.”
“Everything else dieth on earth: but the fame that hath no rival endureth forever.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஒன்றா உயர்ந்த புகழ் அல்லால்= தனக்கு இணையின்றாக ஓங்கிய புகழல்லது; உலகத்துப் பொன்றாது நிற்பது ஒன்று இல்= உலகத்து இறவாது நிற்பது பிறிதொன்று இல்லை.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that, apart from renown which rises without an equal, there is nothing else in the world that stands without dying away.