Cherishing Kindred
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kākkai karavā karaintuṇṇu mākkamu / maṉṉanī rārkkē yuḷa.
A crow does not hide found food; it calls its kind and eats with them. Circle-based prosperity belongs only to people of that sharing nature.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The crows conceal not, call their friends to come, then eat; / Increase of good such worthy ones shall meet.”
“The crow concealeth not its food selfishly from its fellows but shareth it lovingly with them: prosperity will abide only with men of a like nature.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
காக்கை கரவா கரைந்து உண்ணும்= காக்கைகள் தமக்கு இரையாயின கண்டவழி, மறையாது இனத்தை அழைத்து அதனோடும்கூட உண்ணாநிற்கும்; ஆக்கமும் அன்ன நீரார்க்கே உள= சுற்றத்தான் எய்தும் ஆக்கங்களும் அப்பெற்றித்தாய இயல்பினை உடையார்க்கே உளவாவன.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that when crows find food, they do not conceal it but call their own kind and eat together; the forms of prosperity gained through one's circle belong only to people with that kind of sharing disposition.