Tyrannical Rule
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iṉmaiyi ṉiṉṉā tuṭaimai muṟaiceyyā / maṉṉavaṉ kōṟkīḻp paṭiṉ.
Under the sceptre of a king who does not uphold justice, possessing wealth is more painful than having none.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“To poverty it adds a sharper sting, / To live beneath the sway of unjust king.”
“The condition of the rich man is more galling than that of the poor under the rule of the tyrant prince.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
முறை செய்யா மன்னவன் கோல் கீழ்ப்படின்= முறை செய்யாத அரசனது கொடுங்கோலின்கீழ் வாழின்; இன்மையின் உடைமை இன்னாது= யாவர்க்கும் பொருளினது இன்மையினும் உடைமை இன்னாது.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says that under the tyrannical sceptre of a king who does not do justice, the possession of property becomes more painful to anyone than having no property at all.