The Wealth of Children
Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
amizhdiṉum āṟṟa iṉidē tam makkaḷ / siṟu kai aḷāviya kūzh
A simple meal stirred by one's little children tastes sweeter than ambrosia: affection makes an ordinary family moment surpass luxury.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Than God's ambrosia sweeter far the food before men laid, In which the little hands of children of their own have play'd.”
“Sweeter verily than ambrosia is the plain soup bespattered by the tender hands of one's own children.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அமிழ்தினும் ஆற்ற இனிதே = சுவையான் அமிழ்தத்தினும் மிக இனிமை யுடைத்து; தம் மக்கள் சிறுகை அளாவிய கூழ் = தம் மக்களது சிறுகையான் அளாவப்பட்ட சோறு.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
The plain food that one's own little children have stirred and played in with their tiny hands tastes sweeter by far than ambrosia. The simplest meal touched by a child's hand outshines the food of the gods.