Eloquence
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Tap an underlined Tamil word to explore its sound, meaning, and use.
palacollak kāmuṟuvar maṉṟamā caṟṟa / cilacollat tēṟṟā tavar.
Those who cannot express a point in a few faultless words are the very ones who long to say it in many.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who have not skill ten faultless words to utter plain, / Their tongues will itch with thousand words man's ears to pain.”
“Verily they have a passion for much speaking who know not to say their mind in few and well chosen words.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மாசு அற்ற சில சொல்லல் தேற்றாதவர்= குற்றமற்றனவாய்ச் சிலவாய வார்த்தைகளை அவ்வாற்றாற் சொல்லுதலை அறியாதார்; பல சொல்லக் காமுறுவர்= பலவாய வார்த்தைகளைத் தொகுத்துச் சொல்ல விரும்புவர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar says those who lack the skill to state a matter in a few faultless words tend to gather many words instead.