The Wealth of Children
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īṉṟa pozhudiṉ peridu uvakkum taṉ magaṉaic / cāṉṟōṉ eṉak kēṭṭa tāy
A mother rejoices more on hearing learned people call her son worthy than she did at his birth; the verse prizes cultivated character beyond arrival alone.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“When mother hears him named 'fulfill'd of wisdom's lore,' Far greater joy she feels, than when her son she bore.”
“Great is the joy of the mother when a male child is born unto her: but greater far is her delight when she heareth him called worthy.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஈன்ற பொழுதின் பெரிது உவக்கும் = தான் பெற்ற பொழுதை மகிழ்ச்சியினும் மிக மகிழும்; தன்மகனைச் சான்றோன் எனக் கேட்ட தாய் = தன் மகனைக் கல்வி கேள்விகளான் நிறைந்தானென்று அறிவுடையார் சொல்லக் கேட்ட தாய். (தாயுவகைக்கு அளவின்மையின் அஃது இதனாற் பிரித்துக் கூறப்பட்டது.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
A mother rejoices greatly on the day she gives birth; but she rejoices even more on the day she hears her child called wise and worthy. To hear one's child praised as a person of excellence outshines even the joy of their birth.