The Possession of Love
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aṉbu ilār ellām tamakku uriyar aṉbu uḍaiyār / eṉbum uriyar piṟarkku
Those without love use all they have only for themselves; the loving are ready to use even bodily effort for others. The hyperbole praises service, not surrender of bodily autonomy.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The loveless to themselves belong alone; The loving men are others' to the very bone.”
“Those that love not live only for themselves: as to those that love, their very bones are for others' occasions.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
அன்பிலார் எல்லாம் தமக்கு உரியர் = அன்பிலாதார் பிறர்க்குப் பயன்படாமையின் எல்லாப் பொருளானுந் தமக்கே உரியர்; அன்புடையார் என்பும் பிறர்க்கு உரியர் = அன்பு உடையார், அவற்றானேயன்றித் தம் உடம்பானும் பிறர்க்கு உரியர். ('என்பு' ஆகுபெயர், உடம்பைக் குறித்தது.)
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Those without love belong, in everything they have, only to themselves — they are of no use to others. But the loving belong to others even with their very bodies, ready to spend themselves for those around them. Love is the difference between a life turned inward and one given outward.