Long-Standing Friendship
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keṭāa vaḻivanta kēṇmaiyār kēṇmai / viṭāar viḻaiyu mulaku.
The world esteems those who do not discard the friendship of people whose close bond has come down through time without decay.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Friendship of old and faithful friends, / Who ne'er forsake, the world commends.”
“Behold the man who loveth another with a deathless affection: the whole world will hold him dear.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
கெடாஅ வழிவந்த கேண்மையார் கேண்மை= உரிமையறாது பழையதாய் வந்த நட்பினை உடையாரது நட்பினை; விடாஅர் உலகு விழையும்= அவர் பிழைநோக்கி விடுதல்செய்யாதாரை உலகம் நட்புக்குறித்து விரும்பும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Parimelazhagar explains that the world esteems, for constancy in friendship, those who do not give up the bond of a person whose old friendship has come down without its familiar right decaying.