Nobility of Character
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kuṭippiṟantār kaṇviḷaṅkuṅ kuṟṟam vicumpiṉ / matikkaṇ maṟuppō luyarntu.
A fault in those born to such a house shows raised up, the way the mark shows on the moon in the open sky.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The faults of men of noble race are seen by every eye, / As spots on her bright orb that walks sublime the evening sky.”
“The fault of a man of noble family will show conspicuously even as the spot in the body of the moon.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
குடிப்பிறந்தார்கண் குற்றம்= உயர்ந்த குடியின்கண் பிறந்தார்மாட்டு உளதாம் குற்றம்; விசும்பின் மதிக்கண் மறுப்போல் உயர்ந்து விளங்கும்= தான் சிறிதேயாயினும் விசும்பின்கண் மதியிடத்து மறுப்போல ஓங்கித் தோன்றும்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
A fault in those born to such a house shows raised up, the way the mark shows on the moon in the open sky.