Honour
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cīriṉuñ cīralla ceyyārē cīroṭu / pērāṇmai vēṇṭu pavar
Those who want fame with honour standing alongside it will certainly not do, even for fame, the things that are not fame.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Who seek with glory to combine honour's untarnished fame, / Do no inglorious deeds, though men accord them glory's name.”
“Behold the men that desire to leave an honoured name behind them: they will not do that which is not right even for the sake of glory.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
சீரினும் சீர் அல்ல செய்யாரே= புகழ்செய்யும் இடத்தும் தம் குடிமைக்கு ஒவ்வாத இளிவரவுகளைச் செய்யார்; சீரொடு பேராண்மை வேண்டுபவர்= புகழுடனே மானத்தை நிறுத்துதலை விரும்புவார்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Those who want fame with honour standing alongside it will not do, even for fame, the things that are not fame.