Honour
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oṭṭārpiṉ ceṉṟoruvaṉ vāḻtali ṉannilaiyē / keṭṭā ṉeṉappaṭuta ṉaṉṟu.
Than that a man should live by going and standing behind those who will not have him, it is better that he be spoken of, in that very state, as having been finished — and the classical commentary reads that last word as having died.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Better 'twere said, 'He's perished!' than to gain / The means to live, following in foeman's train.”
“It is better for a man to meet his doom at once without any ado than to maintain himself by hanging on to those that scorn him.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஒட்டார் பின் சென்று ஒருவன் வாழ்தலின்= தன்னை இகழ்வார் பின்னே சென்று பொருள் பெற்று அதனால் ஒருவன் உயிர் வாழ்தலின்; அந்நிலையே கெட்டான் எனப்படுதல் நன்று= அது செய்யாது இறந்தான் என்று சொல்லப்படுதல் அவனுக்கு நன்று.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Rather than that a man should live by going and standing behind those who will not have him, it is better that he be spoken of, in that very state, as having been finished.