Greatness
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oḷiyoruvaṟ kuḷḷa veṟukkai yiḷiyoruvaṟ / kaḵtiṟantu vāḻtu meṉal.
For a person, the radiance is an abundance in the mind — the surplus that intends to do what others find too hard; and for a person, the disgrace is the saying: we shall live, having left that behind.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“The light of life is mental energy; disgrace is his / Who says, 'I 'ill lead a happy life devoid of this.'”
“An aspiration for noble achievement, that is what is called greatness: and littleness is the thought that sayeth, I shall live without it.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
ஒருவற்கு ஒளி உள்ள வெறுக்கை= ஒருவனுக்கு ஒளியாவது, பிறரால் செயற்கு அரிய செய்வேம் என்று கருதும் ஊக்கமிகுதி; ஒருவற்கு இளி அஃது இறந்து வாழ்தும் எனல்= ஒருவனுக்கு மாசாவது, அச்செயலை ஒழிந்து உயிர்வாழக் கடவேம் என்று கருதுதல்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
A man's light is the abundance of resolve that thinks: we shall do what others find hard to do. His dimness is thinking it enough to give that up and go on living. (Parimelazhagar reads இறந்து as ஒழிந்து, giving up, not as dying.)