Courtesy and Consideration
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arampōluṅ kūrmaiya rēṉu marampōlvar / makkaṭpaṇ pillā tavar.
Though they have a sharpness like the sharpness of a file, those who lack the quality proper to good people are like a tree.
▸Other translations · Pope (1886) & Aiyar (1916)
“Though sharp their wit as file, as blocks they must remain, / Whose souls are void of 'courtesy humane'.”
“Though they are sharp as files, the men that are lacking in good manners are no better than mere wooden stocks.”
Parimelazhagar’s commentary
13th century · public domainParimelazhagar’s own words come first, unaltered. The plain reading follows below.
மக்கட்பண்பு இல்லாதவர்= நன்மக்கட்கே உரிய பண்பு இல்லாதவர்; அரம் போலும் கூர்மையரேனும்= அரத்தின் கூர்மை போலும் கூர்மையை உடையரே ஆயினும்; மரம் போல்வர்= ஓரறிவிற்றாய மரத்தினை ஒப்பர்.
Source: Tamil Wikisource
Though they have a sharpness like the sharpness of a file, those who lack the quality proper to good people are like a tree.