Fear To Do Evil Deeds (From 'naaladiyaar' In Tamil) Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

Fear To Do Evil Deeds (From 'naaladiyaar' In Tamil)



121. The graveyard is for the corpses of mean folks
who reel and suffer the miserable life
and end it not by the ways of abstinence.
But their bellies are for the beasts and birds!

122. Those who catch quail and partridge from the jungle,
where the beetles buzz, and put them in a cage,
will be manacled by the foes to work as slaves,
in rocky lands and fields in their next birth.

123. Those who did the wild deeds of catching the crabs
and crushing their limbs to eat in the past birth
will have their conch-like palms left but fingers rot
and roam with racking leprosy for their sins.

124. The healthy ghee, if boiled up, scatters on us
and scalds and causes the aching disease
When men of good morals move with foul doers,
lose their good conduct and do more wicked deeds.

125. Friendship with the exalted waxes slowly
like the crescent moon daily. But friendship
with those of the lowly folk wanes daily
like the full moon and disappear.

126. Friendship Makers! You find someone as noble
and strike up th' friendship. Later he's ignoble.
It's like a man who thinks that there's sandal paste
in a case, opens it and finds but a snake!

127. Listen. You, the owner of a hill-country
with shining pearls! Who's the strength to know
the thoughts of one's mind in this world?
Different are people's minds, words and deeds!

128. O you, the owner of a hill-country! Where
there's constant clear drizzle and toss of flowers!
Friendship made not in minds but by selfish acts
of fraud isn't true. It but grieves the heart!

129. The sword hurled to slay the foe, if changed hands,
it's true that it makes one nerveless. If one's wealth
helps the evil, it harms this and the next birth.
Keep away hence from the unlettered rascals.

130. O my heart! You don't shed desires on your wife.
How long will you live with longing to amass
wealth to your children? Know you, deeds of virtue,
though small, alone will be useful to life.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016
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Rajendran Muthiah

Rajendran Muthiah

Madurai District, Tamil Nadu, India.
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