Tirukkural Chapter 80 - Couplets 1,2,3 Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

திருக்குறள் -TIRUKKURAL
அதிகாரம் 80 - நட்பாராயதல்
CHAPTER 80 - TESTING FRIENDSHIP.
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80/01. நாடாது நட்டலின் கேடில்லை; நட்டபின்
வீடில்லை நட்பாள் பவர்க்கு.

80/01. Naadaadhu nattalin kedillai; nattapin
Veedillai natpaall pavarkku.

80/01. It is not possible for one to leave a friend once he has made friendship with him. So, without verifying if one makes friends it will give him problem later on.
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Indrajit: Initially one must select a good friend
After verifying his antecedents.

Niranjan: All cannot be friends.
Some may be companions.
Some are fellow travelers.
In long distance trains or buses.

So, one must initially select
Whether a person is fit or not
To be his lifelong friend
And then take him as a friend.

Without verifying his background
If one makes him a friend.
Later he must not regret
As to why he was selected.
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80/02. ஆய்ந்தாய்ந்து கொள்ளாதான் கேண்மை கடைமுறை
தான்சாம் துயரம் தரும்.

80/02. Aaindhaaindhu kollaadhaan kennmai kadaimurrai
Thaansaam thuyaram tharum.

80/02. One who has not verified many times from many angles the character of a new friend, that friendship will give him troubles leading to his death even.
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Indrajit: True, without verification of one's precedent
If he is made as a friend it will lead to danger at the end.

Niranjan: Some are scheming type
And some are criminal type,
So, without verifying background
One must select him as a friend.

A wolf in the coat of sheep
Got mixed with a herd of sheep
Day by day, one sheep it ate
And the truth one day came out.

Likewise, there are many wolves
Roaming among new friends,
And one must thing twice
Before making them friends.
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80/03. குணனும் குடிமையும் குற்றமும் குன்றா
இன்னும் அறிந்தியாக்க நட்பு.

80/03. Kunnanum kudimaiyum kutrramum kunrraa
Innum arrindhiyaakka natpu.

80/03. One must study a new man's character, his family background,
his criminal activities, if any, his relative circles,
and if everything is alright then he must make friend with that new man.
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Indrajit: Without knowing one's background
It is dangerous to make friendship with a stranger.

Niranjan: True, one will regret later on,
Why he selected that man,
Who had criminal background,
Unknowingly as his new friend.

"He was talking to me so sweet,
That I accidentally fell for it,
And now I regret why I got him
As my new close friend."

This kind of bad feeling
One was entertaining,
That should not happen
For anyone, later on.
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