Baseness By St. Thiruvalluvar Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

1071. The scoundrels bear a strong likeness to good people.
In no species, we’ve seen such close resemblance.
1072. The base are better than those who know their own good;
as they have a carefree mind for good and bad.
1073. The base are alike gods. As both do
what they long and live the way they like.
1074. The base exults and prides himself, seeing the baser men
as they behave at their whim.
1075. Fear fears the rascals to be polite. Otherwise,
desire for some gain controls them a little.
1076. The base are like the beaten drum
as they make no secret of what they hear.
1077. The mean shake not even their wet hands to help
but to those who slap and break their jaws.
1078. The great help the weak, once they hear their wants.
The mean assist those who crush them like sugar-cane.
1079. If the low see the well-fed and neatly clad neighbours,
they try to trace and accuse them with a fault.
1080. For what trade are the base fit? Even
a mishap hastens them to offer themselves for sale.