Deep And Shallow Learners [from 'proverbs Four Hundred' In Tamil] Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

2. Over-listening makes you weary. Learn
without fatigue, thinking, "I'm not learned".
Try, worry, concentrate and learn new things.
Learn thinking yourself, "I'm an illiterate".

3. O, Chief of the hill tracts! We buy a lamp, oil
and thread lit it and see things clearly.
What use has the lamp which shows things dimly?
No one spends money to buy darkness.

4. The wise learn deep and wide. Their words receive
acclaim in countries from all the four sides.
They treat the same the countries they visit.
They need not carry food, everywhere they're fed.

5. Don't be the frog in the well which thinks,
"water is sweet here where I'm". It is better
to hear from the wise than to learn from the books
by reading, reciting and rehearsing.

8. O, Chief of the hills with plumage spread out,
dancing peacocks! The worth of the wise can be
weighed by the wiser with profound learning ‘lone.
Only the steel can split another steel.

9. O, chief of the hills wearing wreaths of falls
gushing from the rocks! The forbearance known
to the wise is shut to the fools. They praise
themselves. A potful of water never stirs.

10.The wise follow in life the good morals learnt.
They avoid the books preaching unworthy things.
They don't do sins which people scorn. If they do,
they show themselves like the dark spot of the moon.

11.By self-learning or listening to the wise
one can master the worth of the books. The truth
a fool finds in a book likens to pick up
the fallen plum at the feet of th' Noval[Jamun]tree.

13.Can shallow readers preach others the fine truths?
Why do people feign and amaze like the wise?
The sages who kill by their mere scowls lose strength
if their preachings convince not the atheists.

15.O, good girl! Nothing is worse than the disgrace.
No ascent is higher than the virtue.
It is ruinous to elucidate ideas
good to the illiterates and the stupids.

16.The shallow learners engage in wordy duel
with the wise who excel in the use of words.
It likens a lame man walking with a prop
plays in glee with a huge pachyderm.