Might Of The Foe [from 'proverbs Four Hundred' In Tamil] Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

285. O, Chief of the hill tracts and clouds covered groves!
Though a king has the defence of the mighty,
can a weak one win fame and stabilize?
Fear to anyone makes his fort futile.

286. Cut all the foe's friends and make them yours.
Make haste to nip the foe's strength in the bud.
The might of the foe hence will not mature.
A single tree can't be a forest.

287. O, Wench with bamboo like shoulders!
It is folly to be lazy in striking
the foes who rise to differ with you to hurt.
No one chases the snake to pluck its tooth out.

288. O, Man wearing the pearls strung wreath on the chest!
The virtuous Dharma dared to tell a lie,
knowing well, it'd lead him to hell. When threat scares
your clan, don't pity the foe and wipe him out.

289. If you squeeze the salty soil to build walls,
the soil boils within and drops down.
When you save a foe, unrelated, he views
It not a good gesture but a hostile one.

290. When they dislike seeing your face anywhere
Your humble hope to enter their minds likens
a son who walks behind his parents
in a jungle, weeps to ride on their hip.

291. E'en the ascetics standing behind Death
don't call Him out, clapping the hands.
Without thinking, Ravan fought with Ram to die
in the war. Don't seek great men's wrath.

292. O, Chief of the hill tracts where the pack of wolves
fear of hearing the sounds of drums at spear-fest.
The fools must be polite to the helping great.
No one wakes up the bear to face the wolf.

293. It'll be deadly for the weak to be hostile,
to insult and wage a war against the strong.
Go far alive. The weak may find time to beat
the foe and wear the ring at his forearm.

294. O, Chief of the hill terrains with close hillocks
and beehives! The weak mustn't annoy the strong foe
and commit crimes by tact or force. If he does,
it means that his time is not good.