Not Offending The Great [from 'proverbs 400' In Tamil] Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

60. O, owner of the coast where ride along
the sweeping waves! One can pierce through the sun
but not through the council of the wise. Low-born
will do. Neither wisdom nor beauty, it is.

61. A cretin mistakes that great men have guts
to oppose him and so treats them cruelly.
It likens the dull, dying beasts unknown of
the place to go, enter the town and lose eyes.

62. O, wench wearing matching bangles! The stupids
being untaught, ruffle the great men, like one
hiding behind the madar-bush shoots a bolt
at an elephant to make it frenzied.

63. Dweller of the water abounding town
with beetles ringing the tunes of lutes! Repeat
of the crimes, the wise can't bear with. No plantain
gives birth to double clusters of bananas.

64. O, chief of the coast with grooves of flowers
of Adumbu! If the wise grieves for the rot
of the world due to the evils of the vile,
the families of the mean folks perish soon.