Tirukkural Chapter 21 - Couplets 1,2,3 Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

திருக்குறள் -THIRUKKURAL
அதிகாரம் 21 - தீவினையச்சம்
CHAPTER 21 - FEAR OF EVIL DEEDS
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21/01. தீவினையார் அஞ்சார்; விழுமியார் அஞ்சுவர்
தீவினை என்னும் செருக்கு.`

21/01. Theevinaiyaar anjaar; vizhumiyaar anjuvar
Theevinay ennum serukku.

21/01. Hardened criminals will not fear to do any evil deed.
Great men will hesitate to do it.
***
Student: Sir, what will hardened criminals do?

Teacher: Hardened criminals have no mercy.
For them to do any crime is so easy,
That they won't hesitate
To execute it overnight.

As his brain is not normal,
A criminal is a criminal,
And his mind plans for next
Crime where to commit.

Because they're wise,
Great men think twice,
Before doing any deed,
Whether it's good or bad.
***
21/02. தீயவை தீய பயத்தலால் தீயவை
தீயுனும் அஞ்சப் படும்

21/02. Theeyavai theeya bhayaththalaal theeyavai
Theeyunum anjap padum.

21/02. Thinking a deed will give happiness, a man does it, but it gives not.
Then he should have a fear more than a fire
***
Son: Papa, why a man does a job
When he knows it will burn him?

Father: Some greedy man imagine,
That he would get more gain,
If he put his money on horse race.
If the horse comes last, he faces a big loss.

Temptation will not leave one,
To gamble again and again,
Losing his money every time
Gaining money at no time.

Expectation is one thing.
Realization is another thing.
One may have loss or gain,
But he must not take risk again.
***
21/03. அறிவினுள் எல்லாம் தலைஎன்ப தீய
செறுவார்க்கும் செய்யா விடல்.

21/03. Arrivinull ellaam thalaienba theeya
Seruvaarkkum seiyaa vidal.

21/03. Among all the wise things, the best thing is
Not doing 'Tit for Tat' in harming each other.
***
Son: Papa, what is ‘Tit for Tat'?

Father: It's, if a man harms a person,
Who, in return, harms that man.
But wise thing is the one
Not harming him in return.

In the present day world,
The trend is of no good,
As bombs and ammunitions
Are kept ready in all countries.

What's exchanged is
Both sides blasting bombs
But rarely the good will
That is exchanged well.
***