Tirukkural Chapter 83 - Couplets 1,2,3 Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

திருக்குறள் -TIRUKKURAL
அதிகாரம் 83 - கூடா நட்பு
CHAPTER 83 - FALSE FRIENDSHIP.
***
83/01. சீரிடம் காணின் எறிதற்கு பட்டடை
நேரா நிரந்தவர் நட்பு.

83/01. Seeridam kaanin erridharku pattadai
Near nirandhavar natpu.

83/01. One who has enmity at heart, but friendship outside
He is like the sharp iron file that cuts gold.
***
Sujata: It is dangerous to move one
with duplicity of friendship.

Urmila: A wolf in a lamb's coat,
Is always dangerous to meet,
As outside, a lamb it is,
But inside, a wolf it is.

A sugar coated pill,
It is nice, if it is medicine,
But a sugar coated pill,
It is death, if it is poison.

A friendship must be open,
And it must not be hidden,
As duplicity of friendship,
Is a dangerous relationship.
***
83/02. இனம்போன்று இனமல்லார் கேண்மை மகளிர்
மனம்போல வேறு படும்.

83/02. Inamponrru inamallaar kennmai magallir
Manampola verru padum.

83/02. A friend's outside friendship, inside enmity,
when occasion comes, will change like the mind of a prostitute.
***
Sujata: An open enemy is better than a cunning friend.

Urmila: If a friend is for money,
And not for his friends,
He's like a prostitute for money.
And not for his customers.

What a terrible comparison,
The poet has made and written,
That sounds like hitting a nail
On a fake friend's head well.

Two hearts are required
To make one set of friends,
Both their hearts and minds
Must integrate as good friends.
***
83/03. பலநல்ல கற்றக் கடைத்தும் மனம்நல்லர்
ஆகுதல் மாணார்க்கு அரிது.

83/03. Palanalla katrrak kadaiththum manamnallar
Aaghudhal maannaarkku aridhu.

80/03. An enemy's heart cannot change to become a friend
in spite of his learning many virtuous scriptures.
***
Sujata: An enemy remains an enemy
Though he studied virtuous literatures.

Urmila: One's habits die hard,
If from the start he was bad,
It is difficult to change his habit
From bad to good overnight.

Hatred is saturated in his blood,
Then how to change it good?
To make him a good friend,
How to change his mind?

It is like a dog's tail.
Keep it inside a pipe well,
Remove, after a year, the pipe,
Back that tail curls up.
***