II. Porutpaal

II.6 Natpiyal


Athikaaram 93 Kallunnaamai

Kural 921

Utkap paadaar oliyilappar engyngyaandrum
Katkaathal kondolugu vaar.


English translation:

II. WEALTH

II.6 chapter on Friendship


Chapter. 93 Not drinking alcohol


Kural 921

Who love the palm's intoxicating juice, each day,
No rev'rence they command, their glory fades away.
Those who always thirst after drink (alcohol) will neither inspire fear (in others) nor retain the light (of their fame).

Kural - 922
Drink not inebriating draught. Let him count well the cost.
Who drinks, by drinking, all good men's esteem is lost.
Let no liquor be drunk; if it is desired, let it be drunk by those who care not for esteem of the great.

Kural - 923
The drunkard's joy is sorrow to his mother's eyes;
What must it be in presence of the truly wise?
Intoxication is painful even in the presence of (one's) mother; what will it not then be in that of the wise ?

Kural - 924
Shame, goodly maid, will turn her back for aye on them
Who sin the drunkard's grievous sin, that all condemn.
The fair maid of modesty will turn her back on those who are guilty of the great and abominable crime of drunkenness.

Kural - 925
With gift of goods who self-oblivion buys,
Is ignorant of all that man should prize.
To give money and purchase unconsciousness is the result of one's ignorance of (one's own actions).

Kural - 926
Sleepers are as the dead, no otherwise they seem;
Who drink intoxicating draughts, they poison quaff, we deem.
They that sleep resemble the deed; (likewise) they that drink are no other than poison-eaters.

Kural - 927
Who turn aside to drink, and droop their heavy eye,
Shall be their townsmen's jest, when they the fault espy.
Those who always intoxicate themselves by a private (indulgence in) drink; will have their secrets detected and laughed at by their fellow-townsmen.

Kural - 928
No more in secret drink, and then deny thy hidden fraud;
What in thy mind lies hid shall soon be known abroad.
Let (the drunkard) give up saying "I have never drunk"; (for) the moment (he drinks) he will simply betray his former attempt to conceal.

Kural - 929
Like him who, lamp in hand, would seek one sunk beneath the wave.
Is he who strives to sober drunken man with reasonings grave.
Reasoning with a drunkard is like going under water with a torch in search of a drowned man.

Kural - 930
When one, in sober interval, a drunken man espies,
Does he not think, 'Such is my folly in my revelries'?
When (a drunkard) who is sober sees one who is not, it looks as if he remembered not the evil effects of his (own) drink.


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PS: alcoholic drink referred here is palm-wine. I guess that was the only alcoholic drink known during his time.