பேசு வாழி பேசு வாழிஆசையொடு மயங்கி மாசுறு மனமேபேசு வாழி பேசு வாழிகண்டன மறையும் உண்டன மலமாம்பூசின மாசாம் புணர்ந்தன பிரியும்நிறைந்தன குறையும் உயர்ந்தன பணியும்பிறந்தன இறக்கும் பெரியன சிறுக்கும்ஒன்றொன் றொருவழி நில்லா வன்றியும்செல்வமொடு பிறந்தோர் தேசொடு திகழ்ந்தோர்கல்வியிற் சிறந்தோர் கடுந்திறல் மிகுந்தோர்கொடையிற் பொலிந்தோர் படையிற் பயின்றோர்குலத்தின் உயர்ந்தோர் நலத்தினின் வந்தோர்எனையர் எங்குலத்தினர் இறந்தோர் அனையவர்பேரும் நின்றில போலுந் தேரின்நீயுமஃ தறிதி யன்றே மாயப்பேய்த் தேர் போன்று நீப்பரும் உறக்கத்துக்கனவே போன்றும் நனவுப்பெயர் பெற்றமாய வாழ்க்கையை மதித்துக் காயத்தைக்கல்லினும் வலிதாக் கருதிப் பொல்லாத்தன்மையர் இழிவு சார்ந்தனை நீயும்நன்மையில் திரிந்த புன்மையை யாதலின்அழுக்குடைப் புலன்வழி இழுக்கத்தின் ஒழுகிவளைவாய்த் தூண்டிலின் உள்ளிரை விழுங்கும்பன்மீன் போலவும்மின்னுபு விளக்கத்து விட்டில் போலவும்ஆசையாம் பரிசத் தியானை போலவும்ஓசையின் விளிந்த புள்ளுப் போலவும்வீசிய மணத்தின் வண்டு போலவும்உறுவ துணராச் செறுவுழிச் சேர்ந்தனைநுண்ணூல் நூற்றுத் தன்னகப் படுக்கும்அறிவில் கீடத்து நுந்துழி போலஆசைச் சங்கிலிப் பாசத் தொடர்ப்பட்டுஇடர்கெழு மனத்தினோ டியற்றுவ தறியாதுகுடர்கெழு சிறையறைக் குறங்குபு கிடத்திகறவை நினைந்த கன்றென இரங்கிமறவா மனத்து மாசறும் அடியார்க்கருள்சுரந் தளிக்கும் அற்புதக் கூத்தனைமறையவர் தில்லை மன்று ளாடும்இறையவன் என்கிலை என்நினைந் தனையே.
In plain words
Speak, long may you live! Speak, long may you live! O mind, bewildered with desire and stained! Speak, long may you live! Speak, long may you live! What is seen vanishes. What is eaten becomes filth. What is smeared on becomes dirt. What is joined will part. The full diminish. The high bow low. The born die. The great grow small. Not one thing stays in one way. More than that: those born with wealth, those who shone with splendour, those excellent in learning, those abounding in fierce strength, those splendid in giving, those trained in arms, those high in lineage, those who came with goodness: how many of our own kind have died! Even the names of such as these have not remained, it seems. Examine it, and you too know this, do you not? Yet you prized this illusory life that has taken the name of waking, a life like a mirage, like a dream in a sleep hard to shake off. You thought the body harder than stone, and you too joined in the baseness of those of evil nature. You are meanness turned away from good, and so you have walked in the mire that is the filthy way of the senses. Like the many fish that swallow the bait inside the curved-mouth hook, like the moth in the flashing lamp, like the elephant caught through touch, which is desire, like the bird that perished by sound, like the bee drawn by the wafting fragrance, you have come to the place of ruin, not knowing what will befall you. As the witless worm is undone, spinning fine thread and trapping itself, so you are caught in the bond-chain, the chain of desire. With a troubled mind, not knowing what to do, you lie sleeping in the prison-chamber full of guts. The wondrous Dancer, who melts like a calf that thinks of its cow and pours out his aruḷ to the stainless devotees whose minds do not forget: you do not call him “the Lord who dances in the Hall of Tillai of the Vedic people.” What have you been thinking?
Line by line
Speak, may you live! Speak, may you live! With desire bewildered, stained, O mind! Speak, may you live! Speak, may you live! Things seen vanish; things eaten become filth; things smeared become dirt; things joined part; things full diminish; things high bow down; things born die; things great grow small; not one thing stays in one way; moreover, those born with wealth, those who shone with splendour, those excellent in learning, those abounding in fierce strength, those splendid in giving, those trained in arms, those high in lineage, those who came with goodness, how many of our own kind have died! Of such ones even the names have not remained, it seems; if examined, you too know that, do you not? Illusory, like a mirage, like in a sleep hard to shake off and like a dream; that which got the name waking, the illusory life esteeming; the body harder than stone considering; of evil nature, of such people the baseness you joined, you too; you are meanness turned from good; therefore in the mire that is the filthy way of the senses walking, in the curved-mouth hook the bait within swallowing like the many fish, like the moth in the flashing lamp, like the elephant by touch, which is desire, like the bird that perished by sound, like the bee by the wafting fragrance, not knowing what will befall, you joined the place of ruin. Spinning fine thread, trapping itself, as with the witless worm's undoing, in the bond-chain, the chain of desire, caught, with a troubled mind, not knowing what to do, in the gut-filled prison-chamber you lie sleeping. Like a calf that thought of its cow, melting, to the stainless devotees of unforgetting mind grace welling up and giving, the wondrous Dancer, in the Hall of Tillai of the Vedic people dancing, the Lord, you do not say; what have you been thinking?