வாழ்ந்தனம் என்று தாழ்ந்தவர்க் குதவாதுதன்னுயிர்க் கிரங்கி மன்னுயிர்க் கிரங்காதுண்டிப் பொருட்டாற் கண்டன வெஃகிஅவியடு நர்க்குச் சுவைபகர்ந்தேவிஆரா உண்டி அயின்றன ராகித்தூராக் குழியைத் தூர்த்துப் பாராவிழுப்பமும் குலனும் ஒழுக்கமும் கல்வியும்தன்னிற் சிறந்த நன்மூ தாளரைக்கூஉய்முன் னின்றுதன் ஏவல் கேட்குஞ்சிறாஅர்த் தொகுதியின் உறாஅப் பேசியும்பொய்யொடு புன்மைதன் புல்லர்க்குப் புகன்றும்மெய்யும் மானமும் மேன்மையும் ஒரீஇத்தன்னைத் தேறி முன்னையோர் கொடுத்தநன்மனைக் கிழத்தி யாகிய அந்நிலைச்சாவுழிச் சாஅந் தகைமையள் ஆயினும்மேவுழி மேவல் செல்லாது காவலொடுகொண்டோள் ஒருத்தி உண்டிவேட் டிருப்பஎள்ளுக் கெண்ணெய் போலத் தள்ளாதுபொருளின் அளவைக்குப் போகம்விற் றுண்ணும்அருளில் மடந்தையர் ஆகம் தோய்ந்தும்ஆற்றல்செல் லாது வேற்றோர் மனைவயின்கற்புடை மடந்தையர் பொற்புநனி வேட்டுப்பிழைவழி பாராது நுழைவழி நோக்கியும்நச்சி வந்த நல்கூர் மாந்தர்தம்விச்சையிற் படைத்த வெவ்வேறு காட்சியின்அகமலர்ந் தீவார் போல முகமலர்ந்தினிது மொழிந்தாங் குதவுதல் இன்றிநாளும் நாளும் நாள்பல குறித்தவர்தாளின் ஆற்றலும் தவிர்த்துக் கேளிகழ்ந்துஇகமும் பரமும் இல்லை என்றுபயமின் றொழுகிப் பட்டிமை பயிற்றிமின்னின் அனையதன் செல்வத்தை விரும்பித்தன்னையும் ஒருவ ராக உன்னும்ஏனையோர் வாழும் வாழ்க்கையும் நனைமலர்ந்துயோசனை கமழும் உற்பல வாவியில்பாசடைப் பரப்பில் பால்நிற அன்னம்பார்ப்புடன் வெருவப் பகுவாய் வாளைகள்போர்த்தொழில் புரியும் பொருகா விரியும்மருதமும் சூழ்ந்த மருத வாணசுருதியும் தொடராச் சுருதி நாயகபத்தருக் கெய்ப்பினில் வைப்பென உதவும்முத்தித் தாள மூவா முதல்வநின்திருவடி பிடித்து வெருவரல் விட்டுமக்களும் மனைவியும் ஒக்கலும் திருவும்பொருளென நினையாதுன் னருளினை நினைந்துஇந்திரச் செல்வமும் எட்டுச் சித்தியும்வந்துழி வந்துழி மறுத்தனர் ஒதுங்கிச்சின்னச் சீரை துன்னல் கோவணம்அறுதற் கீளொடு பெறுவது புனைந்துசிதவல் ஓடொன் றுதவுழி எடுத்தாங்கிடுவோர் உளரெனின் நிலையினின் றயின்றுபடுதரைப் பாயலிற் பள்ளி மேவி ஓவாத்தகவெனும் அரிவையைத் தழீஇ மகவெனப்பல்லுயிர் அனைத்தையும் ஒக்கப் பார்க்கும்நின்செல்வக் கடவுள் தொண்டர் வாழ்வும்பற்றிப் பார்க்கின் உற்றநா யேற்குக்குளப்படி நீரும் அளப்பருந் தன்மைப்பிரளய சலதியும் இருவகைப் பொருளும்ஒப்பினும் ஒவ்வாத் துப்பிற் றாதலின்நின்சீர் அடியார் தஞ்சீர் அடியார்க்கடிமை பூண்டு நெடுநாட் பழகிமுடலை யாக்கையொடு புடைபட் டொழுகியவர்காற்றலை ஏவலென் நாய்த்தலை ஏற்றுக்கண்டது காணின் அல்லதொன்றுண்டோ மற்றெனக் குள்ளது பிறிதே.
In plain words
They say, We have prospered, and give no help to those who are low. They pity their own lives and do not pity the lives that abide. For the sake of food they covet whatever they see. They tell the cooks the flavours they want and order them about. They eat food that never satisfies, filling a pit that is never filled. They do not regard the good elders who surpass them in excellence and lineage, in conduct and learning. They call them over and speak unfitting words to them, as to a band of boys who stand before them and wait on their commands. They tell lies and meanness to their base companions. They cast off truth and honour and nobility. The elders, trusting them, gave them a good mistress of the house, and she is of such a kind that where they die she would die. Yet they do not go to her when she longs for them, and the one woman they wedded sits under guard, wanting food. As oil is given to the exact measure of the sesame, so the pitiless women, turning no one away, sell pleasure to the measure of the money and live by it. Even after embracing their bodies, unable to contain themselves, they greatly desire the beauty of chaste women in other men's houses. They do not look at the way of wrong, and they look for the way to get in. Poor people come to them in longing, with the various displays their skill has made. Like those who give with an open heart, they open their faces and speak sweetly, and give no help. Day after day they name day after day, until even the strength of those people's legs is worn away. They scorn their kin. They say there is no this world and no world beyond, and live without fear. They practise deceit. They desire their wealth, which is like lightning, and think that they too are somebody. Such is the life that others live. O you of Marutu! Around you are the dashing Kāviri and the marutam trees. There, in the lily ponds whose buds open and are fragrant for a yojana, on the spread of green leaves, the gaping-mouthed vāḷai fish wage their war, and the milk-white swan and its young take fright. O Lord of the Veda, whom even the Veda does not follow! You help devotees like a store laid by for the time of need. O you whose feet are mutti! O ageless First One! Your servants hold your holy feet and let fear go. Children and wife and kin and wealth they do not think of any worth, and they think of your grace. The wealth of Indra and the eight citti came to them, and whenever they came, whenever they came, they refused them and drew aside. They wear what they get, small rags, a stitched loincloth with a torn strip of cloth. When a broken potsherd is given them they take it, and if there are any who will put food in it, they eat standing where they are. They lie down to sleep on the bed of the bare ground. They embrace the unceasing woman called fitness, and look on all the many lives alike, as on their children. Such is the life of the servants of you, the blessed God. If I take up these two and look at them, to me, the dog who has come, they are the water in a hoofprint and the deluge ocean beyond all measuring: two kinds of thing which, even when set side by side, are unequal in strength. There are those who took on servitude to the servants of the glorious feet of the servants of your glorious feet, practised it for long days, and went close beside them in their knotted bodies. Unless I take the commands at their feet upon my dog's head and see what they have seen, is there anything else at all that is mine?
Line by line
saying we have prospered, not helping those who are low, pitying their own life, not pitying the abiding lives, for the sake of food, coveting what they see, to those who cook the food, telling the flavours and commanding, having eaten food that does not satisfy, filling the pit that is not filled, not regarding excellence and lineage and conduct and learning, the good elders superior to themselves, calling them, as of those standing before them hearing their command, as to a band of boys, speaking unfitting words, and telling lies with meanness to their base companions, and abandoning truth and honour and nobility, trusting them, given by the elders, the good mistress of the house, who in that state though she is of the nature to die where they die, not going to join her when she desires, with guard, the one woman they wedded sits wanting food; like oil for sesame, turning no one away, selling pleasure to the measure of wealth and living by it, the pitiless women's bodies even after embracing, being unable to contain themselves, in others' houses desiring greatly the beauty of chaste women, not looking at the way of wrong, looking at the way of entering, and of the poor people who came longing by the various displays made by their skill, like those who give with blossoming heart, with blossoming face speaking sweetly, thus, without helping, day and day, appointing many days, their strength of legs too wearing away; scorning kin, saying there is no this world and no other world, behaving without fear, practising deceit, desiring their wealth, which is like lightning, thinking of themselves also as someone, the life that the others live, and; buds blossoming, fragrant for a yojana, in the utpala pond, on the expanse of green leaves, the milk-coloured swan with its young fearing, the gaping-mouthed vāḷai fish doing the work of war, the dashing Kāviri and the marutam trees also surrounding, O you of Marutu, O Lord of the Veda whom even the Veda does not follow, helping devotees like a store kept for the time of need, O you whose feet are mutti, O ageless First One, your holy feet holding, leaving fear, children and wife and kin and wealth not thinking them of worth, thinking of your grace, the wealth of Indra and the eight citti whenever they came, whenever they came, refusing and drawing aside, small rags, stitched loincloth, with a torn strip, wearing what they get, when a broken potsherd is given, taking it, thus if there are those who put in, eating standing where they are, on the bed of the bare ground lying down to sleep; the unceasing woman called fitness embracing, as children the many lives, all of them, looking at equally, your the life of the servants of the blessed God, and if one takes them up and looks, to me, the dog who has come, the water of a hoofprint and the immeasurable deluge ocean, the two kinds of things, even if compared, being of unequal strength, therefore to the servants of the glorious feet of the servants of your glorious feet taking on servitude, practising it for long days, those who went alongside with knotted bodies, the command at their feet, on my dog's head receiving, unless I see what they saw, one is there, other, that is mine indeed?