Kural #1040
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Tamil text
இடும்பைதூஉம் இன்பம் தமக்குமுளை ஆம்என்றால்
செழுமெலிதும் செய்தார்க் டொழுக்கு
Iṭumpaitūum iṉpam tamakumuḷai āmeṉṟāl
Ceḻumelitum ceytārk ṭoḻukku
English translation
If they say that hardship itself brings joy, such is the way of those who make the earth thrive or fail.
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Explanation
Farmers find fulfillment in toil itself. In their hands lies the power to make land flourish or wither - a responsibility they embrace with joy despite difficulties.
விளக்கம்
உழவு செய்பவர்களுக்குக் கஷ்டமே இன்பம் தரும். நிலத்தை வளமாக்கும் அல்லது வாடச் செய்யும் சக்தி அவங்ககிட்ட இருக்கு. அது அவங்க கடமை; கஷ்டத்திலும் சந்தோஷம் காண்கிறார்கள். உழவின் மேன்மையை இது சொல்லுது.
Word meanings
- இடும்பைiṭumpaihardship/toil
- தூஉம்tūumeven/itself
- இன்பம்iṉpamjoy/pleasure
- தமக்குtamakkuto them
- உளைuḷaiit is
- ஆம்āmindeed
- என்றால்eṉṟālif said
- செழும்ceḻumthriving
- எலிelifailing
- செய்தார்ceytārthose who make
- ஒழுக்குoḻukkuway/conduct
Story behind this kural
In a sun-baked village, old Manjula toiled in her meager field. The soil was stubborn, the sun relentless. Many villagers pitied her, for her harvests were often small, barely enough to feed her. They urged her to rest, to give up the struggle. One year, a terrible drought came. Fields cracked, and despair filled the air. Yet, Manjula continued to work. She fetched water from a distant spring, her wrinkled face etched with determination. She spoke to her crops, coaxing life from the parched earth. When the rains finally returned, the other fields were barren. But in Manjula's plot, amidst the cracked earth, tiny green shoots emerged. Her harvest, though small, was a beacon of hope, a testament to her unwavering spirit. She shared her harvest, her eyes shining with a joy that surpassed mere sustenance. The other villagers, humbled, understood the true meaning of richness.