I thought I would have a little fun and write 'Sirukural' on the flight back this week.
A little context - Avvaiyar was a female poet in 600 BC (from what I can tell), and who wrote several well known aphorisms in Tamil.... like this:
| Uyir Ezhuthu | ஆத்திசூடி | English translation |
|---|---|---|
| அ | அறம் செய விரும்பு | Desire to do good things |
| ஆ | ஆறுவது சினம் | Anger is to be controlled |
| இ | இயல்வது கரவேல் | Help others in any way you can |
| ஈ | ஈவது விலக்கேல் | Always be charitable |
| உ | உடையது விளம்பேல் | Do not boast about what you have |
| ஊ | ஊக்கமது கைவிடேல் | Do not give up hope/effort |
| எ | எண் எழுத்து இகழேல் | Respect learning |
| ஏ | ஏற்பது இகழ்ச்சி | Begging is despicable |
| ஐ | ஐயமிட்டு உண் | Give alms before eating |
| ஒ | ஒப்புர வொழுகு | Be virtuous |
| ஓ | ஓதுவது ஒழியேல் | Do not give up learning |
| ஒள | ஒளவியம் பேசேல் | Do not talk bad about others |
| ஃ | அஃகஞ் சுருக்கேல் | Never cheat on food |
There was another poet who wrote legendary poetry including titles like Thirukural. So I thought, why not have some twenty first century observations?
Thirukural are great or important aphorisms. In a play on words, Sirukural are small and trivial aphorisms! Hope you enjoy these!
Sirukural
1. There is many a slip between the thought and the lip
2. If you think two positives don't make a negative, in a skeptical voice just say 'yeah, right!'
3. Things have changed less than we think
4. Things have changed more than we think
5. Goldfish have such a short memory that they swim around the bowl once and exclaim, 'hey, nice place here!'
6. If you think someone is crazy, you may actually be right
7. There is a twilight zone where missing socks and slippers exist
8. Buy the same type of socks to defeat the missing sock puzzle
9. Murphy and Peter were banking colleagues in 2008
10. There is an App for everything
11 comments:
Tried to come up with one as offbeat as yours. Here’s the best I could do:
If we were bees, ants, or Lacedaemonian warriors, to whom personal fear does not exist, and cowardice is the most shameful thing in the world, warring would go on forever. But luckily we are only men - and cowards.
- Schrödinger (Mind and Matter, 1958)
Nella oru Sirukural !! Avar Tiruvalluvar. Nengal angila siruvalluvar lol..
Thanks much. Confused about Thirukural and
Sirukural. Also as Devanagari is the script for Sanskrit what is the
script used for this Tamil language called?
Tamil is in Brahmi script I believe.
I had fun with the title sirukural.
Thirukural means big or great aphorisms written by Thiruvalluvar in 30 BC
Siru in Tamil means small
So with Sirukural, I wrote small or trivial aphorisms!
you are versatile, doing(writing) something extraordinary. Carry on.
That is so funny.
I love the Murphy and Peter one - I've never heard of the Peter Principle and had to look it up!
Also - I wonder what is meant by 'do not cheat on food'?
Means don't steal food.
btw, It occurred to me that Foreign Aid is transfer of money from the rich of one country to the rich of another!
Very Nice...!
Any chance of becoming the national poet soon ?
Its like twinkle twinkle thoughts !! ( meaningful)
1 & 10 sound cute !!
Superb. Sirukural with sparks of sindhanai(thoughts) shines like your name.
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