You have captured Milalai of the fine floodgates
which was ruled by the great Vel Evvi,
whose generosity was limitless, and you have taken
its subject cities bursting with people past counting,
where brawny plowmen, as they grow tired cutting paddy
in the heat of the burning sun, leap into the waves
of the crystalline ocean and the strong fishermen, whose boats
are sturdy, drink their fiery toddy and begin to dance
to the rhythm of a slow kuravai; and wearing chaplets formed
of mastwood clusters, the soft flowers spread with pollen
flourishing under the spray of the ocean,
men take women with shining bangles
into their arms; and in cool fragrant groves
where bees swarm around the flowers,
women wearing glittering bracelets
and garlands of muntakam mingle the juices
from the young fruit of great palmyras
and the sweet sap of flourishing sugarcane and the sweet water
from coconuts bunched on the high sand, then drink that beverage
of three flavors and leap into the water! And you have captured
Mutturu of the ancient, long-established Velirs whose elephants
are decked with gold, where the reaped rice towers and cranes catch carp
in the fields and then fall asleep on the piles of grain! O Celiyan
with your tall umbrella of victory and your chariot and its banner!
May your stars remain and endure, but given over to destruction,
may the stars of your enemies not endure! As the force,
of your efforts, greatness! is praised by those of noble family
who live by the sword and are long linked to your victorious clan
as your life is long linked to you or your body is long
linked to your life, while those who come in their need to you
exalt your generosity, and rapt in pleasure you drink toddy
that is cool and fragrant and clear, brought to you by women wearing
shining bracelets who serve you in vessels of gold, may you act beneficently!
It is said that only by living in this way, one truly lives.
Many born in the wide world have never acted
to spread and firmly ground their fame but have merely existed and died!