134. Ashamed even alone

தான்மட்டும் நிற்கும் அறையிலும் நாணுவான்தான்போடும் தன்சிறைக் கோல்

thaanmattum nirkum araiyilum naanuvaanthaanpodum thansiraik kol

Even in a room where he stands alone he feels shame: the bar of his own prison, set by his own hand.

The Tamil word kol means a bar and also a ruler’s sceptre: his shame both shuts him in and rules him.

135. Shame guards conduct

நாணின் அகத்தொலிக்கும் காவல் நயனிலார்நாணிலா வெற்று முரசு

naanin akatholikkum kaaval nayanilaarnaanilaa vetru murasu

Shame is a guard that sounds within a person; those without decency, having no shame, are an empty drum.

136. Poverty feels exposed

மறைக்கும் பசியை மனைச்சுவர் மூடிமறையாது கூரையின் நாண்

maraikkum pasiyai manaischuvar moodimaraiyaadhu kooraiyin naan

The walls of the house hide the hunger within; the shame showing in its roof cannot be hidden.

Naan means shame and also the cord tying a thatched roof. Walls hide the kitchen; the roof shows passers-by how a household fares.