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Thilagar album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Aanai Koottam

From Thilagar · 2023

Lyricist
Annamalai
Singer
Mukesh
Music director
Kannan
Movie name
Thilagar
Movie release year
2023
Lyrics added on
25 Nov 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aana kuttam maenjaalum
Ara masam aagumaiyaaa
Senai aaanjaalum
Iduppu odunchi pogumaiyaa
Kovil kodaiku valathathula
Kodari vilunthiruchae
Dhaanam koduka valathathula
Kattaari irangirichae
Enna kutham enna kutham
Enna kutham senjadhu indha vaalainga
Idha vettunadhu kadavunaalum koolainga
Kolainga….
Even if a herd of elephants grazed on it,
it would take half a month, my lord!
Even if an entire army harvested it,
their backs would break with exhaustion, my lord!
On the trees grown for the temple festival,
an axe has fallen!
On what was nurtured to give away in charity,
a dagger has struck deep!
What fault, oh what crime,
did these banana trees commit?
Even if it was God who cut them down, they are cowards!
Such cowards...
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant song expresses intense grief, injustice, and rage over the violent death or betrayal of innocent, noble young men. The lyrics employ rustic metaphors to convey the immense magnitude of the tragedy, contrasting the victims' charitable and pious deeds with the brutal violence inflicted upon them. The song culminates in a fierce moral outrage, declaring that regardless of who committed such a heinous act—even if it were divine power—it remains an unpardonable murder.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole / Folk Metaphor

Aana kuttam maenjaalum / Ara masam aagumaiyaaa

Uses the grand image of a herd of elephants grazing or an army attempting a task to magnify the sheer scale of effort, loss, or turmoil.

Irony and Imagery Contrast

Kovil kodaiku valathathula / Kodari vilunthiruchae

Contrasts the holy, giving nature of the hand (giving alms and supporting temple festivals) with brutal weapons of destruction (axes and daggers).

Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)

Enna kutham enna kutham

Repeats 'Enna kutham' (What fault) to emphasize profound distress, innocence, and rhetorical questioning of unfair tragedy.

Parallelism / Structural Rhyme

Dhaanam koduka valathathula / Kattaari irangirichae

Presents structured, rhyming line endings ('valathathula') across consecutive stanzas to build lyrical rhythm typical of Tamil folk laments (Oppari style).

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Trivia

The song delivers a powerful rural lament ('oppari' style narrative) set to Kannan's gritty musical composition, emotionally amplified by Mukesh's passionate vocal delivery portraying themes of blood feuds and injustice in southern Tamil Nadu.

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