- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, Chorus
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Savale Samali
- Movie release year
- 1971
- Lyrics added on
- 19 Dec 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Aanaikkoru Kaalam Vandhaal is an iconic social empowerment song from the 1971 Tamil film Savale Samali, written by Kannadasan, set to music by M. S. Viswanathan, and sung by T. M. Soundararajan. The song serves as a passionate rally for social justice, confronting the arrogance of the wealthy elite and asserting that fortune and power are inherently transient. Kannadasan draws upon the ancient Tamil proverb 'Aanaikkoru kaalam vandhaal, poonaikkoru kaalam varum' to proclaim that the prevailing social order will inevitably shift in favor of the downtrodden. Throughout the lyrics, the song emphasizes that poverty is merely a financial condition, not a moral deficiency. The poor possess noble hearts and recoil from committing cruelty, unlike the elite who look down upon humble livelihoods with disdain. Kannadasan envisions a futuristic triumph where collective solidarity among working-class people transforms humble huts into towering pillars of strength, forcing even society's highest rulers and divine forces to seek them out.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Wordplay / Pun (Slesai)
“Aanaikkoru kaalam vandhaal / Poonaikkoru kaalam varum”
The proverb plays on the double meaning of 'Aanai' (elephant, or 'Aa + Nai' meaning cow's ghee/fat) and 'Poonai' (cat, or 'Poo + Nai' meaning flower-honey/water), symbolizing the natural ebb and flow of life's fortunes.
Adukku Thodar (Emphatic Repetition)
“Purinjuko purinjuko purinjuko”
Triplicate repetition of imperative verbs (Purinjuko, Therinjuko, Kurichuko) creates a rhythmic, insistent folk-style call to awareness.
Uruvagam (Metaphor)
“Kudisai ellaam madamadannu koottu saendhu osandhidum gopuramaa”
Compares the collective rising of humble huts directly to majestic temple towers (Gopuram), symbolizing social elevation.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Pazhikkirae verukkirae moraikkirae”
Syllabic rhyming of action verbs ending in '-irae' and '-uren' conveys rhythmic intensity and defiance.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by M. S. Viswanathan and rendered with fiery energy by T. M. Soundararajan for actor Sivaji Ganesan, the song revitalized a centuries-old Tamil proverb. While colloquially interpreted as 'If the elephant gets its day, the cat will get its day too', classical scholars split 'Aanai' as 'Aa + Nai' (ghee) which builds body weight during youth, and 'Poonai' as 'Poo + Nai' (honey) which burns fat in old age, metaphorically signifying life's unavoidable self-correcting equilibrium.
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