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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aandavan Potta

From Thennangkeetru · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
K. J. Yesudas
Music director
G. K. Venkatesh
Movie name
Thennangkeetru
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
14 May 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Arugathai enakku kidaiyaathu
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Arugathai enakku kidaiyaathu
Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal
Aadida seithaal thuyar yaedhu
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Arugathai enakku kidaiyaathu
Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal
Aadida seithaal thuyar yaedhu
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Medai yaerinaen paadinaen
Inimai illaamal
Maalai soodinaen kanavan aaginaen
Mangalam kaanaamal
Poovoduthaan pirappathu thaeae thaenae
Arumpaaga nee iruppathu veenae veenae
Thanimara vaazhakkai vaazhugindromae
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Arugathai enakku kidaiyaathu
Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal
Aadida seithaal thuyar yaedhu
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Kettu paarkkiraen thavikkiraen
Deivam tharum endru
Kootti kazhiththavan kanakkai solgiraan
Vithiyae perithendru
Kettu paarkkiraen thavikkiraen
Deivam tharum endru
Kootti kazhiththavan kanakkai solgiraan
Vithiyae perithendru
Uyir vaazha nee koduththaai piravi piravi
Ill vaazhvil naan thanimai thuravi thuravi
Thendralin paathai thaedugindraenae
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara
Arugathai enakku kidaiyaathu
Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal
Aadida seithaal thuyar yaedhu
Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara….
To change the mark set by God,
I have no right at all.
To change the mark set by God,
I have no right at all.
If a thousand desires in the heart
are made to swing, what sorrow would remain?
To change the mark set by God,
I have no right at all.
If a thousand desires in the heart
are made to swing, what sorrow would remain?
To change the mark set by God...
I went up on stage and sang,
without any sweetness.
I wore the wedding garland and became a husband,
without ever seeing marital joy.
Honey is born only when the flower blooms, my sweet,
so remaining as a closed bud is all in vain.
We are living like a lonely tree.
To change the mark set by God,
I have no right at all.
If a thousand desires in the heart
are made to swing, what sorrow would remain?
To change the mark set by God...
I keep pleading and suffering in anguish,
hoping that God will grant my wish.
Yet the One who tallied the accounts declares,
that destiny is greater than all.
I keep pleading and suffering in anguish,
hoping that God will grant my wish.
Yet the One who tallied the accounts declares,
that destiny is greater than all.
You gave me this life so I could truly live,
yet in married life, I remain a lonely hermit.
I am searching for the path of a gentle breeze.
To change the mark set by God,
I have no right at all.
If a thousand desires in the heart
are made to swing, what sorrow would remain?
To change the mark set by God...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant philosophical song, written by Kannadasan and sung by K. J. Yesudas for 'Thennangkeetru' (1975), expresses deep helplessness and resignation to fate. The protagonist laments that no human has the power to alter the destiny written by God ('the dot placed by God'). Despite having a heart filled with a thousand desires and hopes, reality remains bitter and unyielding. The protagonist reflects on marrying and taking on life's stages without experiencing true happiness or domestic bliss, comparing the couple's existence to lonely, isolated trees. In the second stanza, the protagonist continues to plead with God and search for answers, only to be reminded that fate governs all mathematical calculations of life. Though granted a life to live, he feels like a solitary hermit trapped inside a family life, continuously searching for a gentle breeze of comfort. The song captures the quintessential Kannadasan themes of fatalism, tragic loneliness, and spiritual acceptance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monaai (Alliteration)

“Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal / Aadida seithaal thuyar yaedhu”

Matching initial consonant sounds in consecutive or nearby words ('Aandavan' / 'Arugathai', 'Aasaigal' / 'Aadida').

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

“Aandavan potta pulliyai maattara”

'Aandavan potta pulli' (the dot placed by God) serves as a metaphor for divine fate and predetermined destiny.

Simile / Visual Imagery

“Aasaigal nenjil aayiram oonjal”

Desires in the heart are compared to a thousand swings swinging simultaneously, depicting restless hope.

Anaphora / Repetition (Adukkuthodar)

“Ill vaazhvil naan thanimai thuravi thuravi”

Repetition of words like 'thaenae thaenae', 'veenae veenae', 'piravi piravi', and 'thuravi thuravi' for rhythmic emphasis and emotional intensity.

Did you know?

Trivia

Music director G. K. Venkatesh, who composed the soundtrack for 'Thennangkeetru', was a major mentor to Maestro Ilaiyaraaja (who worked as his assistant during this period). Kannadasan's lyrics in this track showcase his classic signature style of blending personal grief with universal fatalistic philosophy.

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