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Dowry Kalyanam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Aandavane Kann Thirandhu

From Dowry Kalyanam · 1983

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
M. S. Vishwanathan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Dowry Kalyanam
Movie release year
1983
Lyrics added on
25 Jan 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aandavanae kann thiranthu konjam paarungal
Aandavanae kann thiranthu konjam paarungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Adhigaara maamiyaarin attakaasangal
Adhigaara maamiyaarin attakaasangal
Aval agampaava naavinilae melathaalangal
Dowry melathaalangal
Aandavanae kann thiranthu konjam paarungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Marumagalin porul varavil kavanam vaikkindraal
Thaanum marumagalaai vantha naalai maranthu pogiraal
Marumagalin porul varavil kavanam vaikkindraal
Thaanum marumagalaai vantha naalai maranthu pogiraal
Oru maganai sumanthathaalae ulagai ketkiraal
Ivalae than magalin thirumanaththil kanneer vadikkiraal
Ingu kanneer vadikkiraal
Aandavanae kann thiranthu konjam paarungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Kulamagalai karam pidikka kooli ketkkiraan
Thanga thirumagalin meniyilae ponnai paarkkiraan
Kulamagalai karam pidikka kooli ketkkiraan
Thanga thirumagalin meniyilae ponnai paarkkiraan
Santhathigal tharum thunaiyai niruththu paarkkiraan
Muchchanthiyilae vesiyidam veesi erigiraan
Kaasai veesi erigiraan
Karuvinilae iruvarukkum paththu maadhamae
Mana uravinilae anaivarukkum varkka pedhamae
Aadavarae uyarvu endru enna sattamo
Antha aadavarai pettra inam enna mattamo
Yaen adimai pattamo….
Aandavanae kann thiranthu konjam paarungal
Engal kalyaana veedugalin kadhaiyai kelungal
Soga kadhaiyai kelungal
Soga kadhaiyai kelungal
O Lord, open Your eyes and look at us for a moment
O Lord, open Your eyes and look at us for a moment
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
The arrogant antics of dominating mothers-in-law
The arrogant antics of dominating mothers-in-law
Noisy wedding drums beating on her haughty tongue
The wedding drums of dowry
O Lord, open Your eyes and look at us for a moment
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
She keeps her eyes only on what the daughter-in-law brings
Forgetting the day she arrived as a daughter-in-law herself
She keeps her eyes only on what the daughter-in-law brings
Forgetting the day she arrived as a daughter-in-law herself
Just because she bore a son, she demands the whole world
Yet this same woman sheds tears at her own daughter's wedding
She sheds bitter tears here
O Lord, open Your eyes and look at us for a moment
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
To take a good girl's hand in marriage, he demands a price
On this precious, golden girl, he looks only for gold
To take a good girl's hand in marriage, he demands a price
On this precious, golden girl, he looks only for gold
He weighs and bargains for the partner who gives him a family
Yet at the street corner, he throws it away on a prostitute
He just flings his money away
In the womb, both spent ten months just the same
Yet in marriage, everyone brings in status and division
What rule says men alone are superior?
Is womankind, who gave birth to that very man, so inferior?
Why must women bear the badge of slavery?
O Lord, open Your eyes and look at us for a moment
Listen to the story of our wedding homes
Listen to this sorrowful story...
Listen to this sorrowful story...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This powerful social commentary song from the movie Dowry Kalyanam (1983) critiques the hypocrisy and injustice surrounding the dowry system in Indian society. It calls upon God to witness the tragic state of marriage houses, where greed and oppression dominate over sacred union. The lyricist highlights the hypocrisy of mothers-in-law who forget their own past struggles as brides, demanding extortionate dowries for their sons while weeping when faced with the same burden for their daughters. Furthermore, the song highlights the hypocrisy of men who treat virtuous wives like commercial transactions while squandering money frivolously elsewhere. It questions deep-seated gender inequality, pointing out that both men and women spend ten months in the womb, making the societal subjugation of women completely unnatural and unjustified.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyming)

“Karuvinilae iruvarukkum paththu maadhamae / Mana uravinilae anaivarukkum varkka pedhamae”

Matching second consonants in adjacent lines creating rhythm ('Karuvinilae' and 'Mana uravinilae').

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

“Kulamagalai karam pidikka kooli ketkkiraan”

Comparing dowry demands to wages ('kooli') required to marry a bride.

Rhetorical Question

“Aadavarae uyarvu endru enna sattamo / Antha aadavarai pettra inam enna mattamo”

Asking satirical and thought-provoking questions to challenge patriarchal norms and misogyny.

Did you know?

Trivia

Dowry Kalyanam (1983), directed by Visu, was based on his famous stage play of the same name tackling the social evil of dowry. The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, and the hard-hitting lyrics were written by Vaali.

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