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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Achadicha Kaasa

From Valmiki · 2009

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Valmiki2009

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Achadicha kaasaThe minted money,
Avan pudichu vechaandaaHe hoarded and held onto it.
Avan pudichu vecha kaasaThe money that he hoarded,
Naan adichu puttendaaI stole it away!
Onakku vandha kaasu ellaamAll the money that came to you,
Enakku vandhadha polaIs just like money coming to me.
Endha kaasum yevan kittaeyumNo money with anyone,
Nikka poradhillaIs ever going to stay permanently.
Chorus
Kaiyikku kaiyi maari varumIt shifts from hand to hand,
Paiyikku paiyi yeri varumIt moves from pocket to pocket,
Kanda edathula sutthi varumIt wanders around all places,
Enakku mattum kattuppadumYet it obeys only me!
Male
Achadicha kaasaThe minted money,
Avan pudichu vechaandaaHe hoarded and held onto it.
Avan pudichu vecha kaasaThe money that he hoarded,
Naan adichu puttendaaI stole it away!
Male
Kettaa kodukkuravanWho is here now,
Ippa ingae yevan irukkaanWho gives if asked?
Picha kekka venaamunnuSo as not to beg for alms,
Pudingikkitten daaI snatched it away, man!
Paanaakkaaran kandukkunaaIf the rich man notices,
Enakkum risk illaiyaaIsn't there a risk for me too?
Edhaiyum thaangum idhayam koodaEven a heart that endures anything,
Idhukkum venumadaaIs needed for this as well, my friend!
Male
Appo kodukkuravanBack then, there was a time,
Irundhadhoru kaalamWhen people gave generously.
Ippo edukkuravan neranjuNow is a time full of,
Pona neramPeople who only take.
Yevanum irukkuradhaIf anyone says that what exists,
Pangu vekkanum sonnaaShould be shared equally,
Adhula enakkum oru pangillaiyaa nainaaDon't I have a share in that too, boss?
Male
Thappu pannum enakkum koodaEven I, who commits wrong,
Thathuvamum theriyumKnow philosophy as well.
Thathuvaththa odhukkikkinenI set aside philosophy,
Thappa mattum pudichukkinenAnd held onto wrongdoings alone!
Male
Achadicha kaasaThe minted money,
Avan pudichu vechaandaaHe hoarded and held onto it.
Avan pudichu vecha kaasaThe money that he hoarded,
Naan adichu puttendaaI stole it away!
Male
Kattaayam kedaikkumunnuThat it is guaranteed to be obtained,
Condition edhilum illaThere is no such condition anywhere.
Pattiniyum kedakka venumHaving to starve in hunger,
PaathirukkendaaI have experienced that too!
Male
Koottukkoru nenjamum illaI have no heart for forming a gang,
Paattukkoru panjamum illaNor any dearth of songs.
Thanikkaattu raasaavaaLike the king of a lone forest,
Naan suthi varuvendaaI will roam around freely!
Male
Panju methaiyavaaDoes my body ask,
En odambu kekkumFor a soft cotton mattress?
Enga paduthaalumWherever I lie down,
Sokkaa varum thookkamI get a sweet, deep sleep!
Enna soppanamumNo dream ever,
Disturbu pannaadhaeDisturbs my peace.
Uchi sooriyanumEven the noon sun,
Enna yeyuppaadhaeCannot wake me up!
Male
Muzhichikkinae thoonguravanThere are many people,
Romba peru irukkaanWho sleep while staying awake.
Naan thoongikkinae muzhichiruppenI stay awake while sleeping,
Therinjukka nee podaa podaaUnderstand this and get lost!
Male
Achadicha kaasaThe minted money,
Avan pudichu vechaandaaHe hoarded and held onto it.
Avan pudichu vecha kaasaThe money that he hoarded,
Naan adichu puttendaaI stole it away!
Onakku vandha kaasu ellaamAll the money that came to you,
Enakku vandhadha polaIs just like money coming to me.
Endha kaasum yevan kittaeyumNo money with anyone,
Nikka poradhillaIs ever going to stay permanently.
Chorus
Kaiyikku kaiyi maari varumIt shifts from hand to hand,
Paiyikku paiyi yeri varumIt moves from pocket to pocket,
Kanda edathula sutthi varumIt wanders around all places,
Enakku mattum kattuppadumYet it obeys only me!
Male
Achadicha kaasaThe minted money,
Avan pudichu vechaandaaHe hoarded and held onto it.
Avan pudichu vecha kaasaThe money that he hoarded,
Naan adichu puttendaaI stole it away!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Achadicha Kaasa from the 2009 film Valmiki is a street-smart folk track sung from the perspective of a carefree thief. He defends his stealing as a natural redistribution of hoarded wealth, arguing that money is fluid and never truly stays with one person. He points out the selfishness of modern society where nobody gives freely anymore, leaving him to take what he considers his fair share. Despite his illicit lifestyle, the protagonist takes pride in his contentment and independence. He contrasts himself with people in society who pretend to be alert but are metaphorically asleep, claiming that he lives with a clear conscience and enjoys peaceful sleep without material worries.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Achadicha kaasa / Avan pudichu vecha kaasa / Naan adichu puttendaa

The second consonant 'dhi'/'di' is matched across lines to create a rhythmic flow typical of Tamil folk songs.

Parallelism (Syntactic Repetition)

Kaiyikku kaiyi maari varum / Paiyikku paiyi yeri varum

The structured repetition of phrases depicting movement creates dynamic imagery of currency flowing endlessly.

Paradox / Irony

Muzhichikkinae thoonguravan romba peru irukkaan / Naan thoongikkinae muzhichiruppen

The speaker contrasts physical sleep vs mental alertness to criticize societal hypocrisy.

Did you know?

Trivia

Valmiki (2009) starred Akhil and Meera Nandan and featured a soundtrack composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics were penned by veteran lyricist Vaali, who excels at blending local Chennai slang (like 'nainaa' and 'podaa') with philosophical humor regarding wealth inequality.

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