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Isaimozhi
Kavalukku Kettikaran album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Ammamma

From Kavalukku Kettikaran · 1990

Lyricist
M. Karunanidhi
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Kavalukku Kettikaran
Movie release year
1990
Lyrics added on
14 Jan 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ammammaa….
Idhayam eriyum
Kodumai nadandhadhae…
Poo maalai…
Kanalil vizhundhu
Karugi ponadhae…
Theeyodu theeyaagi
Theendhaayae… ammammaa…
Eriyum sidhaiyilae
Nilavum karugavae
Thanimai chiraiyilae
Manadhum urugavae
Anbu nenjamae
Ingu analil vegudhae
Thunbam ondru thaan
En sondham aanadhae
Kanavugal thaan kalaindhidavae
Pudhu malar thaan posungiyadhae
Eriyum sidhaiyilae
Nilavum karugavae
Thanimai chiraiyilae
Manadhum urugavae
Anbu nenjamae
Ingu analil vegudhae
Thunbam ondru thaan
En sondham aanadhae
Sor ootti paathirundhu
Sondham yena aadharitha
Thaayavalum thee kondaal
Enna sadhiyo
Thaalaatta thaayum indri
Solli azha yaarum indri
Yengi azhudhae ingae
Ezhai kiliyae
Oliyae maraindhae kidakka
Ulagae irulil thavikka
Adimai uyir thaan malivaa
Vidivae yemakku illaiyaa
Vizhiyil theriyum vidivae
Adhu dhinamum theriyum mudivae
Ingu vedithidum neruppinil
Kodumaigal erindhidumae
Eriyum sidhaiyilae
Nilavum karugavae
Thanimai chiraiyilae
Manadhum urugavae
Anbu nenjamae
Ingu analil vegudhae
Thunbam ondru thaan
En sondham aanadhae
Aandaandu kaalam ingu
Adimai yena vaazhndhadhellaam
Naalai mudhalae
Ingae maari vidalaam
Vaadhaadi paarthadhellaam
Veenaaga ponadhenna
Vaalai eduthaal ingae
Needhi peralaam
Thunivae thunaiyaai ini vaa
Puliyaai ezhuvaai manidhaa
Thadaiyae thagarum iniyae
Dharumam jeyikkum nijamae
Kodumai chiraiyum udaikka
Ooru sabadham yedutthu varuvaen
Ini vidindhidum pozhudhugal
Namakkena vidiyattumae
Eriyum sidhaiyilae
Nilavum karugavae
Thanimai chiraiyilae
Manadhum urugavae
Anbu nenjamae
Ingu analil vegudhae
Thunbam ondru thaan
En sondham aanadhae
Kanavugal thaan kalaindhidavae
Pudhu malar thaan posungiyadhae
Oh, alas...
A heart-burning
cruelty has taken place...
A garland of flowers...
fell into the fire
and burned to ashes...
Consumed in the flames,
you perished... oh, alas...
On the burning funeral pyre,
as the gentle moon is scorched,
In the prison of loneliness,
as my heart melts in sorrow,
this loving heart
burns in the blaze here.
Only sorrow
has become truly mine.
As my dreams shatter away,
a fresh flower is scorched and lost.
On the burning funeral pyre,
as the gentle moon is scorched,
In the prison of loneliness,
as my heart melts in sorrow,
this loving heart
burns in the blaze here.
Only sorrow
has become truly mine.
Feeding you and caring for you,
embracing you as her very own,
that mother too was caught in the fire;
what a cruel conspiracy this is!
With no mother to sing a lullaby,
with no one to turn to in tears,
weeping in grief right here,
oh poor, helpless soul.
While the light remains hidden,
and the world suffers in the dark,
is the life of a slave so cheap?
Will there be no dawn for us?
The dawn we look for in our eyes
is only an end we face each day.
In the fire that erupts here,
every cruelty will burn to ashes!
On the burning funeral pyre,
as the gentle moon is scorched,
In the prison of loneliness,
as my heart melts in sorrow,
this loving heart
burns in the blaze here.
Only sorrow
has become truly mine.
All the years spent here
living under slavery,
starting from tomorrow,
can all be changed right here.
All the reasoning and pleading
have only ended in vain;
if we take up the sword,
we can win our justice.
Step forward now with courage as your guide!
Rise like a tiger, O fighter!
Every obstacle will crumble now,
and justice will truly triumph!
To shatter the prison of cruelty,
I will return, sworn to an oath for our land!
May the days that dawn from now
dawn brightly for us!
On the burning funeral pyre,
as the gentle moon is scorched,
In the prison of loneliness,
as my heart melts in sorrow,
this loving heart
burns in the blaze here.
Only sorrow
has become truly mine.
As my dreams shatter away,
a fresh flower is scorched and lost.
Male
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from 'Kavalukku Kettikaran' (1990) opens with an intense, tragic lament over loss and injustice. The imagery of a heart burning on a funeral pyre, a flower garland charred to ashes, and solitude felt as a prison sets a tone of deep mourning. It reflects on the destruction of maternal care and innocent life, questioning why oppressive hardships afflict the poor and vulnerable.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagham)

Thanimai chiraiyilae

Compares solitude directly to a prison ('Thanimai chiraiyilae') and innocent people/dreams to flowers burning in fire.

Simile (Uvamai)

Puliyaai ezhuvaai manidhaa

Encourages a human being to rise up fiercely 'like a tiger' against oppression.

Emonai / Rhyming (Iyaibu)

Thanimai chiraiyilae / Manadhum urugavae

Rhyming endings in stanza couplets ('chiraiyilae / urugavae', 'vegudhae / aanadhae') create rhythmic emphasis and emotional cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics were written by former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and acclaimed writer M. Karunanidhi for the film 'Kavalukku Kettikaran' (1990), starring Prabhu and Nirosha. Karunanidhi incorporated his signature socio-political motifs of rising against tyranny and fighting for justice into the song.

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