Angum Ingum
From Avargal · 1977
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Details
- Avargal1977
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | There are paths here and there, |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | Which direction will you choose today? |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | There are paths here and there, |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | Which direction will you choose today? |
| Male | |
| Gnyaayir undu thingalundu | There is Sunday and Monday, |
| Endha naal undhan naaloo | Which day belongs to you? |
| Gnyaayir undu thingalundu | There is Sunday and Monday, |
| Endha naal undhan naaloo | Which day belongs to you? |
| Male | |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | There are paths here and there, |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | Which direction will you choose today? |
| Male | |
| {Kallai kandaal kaniyai kandaal | Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit, |
| Kallum indru mella mella kaniyum | Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today, |
| Menmai kandaal} (2) | When it beholds gentleness. |
| Kadhaiyezhudhi pazhagivittaal | Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit, |
| Mudikkamattum theriyavillai | Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today, |
| Male | |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | When it beholds gentleness. |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | She has grown accustomed to writing stories, |
| Male | |
| Kannaa endraal murugan vandhaan | Yet she does not know how to conclude them. |
| Murugaa endraal kannan vandhaan | There are paths here and there, |
| Endha dheivam sondham endru | Which direction will you choose today? |
| Koori poojai seivaal | When she calls Krishna, Murugan appears, |
| Aval ezhudhum kavidhaigalai | When she calls Murugan, Krishna appears. |
| Vidhi pugundhae thiruththudhammaa | Asking which deity is truly her own, |
| Aval ezhudhum kavidhaigalai | Whom shall she worship? |
| Vidhi pugundhae thiruththudhammaa | The poems written by her, |
| Male | |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | Fate enters and alters them. |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | The poems written by her, |
| Gnyaayir undu thingalundu | Fate enters and alters them. |
| Endha naal undhan naaloo | There are paths here and there, |
| Male | |
| Sondham ondru bandham ondru | Which direction will you choose today? |
| Vellaiyulla killai ondru | There is Sunday and Monday, |
| Naduvil oonjal ondru | Which day belongs to you? |
| Thodarkadhaiyo pazhangadhaiyo | A relationship here, a bond there, |
| Vidukadhaiyo edhu indru | A pure-hearted parrot, |
| Male | |
| Angum ingum paadhai undu | Caught on a swing in the middle. |
| Indru nee endha pakkam | Is it a continuous drama, an old story, |
| Gnyaayir undu thingalundu | Or a riddle today? |
| Endha naal undhan naaloo | There are paths here and there, |
அங்கும் இங்கும்
பாதையுண்டு இன்று நீ
எந்தப் பக்கம் அங்கும்
இங்கும் பாதையுண்டு
இன்று நீ எந்தப் பக்கம்
There are paths here and there,
Which direction will you choose today?
There are paths here and there,
Which direction will you choose today?
ஞாயிறுண்டு
திங்களுண்டு எந்த
நாள் உந்தன் நாளோ
ஞாயிறுண்டு
திங்களுண்டு எந்த
நாள் உந்தன் நாளோ
There is Sunday and Monday,
Which day belongs to you?
There is Sunday and Monday,
Which day belongs to you?
அங்கும் இங்கும்
பாதையுண்டு இன்று நீ
எந்தப் பக்கம்
There are paths here and there,
Which direction will you choose today?
{ கல்லைக் கண்டாள்
கனியைக் கண்டாள் கல்லும்
இன்று மெல்ல மெல்ல
கனியும் மென்மைக்
கண்டாள் } (2)
கதை எழுதி பழகி விட்டாள்
முடிக்க மட்டும்
தெரியவில்லை
Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit,
Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today,
When it beholds gentleness.
Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit,
Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today,
அங்கும் இங்கும்
பாதையுண்டு இன்று நீ
எந்தப் பக்கம்
When it beholds gentleness.
She has grown accustomed to writing stories,
கண்ணா என்றால்
முருகன் வந்தான் முருகா
என்றால் கண்ணன் வந்தான்
எந்த தெய்வம் சொந்தம் என்று
கூறிப் பூஜை செய்வாள் அவள்
எழுதும் கவிதைகளை விதி
புகுந்தே திருத்துதம்மா அவள்
எழுதும் கவிதைகளை விதி
புகுந்தே திருத்துதம்மா
Yet she does not know how to conclude them.
There are paths here and there,
Which direction will you choose today?
When she calls Krishna, Murugan appears,
When she calls Murugan, Krishna appears.
Asking which deity is truly her own,
Whom shall she worship?
The poems written by her,
அங்கும் இங்கும்
பாதையுண்டு இன்று நீ
எந்தப் பக்கம் ஞாயிறுண்டு
திங்களுண்டு எந்த நாள்
உந்தன் நாளோ
Fate enters and alters them.
The poems written by her,
Fate enters and alters them.
There are paths here and there,
சொந்தம் ஒன்று
பந்தம் ஒன்று வெள்ளை
உள்ள கிள்ளை ஒன்று
நடுவில் ஊஞ்சல் ஒன்று
தொடர்கதையோ
பழங்கதையோ விடு
கதையோ எது இன்று
Which direction will you choose today?
There is Sunday and Monday,
Which day belongs to you?
A relationship here, a bond there,
A pure-hearted parrot,
அங்கும் இங்கும்
பாதையுண்டு இன்று நீ
எந்தப் பக்கம் ஞாயிறுண்டு
திங்களுண்டு எந்த நாள்
உந்தன் நாளோ
Caught on a swing in the middle.
Is it a continuous drama, an old story,
Or a riddle today?
There are paths here and there,
Angum ingum paadhai undu
There are paths here and there,
Indru nee endha pakkam
Which direction will you choose today?
Angum ingum paadhai undu
There are paths here and there,
Indru nee endha pakkam
Which direction will you choose today?
Gnyaayir undu thingalundu
There is Sunday and Monday,
Endha naal undhan naaloo
Which day belongs to you?
Gnyaayir undu thingalundu
There is Sunday and Monday,
Endha naal undhan naaloo
Which day belongs to you?
Angum ingum paadhai undu
There are paths here and there,
Indru nee endha pakkam
Which direction will you choose today?
{Kallai kandaal kaniyai kandaal
Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit,
Kallum indru mella mella kaniyum
Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today,
Menmai kandaal} (2)
When it beholds gentleness.
Kadhaiyezhudhi pazhagivittaal
Seeing a stone, seeing a fruit,
Mudikkamattum theriyavillai
Even a stone slowly ripens into fruit today,
Angum ingum paadhai undu
When it beholds gentleness.
Indru nee endha pakkam
She has grown accustomed to writing stories,
Kannaa endraal murugan vandhaan
Yet she does not know how to conclude them.
Murugaa endraal kannan vandhaan
There are paths here and there,
Endha dheivam sondham endru
Which direction will you choose today?
Koori poojai seivaal
When she calls Krishna, Murugan appears,
Aval ezhudhum kavidhaigalai
When she calls Murugan, Krishna appears.
Vidhi pugundhae thiruththudhammaa
Asking which deity is truly her own,
Aval ezhudhum kavidhaigalai
Whom shall she worship?
Vidhi pugundhae thiruththudhammaa
The poems written by her,
Angum ingum paadhai undu
Fate enters and alters them.
Indru nee endha pakkam
The poems written by her,
Gnyaayir undu thingalundu
Fate enters and alters them.
Endha naal undhan naaloo
There are paths here and there,
Sondham ondru bandham ondru
Which direction will you choose today?
Vellaiyulla killai ondru
There is Sunday and Monday,
Naduvil oonjal ondru
Which day belongs to you?
Thodarkadhaiyo pazhangadhaiyo
A relationship here, a bond there,
Vidukadhaiyo edhu indru
A pure-hearted parrot,
Angum ingum paadhai undu
Caught on a swing in the middle.
Indru nee endha pakkam
Is it a continuous drama, an old story,
Gnyaayir undu thingalundu
Or a riddle today?
Endha naal undhan naaloo
There are paths here and there,
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Angum Ingum Paadhai Undu from K. Balachander's 1977 masterpiece Avargal expresses the profound emotional dilemma, confusion, and existential crisis faced by the female protagonist. Standing at a critical crossroad in life, she is caught between her painful past, her present circumstances, and an uncertain future. Lyricist Kannadasan uses allegories of crossroad paths, days, and deities to portray her inability to choose a definitive direction. The song explores themes of fate versus human agency, noting that no matter how one tries to script their own life story, fate acts as an editor that alters the narrative. Caught in the middle like a parrot on a swing, her life hangs between being an endless serial, a past memory, or an unsolved riddle.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (உருவகம்)
“Gnyaayir undu thingalundu / Endha naal undhan naaloo”
Sunday (Sun/Gnyaayir) and Monday (Moon/Thingal) represent contrasting choices, pathways, and male influences in the protagonist's life.
Personification (உருவகப்படுத்தல்)
“Aval ezhudhum kavidhaigalai / Vidhi pugundhae thiruththudhammaa”
Fate (Vidhi) is personified as a entity that actively enters her life and rewrites/edits the poems (plans) she has written.
Metaphor (உருவகம்)
“Vellaiyulla killai ondru / Naduvil oonjal ondru”
The innocent heroine is metaphorically compared to a pure parrot (killai) trapped on a swing in the middle of conflicting relationships.
Emonai / Monai (Alliteration - மோனை)
“Kannaa endraal murugan vandhaan / Murugaa endraal kannan vandhaan”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds like 'Ka' in 'Kannaa' and 'Kannan' creating rhythmic musicality.
Did you know?
Trivia
Avargal (1977), directed by K. Balachander, features music composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan, and this iconic song was sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. In the film, the song sequence features Kamal Haasan performing ventriloquism and puppetry to express the internal dilemma of the protagonist played by Sujatha.
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