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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Annae Annae

From Aandan Adimai · 2001

Lyricist
Muthulingam
Singer
Shankar Mahadevan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Aandan Adimai2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Male
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Male
Hae veeramulla karuppannaeHey brave Karuppan!
Antha kaadha pazhasannaeThat story is old now!
Ippa erumaipolaNow like a buffalo,
Porumai ennannaeWhat is this patience, brother?
Male
Kotta kotta muzhikkiraeYou stare with wide open eyes!
Kosham pottu alaiyuraeYou wander shouting slogans!
Thuttukkuthaan thudikkiraeYou yearn only for money!
Soththu pottalaththa pudikkiraeYou grab food packets!
Ada puththiya mattumthaan engaeyoAh, your intellect alone somewhere
Viththuputtae viththaepputtaeYou sold away, you sold away!
Chorus
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Chorus
Hae veeramulla karuppannaeHey brave Karuppan!
Antha kadha pazhasannaeThat story is old now!
Ippa erumaipolaNow like a buffalo,
Porumai ennannaeWhat is this patience, brother?
Female
…………………….....
Male
Kattidam kattinavanThe one who built the building,
Adhai katti mudichchathumaeOnce he finishes constructing it,
Veettukkullae nuzhainjaaIf he enters inside the house,
Adhai theettunnu solvaangaThey call him untouchable!
Chorus
…………………….....
Male
Maatta kulikka vachchuBathes the cow,
Pasumpaala karanthu vanthaaBrings the milked cow's milk,
Adhil theettu irukkathuThat milk has no untouchability,
Adhai saamikkum vaippaangaThey even offer it to God!
Chorus
………………….....
Male
Nilavukku ponaalum angaeyum saathi varumEven if one goes to the moon, caste will follow there too!
Saathigal vanthaalae saeriyum saernthu varumWherever caste comes, slums come along as well!
Chorus :Nilavukku ponaalum angaeyum saathi varumChorus: Even if one goes to the moon, caste will follow there too!
Saathigal vanthaalae saeriyum saernthu varumWherever caste comes, slums come along as well!
Male
Angaeyae saathiyin sandaigalaaiThere too, due to caste fights,
Vatta nilavu rendupadumThe full moon will split into two!
Intha india mannuku rajaavaeOh king of this Indian land,
Kovanam kovanam paththiramdaaBe careful of your loincloth, man!
Ada….adhaiyum nice-ahHey... even that, subtly,
Uruva poraandaa nammaaluOur own man will snatch away!
Chorus
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Chorus
Veeramulla karuppannaeBrave Karuppan!
Antha kadha pazhasannaeThat story is old now!
Ippa erumaipolaNow like a buffalo,
Porumai ennannaeWhat is this patience, brother?
Male
Punitha yaaththoraiyaamThey say it's a holy pilgrimage,
Chorus :Ada payanam povaangaChorus: Ah, they go on a journey!
Male :Punniyam aththanaikkumMale: For all the virtues,
Chorus :Moththa kuththagai ketpaangaChorus: They demand total monopoly!
Chorus
……………….....
Male
Hae…nesavu neiyyiravanHey... the weaver who weaves cloth,
Chorus :Ada thariya viththuputtaaChorus: Ah, if he sells his loom,
Male :Antha thariyai viththa pinnaeMale: After selling that loom,
Chorus :Avan pasiya vippaanaaChorus: Can he sell away his hunger too?
Chorus
…………………...
Male
Katchikalin kodi thuniyaiIf political parties' flag cloth
Kizhichchu thachchaakkaIs torn and stitched together,
Poster ottum pasai maavaiAnd the glue paste used for pasting posters
Saerththu vachchaakkaIs gathered together,
Chorus
Katchigalin kodi thuniyaiIf political parties' flag cloth
Kizhichchu thachchaakkaIs torn and stitched together,
Poster ottum pasai maavaiAnd the glue paste used for pasting posters
Saerththu vachchaakkaIs gathered together,
Male
Namma udamba maraikkalaamWe can cover our bodies,
Dhinam kanjiyum kudikkalaamAnd drink porridge every day!
Pacha poiyyula puralum katchikalellaamAll political parties wallowing in blatant lies,
Jeyichchu ponaa halwathaanOnce they win, give only halwa!
Ada appaavi makkalukkuAh, to the innocent people,
Eppothu vaippaandaa kullaathaanWhen will they stop duping them?
Chorus
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Chorus
Veeramulla karuppannaeBrave Karuppan!
Antha kadha pazhasannaeThat story is old now!
Ippa erumaipolaNow like a buffalo,
Porumai ennannaeWhat is this patience, brother?
Male
Kotta kotta muzhikkiraeYou stare with wide open eyes!
Kosham pottu alaiyuraeYou wander shouting slogans!
Thuttukkuththaan thudikkiraeYou yearn only for money!
Soththu pottalaththa pudikkiraeYou grab food packets!
Ada puththiya mattumthaan engaeyoAh, your intellect alone somewhere
Viththuputtae viththuputtae…You sold away, you sold away...
Chorus
Annae annae karuppannaeO brother, brother Karuppan!
Kaadha konjam thiruppannaeTurn your ears this way a bit!
Adi maattukkooda potti ennannaeWhy this competition with a pack animal?
Chorus
Veeramulla karuppannaeBrave Karuppan!
Antha kadha pazhasannaeThat story is old now!
Ippa erumaipolaNow like a buffalo,
Porumai ennannaeWhat is this patience, brother?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Annae Annae Karuppannae' from the movie 'Aandan Adimai' is a hard-hitting social commentary disguised as a folk-inspired rhythmic song. It critique societal hypocrisy, caste discrimination, socio-economic exploitation, and political opportunism in modern society. Through sharp lyricism, it addresses how working-class laborers build houses they aren't allowed to enter, and how the milk from a cow cared for by a working-class person is deemed pure while the person themselves is branded impure.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter rhyme)

Kattidam kattinavan / Adhai katti mudichchathumae

The second letters of consecutive lines match, establishing a strong rhythmic flow typical of Tamil folk songs.

Metaphor & Social Irony

Vatta nilavu rendupadum

Compares caste discrimination following humans even to the moon and causing the round moon to split into two, highlighting the pervasive nature of social division.

Rhetorical Questioning

Antha thariyai viththa pinnae / Avan pasiya vippaanaa

Uses a rhetorical question to highlight the dire plight of weavers who sell their looms out of poverty.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by noted poet Muthulingam and set to music by Ilaiyaraaja, this track features powerful, energetic vocal delivery by Shankar Mahadevan. The song addresses social stratification and political deception with raw street-philosophy tone, making it one of the distinct socio-political folk songs in late-career Ilaiyaraaja compositions.

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