Ari Unnai
From Vathikuchi · 2013
- Lyricist
- Yugabharathi
- Music director
- Ghibran
- Details
- Vathikuchi2013
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai (2) | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2) |
| Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…unnai | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself |
| Male | |
| Ppa…. | Ppa... |
| {Chakka chakka chakka pathi pathi erikuthu | Sparking and burning brightly, |
| Manidhanin aattangal | man's wild antics, |
| Takku rakku takku suthi suthi adikuthu | Swiftly spinning around and striking, |
| Avanathu veshangal} (2) | his disguised faces. (2) |
| Male | |
| Kannil thonridaa… | Unseen by the eyes... |
| Theemai nammai theduthae…. | evil comes looking for us... |
| Naalum vettai aaduthae… | hunting us down every day... |
| Naadagangal poduthae… | staging dramas... |
| Nammai naamae nambum kaalam illai | This is no era to blindly trust even ourselves, |
| Soodhukingae ellai kodu illai | deceit here has no boundary lines. |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… unnai (4) | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4) |
| Male | |
| Theruvil ulavum | Prowling on the streets, |
| Mirugam dhan manithan | man himself is a beast, |
| Avanai edhanaal adakkuvatho | with what can he be subdued? |
| Nagarum ulagil avano oor kirumi | In this moving world, he is a germ, |
| Avanai ethanaal thurathuvatho | with what can he be driven away? |
| Aayuthamum oru kedayamae | Even a weapon is a shield, |
| Suzhnilaigal tharum kaaranamae | a reason born out of circumstances. |
| Ethiriyin balam arivadhu nandru porkkalathil | It is wise to understand the enemy's strength on the battlefield. |
| Chakku chakku chakku chakku | Chakku chakku chakku chakku |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… | Know, know... know, know... know, know... |
| Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… | Know, know... know, know... know, know... |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… unnai (4) | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4) |
| Male | |
| Jananam maranam | Birth and death, |
| Athai yaar yaar arivaar | who can truly comprehend them? |
| Athanaal puviyil sirithirupom | Therefore, let us live smiling on this earth. |
| Uravum pagaium | Relationships and enmity, |
| Athai naam naam arivom | we ourselves know them well, |
| Athanaal dhinamum vizhithirupom | therefore let us stay vigilant every day. |
| Vazhavathae varam agidumae | Living itself becomes a true blessing, |
| Vaaduvathaal pari poi vidumae | by wilting away, everything is lost. |
| Edhuvarai irupozhuthilum unnai nee thurathi | Until the end, chase after your true self in both times of day and night. |
| Chak chak chakku chakku | Chak chak chakku chakku |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai (2) | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2) |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself |
| Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…unnai nee ari | Know, know... know, know... know, know... know yourself |
| Ari ari… ari ari.. ari ari… unnai | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself |
| Unnai unnai unnai unnai hoi | Yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself hoi |
| Male | |
| Ari ari… ari ari.. ari.. ari… unnai (4) | Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4) |
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை (2)
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
ப்ப.....
{சக்கு சக்கு சக்கு பத்தி பத்தி எரிக்குது
மனிதனின் ஆட்டங்கள்
டக்கு ரக்கு டக்கு சுத்தி சுத்தி அடிக்குது
அவனது வேஷங்கள்} (2)
Ppa...
Sparking and burning brightly,
man's wild antics,
Swiftly spinning around and striking,
his disguised faces. (2)
கண்ணில் தோன்றிடா....
தீமை நம்மை தேடுதே...
நாளும் வேட்டை ஆடுதே....
நாடகங்கள் போடுதே.....
நம்மை நம்மே நம்பும் காலம் இல்லை
சூதுகிங்கே எல்லை கோடு இல்லை
Unseen by the eyes...
evil comes looking for us...
hunting us down every day...
staging dramas...
This is no era to blindly trust even ourselves,
deceit here has no boundary lines.
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
தெருவில் உலவும்
மிருகம்தான் மனிதன்
அவனை எதனால் அடக்குவதோ
நகரும் உலகில் அவனோ ஓர் கிருமி
அவனை எதனால் துரத்துவது
ஆயுதமும் ஒரு கேடயமே
சூழ்நிலைகள் தரும் காரணமே
எதிரியின் பலம் அறிவது நன்று போர்க்களத்தில்
சக்கு சக்கு சக்கு சக்கு
Prowling on the streets,
man himself is a beast,
with what can he be subdued?
In this moving world, he is a germ,
with what can he be driven away?
Even a weapon is a shield,
a reason born out of circumstances.
It is wise to understand the enemy's strength on the battlefield.
Chakku chakku chakku chakku
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி.....
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி.....
Know, know... know, know... know, know...
Know, know... know, know... know, know...
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
ஜனனம் மரணம்
அதை யார் யார் அறிவார்
அதனால் புவியில் சிரித்திருப்போம்
உறவும் பகையும்
அதை நாம் நாம் அறிவோம்
அதனால் தினமும் விழித்திருப்போம்
வாழ்வதே வரம் ஆகிடுமே
வாடுவதால் பறி போய் விடுமே
எதுவரை இருபோழுதிலும் உன்னை நீ துரத்தி
சக் சக் சக்கு சக்கு
Birth and death,
who can truly comprehend them?
Therefore, let us live smiling on this earth.
Relationships and enmity,
we ourselves know them well,
therefore let us stay vigilant every day.
Living itself becomes a true blessing,
by wilting away, everything is lost.
Until the end, chase after your true self in both times of day and night.
Chak chak chakku chakku
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை (2)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2)
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை நீ
அறிஅறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை
உன்னை உன்னை உன்னை உன்னை ஹோய்
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
Know, know... know, know... know, know... know yourself
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
Yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself hoi
அறி அறி...அறி அறி...அறி அறி......உன்னை (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai (2)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2)
Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…unnai
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
Ppa….
Ppa...
{Chakka chakka chakka pathi pathi erikuthu
Sparking and burning brightly,
Manidhanin aattangal
man's wild antics,
Takku rakku takku suthi suthi adikuthu
Swiftly spinning around and striking,
Avanathu veshangal} (2)
his disguised faces. (2)
Kannil thonridaa…
Unseen by the eyes...
Theemai nammai theduthae….
evil comes looking for us...
Naalum vettai aaduthae…
hunting us down every day...
Naadagangal poduthae…
staging dramas...
Nammai naamae nambum kaalam illai
This is no era to blindly trust even ourselves,
Soodhukingae ellai kodu illai
deceit here has no boundary lines.
Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… unnai (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
Theruvil ulavum
Prowling on the streets,
Mirugam dhan manithan
man himself is a beast,
Avanai edhanaal adakkuvatho
with what can he be subdued?
Nagarum ulagil avano oor kirumi
In this moving world, he is a germ,
Avanai ethanaal thurathuvatho
with what can he be driven away?
Aayuthamum oru kedayamae
Even a weapon is a shield,
Suzhnilaigal tharum kaaranamae
a reason born out of circumstances.
Ethiriyin balam arivadhu nandru porkkalathil
It is wise to understand the enemy's strength on the battlefield.
Chakku chakku chakku chakku
Chakku chakku chakku chakku
Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari…
Know, know... know, know... know, know...
Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari…
Know, know... know, know... know, know...
Ari ari… ari ari… ari ari… unnai (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
Jananam maranam
Birth and death,
Athai yaar yaar arivaar
who can truly comprehend them?
Athanaal puviyil sirithirupom
Therefore, let us live smiling on this earth.
Uravum pagaium
Relationships and enmity,
Athai naam naam arivom
we ourselves know them well,
Athanaal dhinamum vizhithirupom
therefore let us stay vigilant every day.
Vazhavathae varam agidumae
Living itself becomes a true blessing,
Vaaduvathaal pari poi vidumae
by wilting away, everything is lost.
Edhuvarai irupozhuthilum unnai nee thurathi
Until the end, chase after your true self in both times of day and night.
Chak chak chakku chakku
Chak chak chakku chakku
Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai (2)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (2)
Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…unnai nee ari
Know, know... know, know... know, know... know yourself
Ari ari… ari ari.. ari ari… unnai
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself
Unnai unnai unnai unnai hoi
Yourself, yourself, yourself, yourself hoi
Ari ari… ari ari.. ari.. ari… unnai (4)
Know, know... know, know... know, know... yourself (4)
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Ari Ari' from Vathikuchi is a gritty, high-energy track centered on theme of self-awareness and survival in a deceptive world. 'Ari' in Tamil translates to 'know' or 'understand', repeatedly urging the listener to understand themselves ('Unnai Ari'). The lyrics paint a dark picture of modern society where evil acts go unseen, people put on masks (veshangal), and trust is rare. Man is compared to a wild beast roaming the streets and an infectious germ in a moving world. Despite its cautionary tone about human deceit and enemies, the song promotes resilience, vigilance, and finding joy amidst unpredictability. Since birth and death remain unknown mysteries, one must stay alert, face situations bravely, and live life fully without wilting away.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukku Thodar (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Ari ari… ari ari…. ari ari…. unnai”
Words like 'Ari ari', 'Chakka chakka', 'Pathi pathi', and 'Suthi suthi' are repeated successively to build rhythm, urgency, and intensity.
Uruvagaim (Metaphor)
“Theruvil ulavum / Mirugam dhan manithan”
Human beings living without morals are directly metaphorized as street beasts ('Mirugam dhan manithan') and harmful germs ('Nagarum ulagil avano oor kirumi').
Iyaibu (Rhyme) & Anthesis
“Athanaal puviyil sirithirupom... Athanaal dhinamum vizhithirupom”
Juxtaposition of opposites like birth/death (Jananam/Maranam) and friendship/enmity (Uravum/Pagaium) with end-rhyme scheme (Sirithirupom / Vizhithirupom).
Did you know?
Trivia
The track 'Ari Ari' features music composed by Ghibran with lyrics written by Yugabharathi for the 2013 action thriller film 'Vathikuchi'. Sung dynamic sung by Singaporean artist Shabir alongside Ghibran, the song fuses raw urban rhythm with philosophical Tamil folk phrasing.
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