Azhuvatharku Vazhvetharku
From Panchavarnam · 1982
- Lyricist
- Na. Kamarasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- Raghuraj Chakravarthy
- Details
- Panchavarnam1982
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku | To weep and to live, |
| Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku | Why do we even have desires? |
| Idhayamelaam erivatharkku | To burn the entire heart, |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Male | |
| : Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku | : To weep and to live, |
| Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku | Why do we even have desires? |
| Idhayamelaam erivatharkku | To burn the entire heart, |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Male | |
| Aalayaththil dheepam ittean | I lit a lamp in the temple, |
| Aandavanae anaiththu vittaan | But God Himself extinguished it. |
| Aaraathanai seithu vanthaen angu | I kept worshipping there, |
| Dhevathaigal sevidaanaar | Yet the goddesses turned deaf. |
| Aaraathanai seithu vanthaen angu | I kept worshipping there, |
| Dhevathaigal sevidaanaar | Yet the goddesses turned deaf. |
| Male | |
| Kodaanakodi uyir aadugindra naadagamaa | Is life a drama where crores of living beings perform? |
| Poovai indru pooththa malar | The flower that bloomed today, |
| Poojaikkullae udhirnthathammaa | Has withered away inside the worship altar, my dear. |
| Male | |
| Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku | To weep and to live, |
| Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku | Why do we even have desires? |
| Idhayamelaam erivatharkku | To burn the entire heart, |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Male | |
| Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum | One might even find fish in a mirage, |
| Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum | A paper flower might even yield honey, |
| Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum | One might even find fish in a mirage, |
| Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum | A paper flower might even yield honey, |
| Kadhaliththu maalaiyittu | But after loving and exchanging garlands, |
| Avan karam pidikka vazhiyumillai | There is no way left to hold his hand. |
| Male | |
| Pooparikkum velaiyilae | While plucking flowers, |
| Poonaagam cholaiyilae | There was a venomous snake in the grove. |
| Bhoomiyenum jaadhi malar | Like a jasmine flower upon this earth, |
| Punnagaiyai naan izhanthaen | I have lost my smile. |
| Male | |
| Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku | To weep and to live, |
| Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku | Why do we even have desires? |
| Idhayamelaam erivatharkku | To burn the entire heart, |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
| Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku | Oh God, why light a sacred lamp? |
அழுவதற்கு வாழ்வெதற்கு
ஆசைகள் தான் ஏன் நமக்கு
இதயமெல்லாம் எரிவதற்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு....
To weep and to live,
Why do we even have desires?
To burn the entire heart,
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
அழுவதற்கு வாழ்வெதற்கு
ஆசைகள் தான் ஏன் நமக்கு
இதயமெல்லாம் எரிவதற்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு....
: To weep and to live,
Why do we even have desires?
To burn the entire heart,
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
ஆலயத்தில் தீபம் இட்டேன்
ஆண்டவனே அணைத்து விட்டான்
ஆராதனை செய்து வந்தேன் அங்கு
தேவதைகள் செவிடானார்
ஆராதனை செய்து வந்தேன் அங்கு
தேவதைகள் செவிடானார்
I lit a lamp in the temple,
But God Himself extinguished it.
I kept worshipping there,
Yet the goddesses turned deaf.
I kept worshipping there,
Yet the goddesses turned deaf.
கோடானகோடி உயிர் ஆடுகின்ற நாடகமா
பூவை இன்று பூத்த மலர்
பூஜைக்குள்ளே உதிர்ந்ததம்மா
Is life a drama where crores of living beings perform?
The flower that bloomed today,
Has withered away inside the worship altar, my dear.
அழுவதற்கு வாழ்வெதற்கு
ஆசைகள் தான் ஏன் நமக்கு
இதயமெல்லாம் எரிவதற்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு
To weep and to live,
Why do we even have desires?
To burn the entire heart,
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
கானலிலும் மீன் கிடைக்கும்
ஒரு காகிதப்பூ தேன் கொடுக்கும்
கானலிலும் மீன் கிடைக்கும்
ஒரு காகிதப்பூ தேன் கொடுக்கும்
காதலித்து மாலையிட்டு அவன்
கரம் பிடிக்க வழியுமில்லை
One might even find fish in a mirage,
A paper flower might even yield honey,
One might even find fish in a mirage,
A paper flower might even yield honey,
But after loving and exchanging garlands,
There is no way left to hold his hand.
பூப்பறிக்கும் வேளையிலே
பூநாகம் சோலையிலே
பூமியெங்கும் ஜாதி மலர்
புன்னகையை நான் இழந்தேன்
While plucking flowers,
There was a venomous snake in the grove.
Like a jasmine flower upon this earth,
I have lost my smile.
அழுவதற்கு வாழ்வெதற்கு
ஆசைகள் தான் ஏன் நமக்கு
இதயமெல்லாம் எரிவதற்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு....
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு
இறைவா ஏன் திருவிளக்கு....
To weep and to live,
Why do we even have desires?
To burn the entire heart,
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku
To weep and to live,
Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku
Why do we even have desires?
Idhayamelaam erivatharkku
To burn the entire heart,
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
: Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku
: To weep and to live,
Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku
Why do we even have desires?
Idhayamelaam erivatharkku
To burn the entire heart,
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Aalayaththil dheepam ittean
I lit a lamp in the temple,
Aandavanae anaiththu vittaan
But God Himself extinguished it.
Aaraathanai seithu vanthaen angu
I kept worshipping there,
Dhevathaigal sevidaanaar
Yet the goddesses turned deaf.
Aaraathanai seithu vanthaen angu
I kept worshipping there,
Dhevathaigal sevidaanaar
Yet the goddesses turned deaf.
Kodaanakodi uyir aadugindra naadagamaa
Is life a drama where crores of living beings perform?
Poovai indru pooththa malar
The flower that bloomed today,
Poojaikkullae udhirnthathammaa
Has withered away inside the worship altar, my dear.
Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku
To weep and to live,
Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku
Why do we even have desires?
Idhayamelaam erivatharkku
To burn the entire heart,
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum
One might even find fish in a mirage,
Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum
A paper flower might even yield honey,
Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum
One might even find fish in a mirage,
Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum
A paper flower might even yield honey,
Kadhaliththu maalaiyittu
But after loving and exchanging garlands,
Avan karam pidikka vazhiyumillai
There is no way left to hold his hand.
Pooparikkum velaiyilae
While plucking flowers,
Poonaagam cholaiyilae
There was a venomous snake in the grove.
Bhoomiyenum jaadhi malar
Like a jasmine flower upon this earth,
Punnagaiyai naan izhanthaen
I have lost my smile.
Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku
To weep and to live,
Aasaigalthaan yaen namakku
Why do we even have desires?
Idhayamelaam erivatharkku
To burn the entire heart,
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku
Oh God, why light a sacred lamp?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Azhuvatharkku vaazhvedharkku is a sorrowful philosophical track sung by T. M. Soundararajan for the film Panchavarnam (1982). The song voices the deep agony of a soul suffering from heartbreak and betrayal by fate, questioning God on why humanity was given desires and life if it is all meant to end in suffering and grief. The lyricist questions the divine purpose of kindling hope when it is ultimately snuffed out. Through striking metaphors—like finding fish in a mirage or honey from a paper flower being more likely than finding lasting bliss in love—the protagonist laments the tragedy of lost love and the utter silence of the heavens in the face of human suffering.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Idhayamelaam erivatharkku / Iraivaa yaen thiruvilakku”
Life and hope are metaphorically represented as a sacred lamp ('thiruvilakku') lit by God, which ends up scorching the heart instead of bringing light.
Hyperbole / Paradox (Anidhayamaana Uvamai)
“Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum / Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum”
The lyrics use extreme paradoxes—finding fish in a mirage or honey in a paper flower—to emphasize the absolute impossibility of attaining happiness or union with her beloved.
Alliteration (Monaai)
“Kaanalilum meen kidaikkum / Oru kaagithappoo thaen kodukkum”
Repetition of initial consonants like 'Kaa' in 'Kaanalilum' and 'Kaagithappoo', creating a rhythmic lyrical flow.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is penned by Na. Kamarasan, a prominent Tamil poet associated with the 'Pudhu Kavidhai' (modern poetry) movement, known for blending surrealist metaphors with traditional Tamil poetic sorrow. The music for Panchavarnam (1982) was composed by Raghuraj Chakravarthy.
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