- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan, P. Susheela
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Dharmam Engey
- Movie release year
- 1972
- Lyrics added on
- 6 Nov 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Dharmam Engey' is a powerful revolutionary lyric penned by Kannadasan that questions the absence of justice and morality in society. It serves as a clarion call to the oppressed and impoverished, reminding them that poverty does not equal cowardice. The song urges the masses to unite and rise up courageously against injustice, asserting that fear vanishes once a collective struggle begins. The lyricist vividly portrays how the collective strength of ordinary people—represented by the sound of marching feet and bangles—can swell like a mighty ocean and transform peaceful hands into weapons of liberty. Ultimately, it celebrates the spirit of freedom fighters who protect the motherland and calls upon the populace not to let their heroic leaders suffer in isolation.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Kaaladi osai / Kai valai osai / Kadal pol ezhundhaal ennavaagum free context line match: Kaaladi osai... Kai valai osai... Kadal pol ezhundhaal ennavaagum... Kai aayudham aagum... Veera sudhandhiram... Veettukku veedoru... Veenaargal... Thaayagam kaappavan... Thaniyae siraiyil...”
Poetic device
“Kaaladi osai / Kai valai osai / Kadal pol ezhundhaal ennavaagum”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds ('K', 'V', 'Th') creates a rhythmic, marching cadence that enhances the revolutionary fervor of the song.
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Ezhai endraal... kozhai illai... / Ezhundhaal thodarndhaal...”
Poetic device
“Ezhai endraal kozhai illai / Ezhundhaal thodarndhaal”
The second letter 'zh' (ழ்) rhymes across 'Ezhai', 'Kozhai', and 'Ezhundhaal', producing a strong auditory harmony typical of classical Tamil prosody.
Simile (Uvamai)
“Kadal pol ezhundhaal ennavaagum”
Poetic device
“Kadal pol ezhundhaal ennavaagum”
The collective uprising of the masses is compared to the rising of a vast ocean ('Kadal pol'), symbolizing immense power and unstoppable force.
Rhetorical Question
“Dharmam engae… Nyaayam engae… / Thaniyae siraiyil viduvaaro…”
Poetic device
“Thaniyae siraiyil viduvaaro”
Asking repeated rhetorical questions emphasizes the injustice present in society and provokes the listener into deep thought and action.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Dharmam Engey' (1972) features lyrics by the legendary poet Kannadasan. The song's theme centers on social revolution, anti-oppression, and political awakening, which was a hallmark of Tamil cinema musical tropes in the early 1970s.
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