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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Enakku Naane Raja

From Africavil Appu · 1986

Lyricist
Na. Kamarasan
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Africavil Appu1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
………………....
Male
………………....
Male
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Thunbam ponathu namma thuyaram theernthathuSorrow is gone, our grief has come to an end,
Inimai saernthathuSweetness has joined us,
Ada manasil varuththam iniyum edhukku….Hey, why should there be sadness in the heart anymore...
Male
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Male
Mannukku ullaara thanniyumWater deep inside the earth
Angangae olinjirukkuIs hidden here and there,
Kannila sindhina kanneerumThe tears shed from the eyes
Ippathaan maranjirukku….Have now just disappeared...
Male
Mannukku ullaara thanniyumWater deep inside the earth
Angangae olinjirukkuIs hidden here and there,
Kannila sindhina kanneerumThe tears shed from the eyes
Ippathaan maranjirukku….Have now just disappeared...
Male
Kannukettum dhooram varaikkum varatchiDrought as far as the eye could see,
Ippa vellam vanthu katti anaikkumNow floods arrive and embrace us.
Kaanja maram sogam vadikkum dhinamumThe dried-up trees that shed sorrow every day,
Ippa kandapadi thulli kudhikkumNow jump and dance as they please.
Male
Pasumaiyaalae manam nirainju pochchuThe heart is filled with lush greenery,
Pazhaiya sabam adhu marainju pochchuThat old curse has vanished away.
Thananthaniyaa antha panjam irukkaWhile that famine stood all alone,
Thanni irukku nam thaagam thanikkaThere is water to quench our thirst.
Aaththu thanni saeralaachchuThe river water has joined us,
Namakku thaagam theeralaachchuOur thirst has been quenched.
Male
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Thunbam ponathu namma thuyaram theernthathuSorrow is gone, our grief has come to an end,
Inimai saernthathuSweetness has joined us,
Ada manasil varuththam iniyum edhukku….Hey, why should there be sadness in the heart anymore...
Male
Enakku naanae raja ippothuI am my own king right now,
Edhilum vettri serum thappaadhuVictory will surely join me in everything without fail.
Male
Kaadu malai medu muzhukka dhinamumAcross forests, mountains, and hills, every day
Namma koottam podum aattam irukkuOur group has a dance to dance.
Veliyilla kaavalumilla namakkuThere are no fences or guards for us,
Nalla vetta veliyil veedum irukkuWe have our home in the wide-open space.
Male
Thalli vaikkum antha koottam koodaEven that crowd that cast us aside
Namma kandapinnae adhu oottam odumWill run away after seeing us.
Pullakuttinga adhu konjamum illaThere is no lack of young ones,
Namma koottaththukkuthaan ini panjamumillaThere will be no shortage for our group anymore.
Ada thalaiyai nimirnthu nadakka venumHey, we must walk with our heads held high,
Idhukku melae enna venumWhat more do we need than this?
Male
Namakku naamae raja ippothuWe are our own kings right now,
Edhilum vettri saerum thappaathuVictory will surely join us in everything without fail.
Thunbam ponathu namma thuyaram theernthathuSorrow is gone, our grief has come to an end,
Inimai saernthathuSweetness has joined us,
Ada manasil varuththam iniyum edhukkuHey, why should there be sadness in the heart anymore,
Male
Namakku naamae raja ippothuWe are our own kings right now,
Edhilum vettri saerum thappaathuVictory will surely join us in everything without fail.
Male
Mannukku ullaara thanniyumWater deep inside the earth
Angangae olinjirukkuIs hidden here and there,
Kannila sindhina kanneerumThe tears shed from the eyes
Ippathaan maranjirukku….Have now just disappeared...
Male
Hoi mannukku ullaara thanniyumHey, water deep inside the earth
Angangae olinjirukkuIs hidden here and there,
Kannila sindhina kanneerumThe tears shed from the eyes
Ippathaan maranjirukku….Have now just disappeared...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Enakku Naanae Raja Ippothu is an uplifting and celebratory song about self-reliance, freedom, and triumph over past adversity. The speaker rejoices in overcoming a period of extreme hardship, comparing the end of sorrow to the sudden arrival of refreshing groundwater and floods that bring dried-up trees back to life. The song highlights living untamed and unbounded in harmony with nature, shedding past humiliations, and walking proudly with dignity and togetherness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Mannukku ullaara thanniyum / Kannila sindhina kanneerum

The second consonant 'nn' matches across 'Mannukku' and 'Kannila'.

Monai (First Letter Alliteration)

Thunbam ponathu namma thuyaram theernthathu

Repetition of the 'Th' sound in 'Thunbam' and 'thuyaram'.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Thunbam ponathu namma thuyaram theernthathu / Inimai saernthathu

Both lines end with the matching sound '-thathu'.

Personification

Kaanja maram sogam vadikkum dhinamum / Ippa kandapadi thulli kudhikkum

Dried-up trees are personified as shedding sorrow and jumping joyfully as if they are human.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics were penned by Na. Kamarasan for the 1986 film Africavil Appu. Kamarasan is celebrated in Tamil poetry for introducing modern free verse (Pudhukavithai) into mainstream literature and writing film songs rich in nature imagery and folk idioms.

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