Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Engae Endru Povathu

From Thaanaa Serndha Koottam · 2017

Lyricist
Thamarai
Singer
Anirudh Ravichander
Music director
Anirudh Ravichander
Details
Thaanaa Serndha Koottam2017

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Engae endru povadhuWhere do we go from here?
Yaarai solli novadhuWhom do we complain to?
Yedho konjam vazhumbothaeJust as we manage to live a little,
Thotru thotru saavadhuWe repeatedly lose and die.
Male
Ratham ketkum peyidhuThis is a ghost demanding blood,
Raathiri pagalaai maayidhuDestroying us day and night.
Ooyvae illai ovvondragaaaThere is no rest, one by one,
Kooru potu kolludhuIt slashes us to pieces and kills us.
Male
Pirappadhae pilaiEven being born feels like a mistake,
Enum ili nilaiIn such a degraded state.
Unmai illa naattil thavarudhae mazhaiRain fails in a land devoid of truth.
Dhinam varum pagaiEnmity comes every day,
Male
Moolgugindrom setrilWe are drowning in the mire.
Oor uyirukku ingae vilai ennaWhat is the price of a human life here?
Verum kanneer sindhi payan ennaWhat is the use of merely shedding tears?
Dhinam naanum neeyumEvery day, you and I,
Kaanum kanavugalThe dreams that we see,
Karugi pogum nilai ennaWhy do they end up scorched?
Male
Oru thiramai irundhal podhadhaIsn't talent alone enough?
Idam thedi kondu vaaradhaWon't an opportunity come searching for it?
Indha lanjam oolal rendum ingaeWill bribery and corruption here,
Ketta vaarthai aagathaaaa…..aa…Not become swear words?
Female
{Vazhi thedi alaigindromSearching for a path, we wander,
Thaniyaaga valargindromWe grow up all alone,
Thalaikeezhaai thirigindromWe run around upside down in chaos,
Dhisai theriyaamal thinarugirom} (2)Struggling without knowing which direction to go.
Male
Satchigal maarumaWill the witnesses change?
Aatchigal maarumaWill the regimes change?
Soolnilai maarumaWill the situation change?
Soolchigal maarumaWill the conspiracies change?
Male
Ini naamumFrom now on, we too,
Oru dhaayam veesiyaeMust roll the dice,
Yenii yeranumAnd climb up the ladder.
Edhiri adi vaangi vaangiThe enemy, receiving blow after blow,
Oodi poganumMust run away in fear.
Male
{Idhu valiyaal vaadiya kootamadaThis is a group withered by pain, my friend,
Oru pudhithaana porattamadaThis is a brand new struggle, my friend,
Idhu thedi sertha kootam illaiThis is not a crowd gathered by searching,
Thaana serndha koottamada}It is a crowd that joined together on its own, my friend!
Female
Theedhum nandrumWhere both good and evil,
Serndhae vaazhum orilCoexist in a town,
Theeemai mattum oongi nirkum velaiAt a time when evil alone stands dominant,
Kaatrum kooda kaasai ketkum kaalamWhen an era comes where even the air costs money,
Vandhaal enna naamum seiya koodumWhat can we possibly do?
Male
Idhu thaana serndha koottamadaThis is a group that assembled on its own, my friend!
Idhu thaana serndha koottamadaThis is a group that assembled on its own, my friend!
Idhu thedi sertha kootam illaiThis is not a crowd gathered by searching,
Thaana serndha koottam adaIt is a crowd that joined together on its own, my friend!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Thaanaa Serndha Koottam' serves as a rousing anthem of social frustration, collective disillusionment, and righteous rebellion against systemic corruption, bribery, and socio-economic injustice. It articulates the deep agony of ordinary citizens whose talents go unrecognized and whose dreams are repeatedly crushed in a society where money and influence dictate survival.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Satchigal maaruma / Aatchigal maaruma / Soolnilai maaruma / Soolchigal maaruma

Repetition of the ending word/suffix '-maaruma' across consecutive lines creates an echoing, rhetorical effect questioning systemic change.

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Satchigal maaruma / Soolnilai maaruma / Soolchigal maaruma

The starting letter 'Sa/Soo' sound recurs at the beginning of these lines, adding rhythmic harmony.

Metaphor

Oru dhaayam veesiyae / Yenii yeranum

Compares taking strategic action in life to rolling dice ('dhaayam') and climbing a ladder ('yenii') in a board game like Snakes and Ladders.

Hyperbole

Kaatrum kooda kaasai ketkum kaalam

Exaggerates extreme commercialization and corruption by describing an era where even the air requires payment.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is the title track of the 2017 Tamil film 'Thaanaa Serndha Koottam', directed by Vignesh Shivan and starring Suriya. The movie is an official remake of the 2013 Hindi heist film 'Special 26'. Composed and sung by Anirudh Ravichander with lyrics by Thamarai, the phrase 'Thaanaa Serndha Koottam' translates to 'a crowd that assembled on its own', perfectly reflecting the plot where common people spontaneously team up to stage fake raids against corrupt officials.

Keep listening

More from Thaanaa Serndha Koottam

Song2017
Sodakku

Thaanaa Serndha Koottam