Enge Unmai En Naade
From Rathinapuri Ilavarasi · 1960
- Lyricist
- Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Rathinapuri Ilavarasi1960
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Engae engae…. | Where, oh where... |
| Chorus | |
| Engae | Where? |
| Female :Engae unmai en naadae | Female: Where is truth, O my motherland? |
| Yeno maunam soll naadae | Why this silence? Speak, O motherland! |
| Engae unmai en naadae | Where is truth, O my motherland? |
| Yeno maunam soll naadae | Why this silence? Speak, O motherland! |
| Female | |
| Melaana selvam veenaagalamoo | Can supreme wealth be allowed to go to waste? |
| Veezhaamal meelaayoo | Will you not recover without falling into ruin? |
| Engae unmai en naadae | Where is truth, O my motherland? |
| Yeno maunam soll naadae | Why this silence? Speak, O motherland! |
| Female | |
| Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa.. | Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa.. |
| Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa.. | Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa.. |
| Meeri varum kural kelaayoo | Do you not hear the defiant voice rising? |
| Vetri varum vegam paaraaiyoo | Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory? |
| Meeri varum kural kelaayoo | Do you not hear the defiant voice rising? |
| Vetri varum vegam paaraaiyoo | Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory? |
| Female | |
| Paaraala thagunthaval un magalo | Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter? |
| Paadhagam purinthidum poi magalo | Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds? |
| Paaraala thagunthaval un magalo | Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter? |
| Paadhagam purinthidum poi magalo | Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds? |
| Thaai vaazhndha veedum saagatha perum | The house where mother lived and immortal glory, |
| Thaazhthaalun kann thoongumoo | Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep? |
| Female | |
| Engae unmai en naadae | Where is truth, O my motherland? |
| Yeno maunam soll naadae | Why this silence? Speak, O motherland! |
| Female | |
| Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa.. | Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa.. |
| Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa.. | Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa.. |
| Kaalam unnai kurai kooratho | Will time not blame and criticize you? |
| Kaaviyangal yaavum pesaadhoo | Will not all great epics speak of this justice? |
| Vaal veeram soozhchiyai vaazhthidumoo | Will true sword bravery ever praise treachery? |
| Poliyai bommaiyai pottridumoo | Will it ever praise a fake, hollow doll? |
| Thaai vaazhndha veedum saagatha perum | The house where mother lived and immortal glory, |
| Thaazhthaalun kann thoongumoo | Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep? |
எங்கே எங்கே
Where, oh where...
எங்கே
Where?
Female: Where is truth, O my motherland?
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
எங்கே உண்மை என் நாடே
ஏனோ மௌனம் சொல் நாடே
எங்கே உண்மை என் நாடே
ஏனோ மௌனம் சொல் நாடே
Can supreme wealth be allowed to go to waste?
Will you not recover without falling into ruin?
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
மேலான செல்வம் வீணாகலாமோ
வீழாமல் மீளாயோ
எங்கே உண்மை என் நாடே
ஏனோ மௌனம் சொல் நாடே
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Do you not hear the defiant voice rising?
Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory?
Do you not hear the defiant voice rising?
Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory?
ஆ.....ஆஆஆ....ஆஆ..ஆஆ..ஆஅ...
ஹா......ஆஆஆ....ஆஆ..ஆஆ..ஆஅ...
மீறி வரும் குரல் கேளாயோ
வெற்றி வரும் வேகம் பாராயோ
மீறி வரும் குரல் கேளாயோ
வெற்றி வரும் வேகம் பாராயோ
Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter?
Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds?
Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter?
Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds?
The house where mother lived and immortal glory,
Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep?
பாராளத் தகுந்தவள் உன் மகளோ
பாதகம் புரிந்திடும் பொய் மகளோ
பாராளத் தகுந்தவள் உன் மகளோ
பாதகம் புரிந்திடும் பொய் மகளோ
தாய் வாழ்ந்த வீடும் சாகாத பேரும்
தாழ்ந்தாலுன் கண் தாங்குமோ
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
எங்கே உண்மை என் நாடே
ஏனோ மௌனம் சொல் நாடே
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Will time not blame and criticize you?
Will not all great epics speak of this justice?
Will true sword bravery ever praise treachery?
Will it ever praise a fake, hollow doll?
The house where mother lived and immortal glory,
Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep?
ஆ.....ஆஆஆ....ஆஆ..ஆஆ..ஆஅ...
ஹா......ஆஆஆ....ஆஆ..ஆஆ..ஆஅ...
காலமுன்னைக் குறை கூறாதோ
காவியங்கள் யாவும் ஏசாதோ
வாள் வீரம் சூழ்ச்சியை வாழ்த்திடுமோ
போலியைப் பொய்மையைப் போற்றிடுமோ
தாய் வாழ்ந்த வீடும் சாகாத பேரும்
தாழ்ந்தாலுன் கண் தூங்குமோ
Engae engae….
Where, oh where...
Engae
Where?
Female :Engae unmai en naadae
Female: Where is truth, O my motherland?
Yeno maunam soll naadae
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
Engae unmai en naadae
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Yeno maunam soll naadae
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
Melaana selvam veenaagalamoo
Can supreme wealth be allowed to go to waste?
Veezhaamal meelaayoo
Will you not recover without falling into ruin?
Engae unmai en naadae
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Yeno maunam soll naadae
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Meeri varum kural kelaayoo
Do you not hear the defiant voice rising?
Vetri varum vegam paaraaiyoo
Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory?
Meeri varum kural kelaayoo
Do you not hear the defiant voice rising?
Vetri varum vegam paaraaiyoo
Do you not see the swiftness of approaching victory?
Paaraala thagunthaval un magalo
Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter?
Paadhagam purinthidum poi magalo
Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds?
Paaraala thagunthaval un magalo
Is the one fit to rule the land your real daughter?
Paadhagam purinthidum poi magalo
Or is it the deceitful fake daughter who commits wicked deeds?
Thaai vaazhndha veedum saagatha perum
The house where mother lived and immortal glory,
Thaazhthaalun kann thoongumoo
Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep?
Engae unmai en naadae
Where is truth, O my motherland?
Yeno maunam soll naadae
Why this silence? Speak, O motherland!
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Aaa..aaaa..aaa..aaaa.aaa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..aaa..ha..aa..aa..
Kaalam unnai kurai kooratho
Will time not blame and criticize you?
Kaaviyangal yaavum pesaadhoo
Will not all great epics speak of this justice?
Vaal veeram soozhchiyai vaazhthidumoo
Will true sword bravery ever praise treachery?
Poliyai bommaiyai pottridumoo
Will it ever praise a fake, hollow doll?
Thaai vaazhndha veedum saagatha perum
The house where mother lived and immortal glory,
Thaazhthaalun kann thoongumoo
Even if lowered in status, will your eyes still remain asleep?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Engae Unmai En Naade is a dramatic and soul-stirring song from the 1960 movie Rathinapuri Ilavarasi. Penned by the famous poet Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, the song is a direct challenge to the silence of justice and the apathy of the land in the face of tyranny and deceit. The protagonist appeals to the motherland, asking why truth has gone missing and questioning how a fake, deceitful pretender can be allowed to rule while the rightful heir is marginalized.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification
“Engae unmai en naadae / Yeno maunam soll naadae”
The nation ('naadae') is personified as a motherly figure who can listen, speak, and choose whether to remain silent or act.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Meeri varum kural kelaayoo / Vetri varum vegam paaraaiyoo”
The second consonant 'ri' (ர) in 'Meeri' and 'Vetri' creates a rhythmic and melodic harmony.
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)
“Paaraala thagunthaval un magalo / Paadhagam purinthidum poi magalo”
Questions are posed to provoke moral reflection rather than seeking a literal answer, contrasting the legitimate heir with the deceitful villain.
Metaphor
“Poliyai bommaiyai pottridumoo”
Compares an unjust, incompetent ruler or impostor to a fake, hollow doll ('poliyai bommai').
Did you know?
Trivia
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram was famous for infusing strong socialist and moral themes into period and mythological film songs. This song, set to a compelling melody by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and sung by P. Susheela, highlights his signature style of questioning social conscience and political righteousness.
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