Ennadi Unga Nagarigam
From Avare En Deivam · 1969
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- P. Susheela, L. R. Eswari
- Music director
- T. R. Pappa
- Details
- Avare En Deivam1969
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Ennadi unga naaareegam | What kind of modern culture is yours? |
| Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu | Exposing everything openly! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Female | |
| Adi ennadi ungal pazhamai panbu | Hey, what kind of old-fashioned virtue is yours? |
| Thalaiyum kaalum mooduthu | Covering up from head to foot! |
| Udal saakku moottaipol thonuthu | Making the body look like a burlap sack! |
| Paarpavarkalukellaam aasaiyai moottuthu | Stoking desire in everyone who beholds it! |
| Paththaam pasili paththinik kunamae | The virtuous character of an old-fashioned wife, |
| Pazhamai paadamadi | Is an ancient lesson, my girl! |
| Female | |
| Ennadi unga naaareegam | What kind of modern culture is yours? |
| Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu | Exposing everything openly! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Female | |
| Kanavan uyiraai kattil silaiyaai | Living with the husband as life and being like a statue on the bed, |
| Vaazhvathu pazhamaiyadi | Is the old-fashioned way, my girl! |
| Kanavanai polae manaivikkum urimai naagareegamdi | Having equal rights for the wife just like the husband is true modernity, my girl! |
| Padiththa pothum pengalin kadamai | Even if educated, a woman's duty, |
| Padhiyin sevaiyadi | Is serving her husband, my girl! |
| Padhiyin sevai manaivikkum vendum | The husband's service to the wife is also needed, |
| Adhuthaan vaazhkkaiyadi | That alone is true life, my girl! |
| Female | |
| Ennadi unga naaareegam | What kind of modern culture is yours? |
| Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu | Exposing everything openly! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Ilai maraivindri aaduthu | Swaying without any leaf to hide behind! |
| Female | |
| Kovil silaigal veliyil vizhunthaal | If temple idols fall outside, |
| Kallaai maarumadi | They turn into mere ordinary stones, my girl! |
| Kudumba pengal naanam izhanthaal | If women from good families lose their modesty, |
| Maanam pogumadi | Their honor is lost, my girl! |
| Female | |
| Kaaval pottu siraiyil vaippathu | Guarding and locking them up in prison, |
| Adimai vaazhkkaiyadi | Is a life of slavery, my girl! |
| Karppaiyum kaaththu urimaiyaiyum kaappathu | Protecting chastity while also preserving women's rights, |
| Nagareegamadi…. | Is true modernity, my girl! |
என்னடி உங்க நாகரீகம்
எதையும் திறந்து போடுது
இலை மறைவின்றி ஆடுது
இலைமறைவின்றி ஆடுது
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Exposing everything openly!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
அடி என்னடி உங்கள் பழமைப் பண்பு
தலையும் காலும் மூடுது
உடல் சாக்கு மூட்டைப்போல் தோணுது
பார்ப்பவர்க்கெல்லாம் ஆசையை மூட்டுது
பத்தாம் பசலி பத்தினிக் குணமே
பழமைப் பாடமடி
Hey, what kind of old-fashioned virtue is yours?
Covering up from head to foot!
Making the body look like a burlap sack!
Stoking desire in everyone who beholds it!
The virtuous character of an old-fashioned wife,
Is an ancient lesson, my girl!
என்னடி உங்க நாகரீகம்
எதையும் திறந்து போடுது
இலை மறைவின்றி ஆடுது
இலைமறைவின்றி ஆடுது
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Exposing everything openly!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
கணவன் உயிராய் கட்டில் சிலையாய்
வாழ்வது பழமையடி
கணவனைப்போலே மனைவிக்கும் உரிமை நாகரீகமடி
படித்த போதும் பெண்களின் கடமை
பதியின் சேவையடி
பதியின் சேவை மனைவிக்கும் வேண்டும்
அதுதான் வாழ்க்கையடி
Living with the husband as life and being like a statue on the bed,
Is the old-fashioned way, my girl!
Having equal rights for the wife just like the husband is true modernity, my girl!
Even if educated, a woman's duty,
Is serving her husband, my girl!
The husband's service to the wife is also needed,
That alone is true life, my girl!
என்னடி உங்க நாகரீகம்
எதையும் திறந்து போடுது
இலை மறைவின்றி ஆடுது
இலைமறைவின்றி ஆடுது
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Exposing everything openly!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
கோவில் சிலைகள் வெளியில் விழுந்தால்
கல்லாய் மாறுமடி
குடும்பப் பெண்கள் நாணம் இழந்தால்
மானம் போகுமடி
If temple idols fall outside,
They turn into mere ordinary stones, my girl!
If women from good families lose their modesty,
Their honor is lost, my girl!
காவல் போட்டு சிறையில் வைப்பது
அடிமை வாழ்க்கையடி
கற்பையும் காத்து உரிமையையும் காப்பது
நாகரீகமடி........
Guarding and locking them up in prison,
Is a life of slavery, my girl!
Protecting chastity while also preserving women's rights,
Is true modernity, my girl!
Ennadi unga naaareegam
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu
Exposing everything openly!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Adi ennadi ungal pazhamai panbu
Hey, what kind of old-fashioned virtue is yours?
Thalaiyum kaalum mooduthu
Covering up from head to foot!
Udal saakku moottaipol thonuthu
Making the body look like a burlap sack!
Paarpavarkalukellaam aasaiyai moottuthu
Stoking desire in everyone who beholds it!
Paththaam pasili paththinik kunamae
The virtuous character of an old-fashioned wife,
Pazhamai paadamadi
Is an ancient lesson, my girl!
Ennadi unga naaareegam
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu
Exposing everything openly!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Kanavan uyiraai kattil silaiyaai
Living with the husband as life and being like a statue on the bed,
Vaazhvathu pazhamaiyadi
Is the old-fashioned way, my girl!
Kanavanai polae manaivikkum urimai naagareegamdi
Having equal rights for the wife just like the husband is true modernity, my girl!
Padiththa pothum pengalin kadamai
Even if educated, a woman's duty,
Padhiyin sevaiyadi
Is serving her husband, my girl!
Padhiyin sevai manaivikkum vendum
The husband's service to the wife is also needed,
Adhuthaan vaazhkkaiyadi
That alone is true life, my girl!
Ennadi unga naaareegam
What kind of modern culture is yours?
Edhaiyum thiranthu poduthu
Exposing everything openly!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Ilai maraivindri aaduthu
Swaying without any leaf to hide behind!
Kovil silaigal veliyil vizhunthaal
If temple idols fall outside,
Kallaai maarumadi
They turn into mere ordinary stones, my girl!
Kudumba pengal naanam izhanthaal
If women from good families lose their modesty,
Maanam pogumadi
Their honor is lost, my girl!
Kaaval pottu siraiyil vaippathu
Guarding and locking them up in prison,
Adimai vaazhkkaiyadi
Is a life of slavery, my girl!
Karppaiyum kaaththu urimaiyaiyum kaappathu
Protecting chastity while also preserving women's rights,
Nagareegamadi….
Is true modernity, my girl!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song presents a lively debate contrasting traditional values with modern viewpoints regarding female modesty, domestic duties, personal rights, and freedom. One side critiques modern attire and behavior as overly explicit and lacking modesty, asserting that classical virtues and devotion to family preserve dignity. The counter-argument asserts that extreme tradition reduces women to silent statues or slaves, advocating that true modernity lies in equality, mutual service, and mutual respect in marriage. Ultimately, the lyrics bridge both views by concluding that true culture is maintaining self-respect and chastity while simultaneously championing modern rights and equal freedom for women.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai Ani)
“Udal saakku moottaipol thonuthu”
Compares a fully covered body to a coarse burlap sack using the explicit comparative word 'pol' (like).
Metaphor / Analogy
“Kovil silaigal veliyil vizhunthaal Kallaai maarumadi”
Compares women from respected households to sacred temple idols, emphasizing that stepping outside moral boundaries destroys sacred sanctity.
Muran (Antithesis)
“Vaazhvathu pazhamaiyadi / ... urimai naagareegamdi”
Contrasts the opposing concepts of 'Pazhamai' (Old-fashioned tradition) and 'Naagareegam' (Modernity/Progressiveness) across alternating lines.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Padiththa pothum pengalin kadamai / Padhiyin sevaiyadi”
The initial letter/consonant sound 'Pa' recurs across these lines, creating poetic cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Avare En Deivam' (1969) features lyrics by the legendary Tamil poet Kannadasan. The song showcases his signature style of structuring lyrical debates that highlight contemporary cultural clashes between traditional orthodox norms and progressive modern ideals in 1960s Tamil society.
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