- Lyricist
- Ilaiyaraja
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Themmangu Paattukaaran
- Movie release year
- 1997
- Lyrics added on
- 21 Dec 2018
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Sollannae yaaraal indha
Soozhchi vandhu serndhadhu
Soththukku ezha veedu
Sogam kondu vaadudhu
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Vatraadha kaaviriyum
Valamaai godhaavariyum
Paayum naattil
Ekkaalum gangaiyudan
Ezhil migundha yamunai nadhi
Odum naattil
Vaigai purunaiyudan
Vaai inikkum paalaaru
Oiyum thirunaattil
Ulagu pugazh nam naattil
Aiyago arisi yena
Abaya kural kekkudhannae
Adhai kandum sila manasu
Asaiyaadhu irukkudhannae
Anaigal kattiyum enna
Panjaalai undaakkiyum enna
Aaththukku paalam katti
Roatta pottum enna
Anaigal pala kattiyadhaalae
Adhigam vilaindhadhallavaa
Arisikku panjam vandhaal
Anaigalai pichi thingavaa
Arisikku panjam vandhaal
Anaigalai pichi thingavaa
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Chorus :Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Sollannae yaaraal indha
Soozhchi vandhu serndhadhu
Soththukku ezha veedu
Sogam kondu vaadudhu
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Thaenaarum paalaarum
Theru theruvaai odum endru
Andru koori
Sirai chaalai adakku murai
Marukkaamal oppu kondu
Ondru koodi
Ullam nilai kollaamal
Oon urakkam illaamal
Iravu pagaal paaraamal
Yer pidithu nilam uzhudhu
Vidhai vidhaithu kaathirundhu
Adhu vilaindhu paarthirundhu
Aruvadaiyin nerathilae
Kalam kalamaai mani vilaithu
Kashtangal paduvadhu naanga
Pon kaasugal paarppadhu neenga
Koolikku velaiya senjom
Vandhu kooliya korachadhu yenga
Idha naanga solla ponaa
Kaaval pottu thadukkavaa
Aiyiaa nee ezhaikkaaga
Koolaiyai yethi kodukkavaa
Aiyiaa nee ezhaikkaaga
Koolaiyai yethi kodukkavaa
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
Sollannae yaaraal indha
Soozhchi vandhu serndhadhu
Soththukku ezha veedu
Sogam kondu vaadudhu
Ennannae naattukkullae
Kadum panjam aagudhu
Yen annae vandha nellu
Engannae pogudhu
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
Tell me, brother, whose doing is this,
whose plot has brought this upon us?
Starving for food, the poor home
is withering away in sorrow!
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
In the land where the perennial Cauvery
and the bountiful Godavari
flow across,
in the land where the eternal Ganga
and the beautiful Yamuna river
run forever,
along with the Vaigai and Porunai,
and the sweet river Palar
winds through this blessed country,
in our world-renowned nation,
crying desperately, 'Alas, rice!'
cries for help are heard everywhere, brother!
Even after seeing this, some hearts
remain completely unmoved, brother!
What is the point of building dams?
What is the point of setting up textile mills?
What is the use of bridging rivers
and laying down roads?
Because so many dams were built,
didn't the crops yield in great abundance?
If there is still a shortage of rice,
should we break apart the dams and eat them?
If there is still a shortage of rice,
should we break apart the dams and eat them?
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Chorus: Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
Tell me, brother, whose doing is this,
whose plot has brought this upon us?
Starving for food, the poor home
is withering away in sorrow!
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
'Rivers of honey and milk
will flow through every street,'
they promised back then;
facing prison bars and oppression
without protest, enduring it all,
we stood united;
with restless minds,
without food or sleep,
caring neither for day nor night,
holding the plough and tilling the soil,
sowing the seeds and waiting,
watching them grow into crops,
and at the time of harvest,
filling threshing floors with heaps of grain—
We are the ones who bear all the hardships,
but you are the ones who count the gold coins!
We did the hard work for our wages,
so why did you come and cut our pay?
If we speak up to ask about this,
will you bring the police to stop us?
Sir, for the sake of the poor,
won't you increase our wages?
Sir, for the sake of the poor,
won't you increase our wages?
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
Tell me, brother, whose doing is this,
whose plot has brought this upon us?
Starving for food, the poor home
is withering away in sorrow!
What is happening in our country, brother?
A severe famine is spreading!
Why, brother, the harvested grain—
where is it going, brother?
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a social-protest folk song (Themmangu) that highlights the plight of agricultural laborers and poor farmers in Tamil Nadu. The singer questions how a nation blessed with rich rivers like the Kaveri, Godavari, Ganga, Yamuna, Vaigai, and Palar can still suffer from severe rice shortages and famine. He criticizes industrial development, infrastructure projects, and mega-dams if they fail to address basic human hunger, asking rhetorically whether one can eat concrete dams when starving.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Vatraadha kaaviriyum / Valamaai godhaavariyum”
Matching second consonants across lines to create rhythmic symmetry, as seen in 'Vatraadha' and 'Valamaai'.
Rhetorical Question & Irony
“Arisikku panjam vandhaal / Anaigalai pichi thingavaa”
Using sharp rhetorical questioning ('Can we tear down and eat the dams?') to underscore the futility of physical infrastructure without basic food security.
Contrast / Antithesis
“Kashtangal paduvadhu naanga / Pon kaasugal paarppadhu neenga”
Highlighting class divide by contrasting the physical suffering of farmers with the financial gain of landlords/middlemen.
Did you know?
Trivia
Though written in a traditional Tamil folk format (Themmangu), the song contains sharp socio-political critique regarding agrarian distress, government priorities, and hoarding practices that leave farmers impoverished despite abundant harvests.
Keep listening
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From the same album
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