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Kattu Roja album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Entha Oor Endravane

From Kattu Roja · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. B. Sreenivas
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Kattu Roja
Movie release year
1963
Lyrics added on
19 Sept 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Endha oor endravanae
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Arindha oorallavaa
Endha oor endravanae
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Arindha oorallavaa
Udalooril vaazhndhirundhen
Uravooril midhandhirundhen
Karuvooril kudi pugundhen
Mannooril vizhundhu vitten
Kannooril thavazhndhirundhen
Kaiyooril valarndhirundhen
Kaalooril nadandhu vandhen
Kaalaiyoor vandhu vitten
Veloorai paarthu vitten
Vizhiyooril kalandhu vitten
Paaloorum paruvam ennum
Pattinathil kudi pogundhen
Endha oor endravanae
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Arindha oorallavaa
Kaadhaloor kaattiyaval
Kaattooril vittu vittaal
Kanniyoor marandhavudan
Kadalooril vizhundhu vitten
Pallathoor thannil ennai
Parithavikka vittu vittu
Maettooril andha mangai
Mel yeri nindru kondaal
Keezhooril vaazhvadharkkum
Kili mozhiyaal illaiyadaa
Melooru povadharkkum
Velai varavillaiyadaa
Endha oor endravanae
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Arindha oorallavaa
You who ask which town I come from,
shall I tell you where I have lived?
Isn't that a place
that even you know well?
You who ask which town I come from,
shall I tell you where I have lived?
Isn't that a place
that even you know well?
I lived first in the realm of the body,
floating in the warmth of kinship.
I took shelter in the womb,
and fell onto this earthly soil.
I crawled before watchful eyes,
and grew up held in gentle hands.
I learned to walk on my own feet,
and arrived at the prime of youth.
I gazed into spear-sharp eyes,
and lost myself in her look.
In that bustling city
of sweet, budding youth, I made my home.
You who ask which town I come from,
shall I tell you where I have lived?
Isn't that a place
that even you know well?
She showed me the realm of love,
only to abandon me in the wild.
Once that girl forgot all about me,
I fell into an ocean of sorrow.
Leaving me in the deep lowlands
to struggle and suffer in pain,
that woman climbed up high
and stood alone on the hilltop.
To keep living down here on earth,
my sweet-voiced girl is gone, my friend.
And to leave for the world above,
my time has not yet come, my friend.
You who ask which town I come from,
shall I tell you where I have lived?
Isn't that a place
that even you know well?
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

In this brilliant philosophical song from Kattu Roja (1963), lyricist Kannadasan employs an intricate wordplay centered around the Tamil suffix '-oor' (meaning town or place). The protagonist answers a question about his origins by narrating the universal human journey using metaphorical town names. He details the stages of life from conception (Karuvoor), birth on Earth (Mannoor), childhood nurtured by hands and eyes (Kaiyoor, Kannoor), walking (Kaaloor), reaching youth (Kaalaiyoor), falling in love (Kaadhaloor), and experiencing heartbreak.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Pun / Metaphor (Sledai / Yamakam)

“Udalooril vaazhndhirundhen ... Karuvooril kudi pugundhen”

Kannadasan crafts metaphorical town names using real and wordplay place endings ('-oor') to map stages of life like the womb (Karuvoor), earth (Mannoor), and desires (Veloor).

Ethugai (Second letter rhyme)

“Kaadhaloor kaattiyaval / Kaattooril vittu vittaal”

The second consonant sound 'dha'/'t' creates a rhythmic beat across consecutive lines.

Muran (Antithesis)

“Keezhooril vaazhvadharkkum ... Melooru povadharkkum”

Contrasting 'Keezhoor' (lower town / life on earth) with 'Meloor' (upper town / afterlife or heaven) to show the protagonist's existential limbo.

Did you know?

Trivia

In the 1963 film 'Kattu Roja', lyricist Kannadasan created a celebrated masterpiece of Tamil philosophical poetry by seamlessly weaving real places (such as Mettur, Cuddalore, Vellore, Melur) and imaginary town names ending in '-oor' into a cohesive life journey.

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