Entha Oor Endravane
From Kattu Roja · 1963
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. B. Sreenivas
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Kattu Roja1963
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Endha oor endravanae | O man who asks me which town I belong to, |
| Irundha oorai sollavaa | Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived? |
| Andha oor neeyum kooda | Are those not the very same places... |
| Arindha oorallavaa | ...that you yourself already know about? |
| Male | |
| Endha oor endravanae | O man who asks me which town I belong to, |
| Irundha oorai sollavaa | Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived? |
| Andha oor neeyum kooda | Are those not the very same places... |
| Arindha oorallavaa | ...that you yourself already know about? |
| Male | |
| Udalooril vaazhndhirundhen | I resided in the town of physical body, |
| Uravooril midhandhirundhen | I floated in the town of relations, |
| Karuvooril kudi pugundhen | I took up residence in the town of the womb, |
| Mannooril vizhundhu vitten | I fell down onto the town of earth, |
| Kannooril thavazhndhirundhen | I crawled around in the town of watchful eyes, |
| Kaiyooril valarndhirundhen | I grew up in the town of tender hands, |
| Kaalooril nadandhu vandhen | I walked along in the town of feet, |
| Kaalaiyoor vandhu vitten | I arrived at the town of youthful dawn, |
| Male | |
| Veloorai paarthu vitten | I caught sight of the town of desires, |
| Vizhiyooril kalandhu vitten | I immersed myself in the town of glances, |
| Paaloorum paruvam ennum | In the metropolis known as... |
| Pattinathil kudi pogundhen | ...the age overflowing with youth and vigor. |
| Male | |
| Endha oor endravanae | O man who asks me which town I belong to, |
| Irundha oorai sollavaa | Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived? |
| Andha oor neeyum kooda | Are those not the very same places... |
| Arindha oorallavaa | ...that you yourself already know about? |
| Male | |
| Kaadhaloor kaattiyaval | The woman who showed me the town of love, |
| Kaattooril vittu vittaal | Left me stranded in the town of wilderness, |
| Kanniyoor marandhavudan | As soon as she forgot the town of maiden innocence, |
| Kadalooril vizhundhu vitten | I fell headlong into the ocean town of sorrow, |
| Pallathoor thannil ennai | Leaving me to suffer helplessly... |
| Parithavikka vittu vittu | ...in the lowlands of despair, |
| Maettooril andha mangai | That young woman ascended to the highlands... |
| Mel yeri nindru kondaal | ...and stood triumphantly at the top. |
| Male | |
| Keezhooril vaazhvadharkkum | To live in the town below on this earth, |
| Kili mozhiyaal illaiyadaa | The sweet-voiced maiden is no longer with me, my friend, |
| Melooru povadharkkum | And to go to the town above in the heavens, |
| Velai varavillaiyadaa | My appointed time has not yet arrived. |
| Male | |
| Endha oor endravanae | O man who asks me which town I belong to, |
| Irundha oorai sollavaa | Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived? |
| Andha oor neeyum kooda | Are those not the very same places... |
| Arindha oorallavaa | ...that you yourself already know about? |
எந்த ஊர் என்றவனே
இருந்த ஊரை சொல்லவா
அந்த ஊர் நீயும் கூட
அறிந்த ஊர் அல்லவா
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Are those not the very same places...
...that you yourself already know about?
எந்த ஊர் என்றவனே
இருந்த ஊரை சொல்லவா
அந்த ஊர் நீயும் கூட
அறிந்த ஊர் அல்லவா
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Are those not the very same places...
...that you yourself already know about?
உடலூரில் வாழ்ந்திருந்தேன்
உறவூரில் மிதந்திருந்தேன்
உடலூரில் வாழ்ந்திருந்தேன்
உறவூரில் மிதந்திருந்தேன்
I resided in the town of physical body,
I floated in the town of relations,
I took up residence in the town of the womb,
I fell down onto the town of earth,
I crawled around in the town of watchful eyes,
I grew up in the town of tender hands,
I walked along in the town of feet,
I arrived at the town of youthful dawn,
கருவூரில் குடி புகுந்தேன்
மண்ணூரில் விழுந்து விட்டேன்
கருவூரில் குடி புகுந்தேன்
மண்ணூரில் விழுந்து விட்டேன்
I caught sight of the town of desires,
I immersed myself in the town of glances,
In the metropolis known as...
...the age overflowing with youth and vigor.
கண்ணூரில் தவழ்ந்திருந்தேன்
கையூரில் வளர்ந்திருந்தேன்
காலூரில் நடந்து வந்தேன்
காளையூர் வந்துவிட்டேன்
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Are those not the very same places...
...that you yourself already know about?
வேலூரைப் பார்த்து விட்டேன்
விழியூரில் கலந்து விட்டேன்
பாலுறும் பருவமெனும்
பட்டணத்தில் குடி புகுந்தேன்
The woman who showed me the town of love,
Left me stranded in the town of wilderness,
As soon as she forgot the town of maiden innocence,
I fell headlong into the ocean town of sorrow,
Leaving me to suffer helplessly...
...in the lowlands of despair,
That young woman ascended to the highlands...
...and stood triumphantly at the top.
எந்த ஊர் என்றவனே
இருந்த ஊரை சொல்லவா
அந்த ஊர் நீயும் கூட
அறிந்த ஊர் அல்லவா
To live in the town below on this earth,
The sweet-voiced maiden is no longer with me, my friend,
And to go to the town above in the heavens,
My appointed time has not yet arrived.
காதலூர் காட்டியவள்
காட்டூரில் விட்டுவிட்டாள்
காதலூர் காட்டியவள்
காட்டூரில் விட்டுவிட்டாள்
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Are those not the very same places...
...that you yourself already know about?
கன்னியூர் மறந்தவுடன்
கடலூரில் விழுந்துவிட்டேன்
கன்னியூர் மறந்தவுடன்
கடலூரில் விழுந்துவிட்டேன்!
பள்ளத்தூர் தன்னில் என்னை
பரிதவிக்க விட்டு விட்டு
மேட்டூரில் அந்த மங்கை
மேலேறி நின்று கொண்டாள்
கீழுரில் வாழ்வதற்கும்
கிளிமொழியாள் இல்லையடா
மேலூர் போவதற்கு
வேளை வரவில்லையடா
எந்த ஊர் என்றவனே
இருந்த ஊரை சொல்லவா
அந்த ஊர் நீயும் கூட
அறிந்த ஊர் அல்லவா
Endha oor endravanae
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Are those not the very same places...
Arindha oorallavaa
...that you yourself already know about?
Endha oor endravanae
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Are those not the very same places...
Arindha oorallavaa
...that you yourself already know about?
Udalooril vaazhndhirundhen
I resided in the town of physical body,
Uravooril midhandhirundhen
I floated in the town of relations,
Karuvooril kudi pugundhen
I took up residence in the town of the womb,
Mannooril vizhundhu vitten
I fell down onto the town of earth,
Kannooril thavazhndhirundhen
I crawled around in the town of watchful eyes,
Kaiyooril valarndhirundhen
I grew up in the town of tender hands,
Kaalooril nadandhu vandhen
I walked along in the town of feet,
Kaalaiyoor vandhu vitten
I arrived at the town of youthful dawn,
Veloorai paarthu vitten
I caught sight of the town of desires,
Vizhiyooril kalandhu vitten
I immersed myself in the town of glances,
Paaloorum paruvam ennum
In the metropolis known as...
Pattinathil kudi pogundhen
...the age overflowing with youth and vigor.
Endha oor endravanae
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Are those not the very same places...
Arindha oorallavaa
...that you yourself already know about?
Kaadhaloor kaattiyaval
The woman who showed me the town of love,
Kaattooril vittu vittaal
Left me stranded in the town of wilderness,
Kanniyoor marandhavudan
As soon as she forgot the town of maiden innocence,
Kadalooril vizhundhu vitten
I fell headlong into the ocean town of sorrow,
Pallathoor thannil ennai
Leaving me to suffer helplessly...
Parithavikka vittu vittu
...in the lowlands of despair,
Maettooril andha mangai
That young woman ascended to the highlands...
Mel yeri nindru kondaal
...and stood triumphantly at the top.
Keezhooril vaazhvadharkkum
To live in the town below on this earth,
Kili mozhiyaal illaiyadaa
The sweet-voiced maiden is no longer with me, my friend,
Melooru povadharkkum
And to go to the town above in the heavens,
Velai varavillaiyadaa
My appointed time has not yet arrived.
Endha oor endravanae
O man who asks me which town I belong to,
Irundha oorai sollavaa
Shall I tell you about the towns where I have lived?
Andha oor neeyum kooda
Are those not the very same places...
Arindha oorallavaa
...that you yourself already know about?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
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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