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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ethaiyum Nandraai

From Kalyaniyin Kanavan · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Details
Kalyaniyin Kanavan1963

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Ethaiyum nandraai edai podaamalWithout weighing or evaluating anything properly,
Udhavi seithenae uravu kondaenaeI rendered help and forged bonds with them...
Idhuvum vendumadaa enakkuI deserve even this, my friend!
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...
Idhuvum vendumadaa enakkuI deserve even this, my friend!
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...
Male
Ethaiyum Nandraai edai podaamalWithout weighing anything properly,
Udhavi seithenaeI rendered help...
Ethaiyum nandraai edai podaamalWithout weighing or evaluating anything properly,
Udhavi seithenae uravu kondaenaeI rendered help and forged bonds with them...
Idhuvum vendumadaa enakkuI deserve even this, my friend!
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...
Male
Koththu paambudan kudiyiruntheaneI lived alongside a striking cobra,
Kottum theal thanai madiyil vaiththaeneI cradled a stinging scorpion in my lap!
Koththu paambudan kudiyiruntheaneI lived alongside a striking cobra,
Kottum theal thanai madiyil vaiththaeneI cradled a stinging scorpion in my lap!
Male
Vettum kaigalai anaiththirunthaenaeI embraced the very hands that came to strike me down,
Vettum kaigalai anaiththirunthaenaeI embraced the very hands that came to strike me down,
Veluththathellam paalaendru ninaithirunthaenaeI foolishly believed that everything white was milk!
Male
Idhuvum vendumadaa enakkuI deserve even this, my friend!
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...
Male
Uruvam paarththu aasai vaiththaeneI fell in love merely by looking at the outward appearance,
Ullam paarkka maranthu vittaenaeYet I completely forgot to look at the heart within!
Uruvam paarththu aasai vaiththaeneI fell in love merely by looking at the outward appearance,
Ullam paarkka maranthu vittaenaeYet I completely forgot to look at the heart within!
Male
Paruvam paarththu pazhgi vitteanaeI became intimate merely judging by youthful charm,
Paruvam paarththu pazhgi vitteanaeI became intimate merely judging by youthful charm,
Pazhagi paarththum mayakki vittaenaeEven after close acquaintance, I allowed myself to be spellbound!
Male
Idhuvum vendumadaa enakkuI deserve even this, my friend!
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...
Innamum vendumadaa….I deserve even more than this...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a bitter, self-deprecating expression of remorse and philosophical reflection on misplaced trust and naivety. The protagonist laments how blindly helping treacherous people and judging individuals solely by their outward charm or youth led to betrayal. By comparing backstabbing companions to venomous cobras, scorpions, and hands raised to strike, the speaker reflects on their own folly in assuming that every bright exterior conceals pure intentions. The refrain 'Idhuvum vendumadaa enakku, Innamum vendumadaa' ('I deserve this, and even more!') carries intense self-directed sarcasm. Rather than blaming the betrayers, the protagonist sarcastically scolds themselves for being foolish enough to embrace danger and mistake appearances for truth, framing the heartbreak as a harsh but deserved lesson in human nature.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Koththu paambudan kudiyiruntheane / Kottum theal thanai madiyil vaiththaene

Treacherous people in the protagonist's life are metaphorically equated to a striking cobra and a stinging scorpion kept dangerously close.

Cultural Idiom / Proverb (Pazhamozhi)

Veluththathellam paalaendru ninaithirunthaenae

Uses the famous Tamil proverb 'Veluthathellam paalu' (believing everything that appears white is milk) to express extreme innocence, gullibility, and lack of discernment.

Monai (First-letter Alliteration)

Uruvam paarththu aasai vaiththaene / Ullam paarkka maranthu vittaenae

The initial letter 'U' repeats in 'Uruvam' and 'Ullam', creating poetic rhythm.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Uruvam paarththu aasai vaiththaene / Paruvam paarththu pazhgi vitteanae

The second consonant sound 'ru' rhymes across 'Uruvam' and 'Paruvam'.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Idhuvum vendumadaa enakku / Innamum vendumadaa….

The repetitive line-ending pattern 'vendumadaa' creates a rhythmic cadence emphasizing self-reproach.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan for the 1963 film 'Kalyaniyin Kanavan' (starring Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi), this song exemplifies Kannadasan's signature philosophical style. Kannadasan frequently infused his lyrics with personal lessons drawn from his own life experiences of trust, betrayal, and financial hardship, making songs like this deeply resonant with audiences.

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