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Paasavalai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Indha Aattukkum Namma

From Paasavalai · 1956

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singer
C. S. Jayaraman
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Paasavalai
Movie release year
1956
Lyrics added on
10 Apr 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Indha aattukkum
Namma naattukkum
Perung koottirukkudhu koonaarae
Idhai otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Indha aattukkum
Indha aattukkum
Namma naattukkum
Perung koottirukkudhu koonaarae
Idhai otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Thillaalangadi thillaalangadi
Ellam ippadi pogudhu
Nallaarukkul pollaarai pol
Narigal koottam vazhudhu
Thillaalangadi thillaalangadi
Thillaalangadi thillaalae
Indha aattukkum
Namma naattukkum
Perung koottirukkudhu koonaarae
Idhai otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Kanakku meeri thindradhaalae
Kanatha aadu saayudhu…aa…aa…aa..
Aa….aa….aa….aa…aa…aa…aa…
Kanakku meeri thindradhaalae
Kanatha aadu saayudhu
Adhai kanda pinnum mandhai ellam
Adhukku maelae maeyudhu
Panakirukku thalaiyil yaeri
Pagutharivun thaeyudhu
Panakirukku thalaiyil yaeri
Pagutharivun thaeyudhu
Indha paazhaaipona manidha koottam
Thaanaai vizhundhu maayudhu
Indha aattukkum
Indha aattukkum
Namma naattukkum
Perung koottirukkudhu koonaarae
Idhai otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Aasai endra bambarathai uruvaai kondu
Paasam endra kodung kayitraal aattang kandu
Naesam endra vattathul urundu urundu
Nenjudainthu pona uyir anaegan undu
Aaa….aaa….aaa….aa…
Idhai padithirunthum manakurangu
Pazhaiya kilaiyai pidikuthu
Paasavalaiyil maattikittu
Vauvaal pola thudikkuthu
Nadakkum paadhai purinthidaamal
Kurukkae pugundhu thavikkudhu
Adukku paanai pondra vaazhvai
Thudukku poonai odaikkudhu
Indha aattukkum
Indha aattukkum
Namma naattukkum
Perung koottirukkudhu koonaarae
Idhai otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Otti otti thiribavargal
Oru mudivung kaanarae
Thillaalangadi thillaalangadi
Thillaalangadi thillaalae
Thillaalangadi thillaalangadi
Thillaalangadi thillaalae
Between this sheep
and our country,
there is a striking resemblance, shepherd!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Between this sheep
Between this sheep
and our country,
there is a striking resemblance, shepherd!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Thillalangadi, thillalangadi,
everything goes on like this!
Like wicked souls hiding among the good,
a pack of sly foxes thrives!
Thillalangadi, thillalangadi,
thillalangadi thillaley!
Between this sheep
and our country,
there is a striking resemblance, shepherd!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
From gorging way beyond its limit,
the heavy sheep collapses... ah... ah... ah...
Ah... ah... ah... ah... ah... ah... ah...
From gorging way beyond its limit,
the heavy sheep collapses.
Even after seeing that, the whole flock
grazes even more greedily!
With money-madness rushing to their heads,
their common sense simply fades away.
With money-madness rushing to their heads,
their common sense simply fades away.
This ruined crowd of people
falls blindly into its own ruin!
Between this sheep
Between this sheep
and our country,
there is a striking resemblance, shepherd!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Taking shape like a spinning top of desire,
spun around by the cruel cord of attachment,
whirling round and round in the circle of affection,
countless souls have ended up heartbroken and ruined!
Ah... ah... ah... ah...
Even knowing this, the restless monkey-mind
still clutches the same old branch.
Trapped in the web of attachment,
it flutters in distress like a bat.
Without understanding the path ahead,
it dashes across recklessly and suffers.
And life, stacked carefully like earthen pots,
is smashed by a mischievous cat!
Between this sheep
Between this sheep
and our country,
there is a striking resemblance, shepherd!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Those who blindly follow along
will never find a way out!
Thillalangadi, thillalangadi,
thillalangadi thillaley!
Thillalangadi, thillalangadi,
thillalangadi thillaley!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Written by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram for the 1956 movie Paasavalai, this allegorical song uses the imagery of a shepherd, goats, and foxes to deliver a sharp critique of human greed, social hypocrisy, and loss of rational thought. Kalyanasundaram compares people who blindly chase material wealth to goats overeating beyond measure and collapsing, while the rest of the herd continues to graze blindly over them.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Aasai endra bambarathai uruvaai kondu

Desire is compared to a spinning top ('aasai endra bambaram') and affection to the controlling rope ('paasam endra kodung kayiru').

Simile (Uvamai)

Vauvaal pola thudikkuthu

The human mind entangled in worldly attachment is compared to a bat squirming when caught in a trap ('vauvaal pola thudikkuthu').

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Adukku paanai pondra vaazhvai

Human life is poetically compared to fragile stacked clay pots ('adukku paanai') easily destroyed by a reckless cat ('thudukku poonai').

Etuhaai (Second letter rhyme)

Indha aattukkum / Namma naattukkum

The second consonant sound 'tt' rhymes across consecutive lines ('aattukkum' and 'naattukkum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Paasavalai (1956) was directed by A. S. A. Sami and scored by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram was renowned for integrating Dravidian movement philosophies and Marxist critique into folk rhythm lyrics.

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