Iraivan Endroru Kavinjan
From Yaen · 1970
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- T. R. Pappa
- Details
- Yaen1970
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu | In it, there are both the wise and the fool |
| Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru | But the beginning and the end are one and the same |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Male | |
| Kadavulin padaippilae kavidhaiyum undu | In God's creation, there is poetry as well |
| Gandhiyai polavae kaaviyam undu | There is an epic like Gandhi himself |
| Mudivu vilangaadha thodar kadhai undu | There is a serial story whose ending is incomprehensible |
| Mudikka vendum endru mudippadhum undu | There is also an ending made simply because it had to be ended |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Male | |
| Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan | He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes |
| Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan | What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman |
| Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan | He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes |
| Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan | What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman |
| Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan | What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth |
| Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan | What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth |
| Vaanathil irundhae kavidhaiyai mudithaan | From the heavens above, He brought the poem to a close |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Male | |
| Karuvil irundhae kavinjanin pirappu | A poet's birth begins right from the womb |
| Kaalathin parisae kavidhaiyil sirappu | The brilliance in poetry is a gift of time |
| Karpanai enbadhu kadavulin padaippu | Imagination is God's creation |
| Kadavulai vendradhu kavinjanin ninaippu | A poet's thought is what conquers God |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
| Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu | In it, there are both the wise and the fool |
| Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru | But the beginning and the end are one and the same |
| Male | |
| Iraivan endroru kavinjan | God is a poet |
| Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan | Man is the poem created by Him |
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
அதில் அறிஞனும் மூடனும் உண்டு
ஆனால் தொடக்கமும் முடிவும் ஒன்று
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
In it, there are both the wise and the fool
But the beginning and the end are one and the same
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
கடவுளின் படைப்பிலே கவிதையும் உண்டு
காந்தியை போலவே காவியம் உண்டு
முடிவு விளங்காத தொடர்கதை உண்டு
முடிக்க வேண்டுமென்று முடிப்பதும் உண்டு
In God's creation, there is poetry as well
There is an epic like Gandhi himself
There is a serial story whose ending is incomprehensible
There is also an ending made simply because it had to be ended
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
கண்களில் தொடங்கி கண்களில் முடித்தான்
பெண்ணிடம் பிறந்ததை பெண்ணிடம் கொடுத்தான்
கண்களில் தொடங்கி கண்களில் முடித்தான்
பெண்ணிடம் பிறந்ததை பெண்ணிடம் கொடுத்தான்
மண்ணிலே நடந்ததை மண்ணுக்கே அளித்தான்
மண்ணிலே நடந்ததை மண்ணுக்கே அளித்தான்
வானத்தில் இருந்தே கவிதை முடித்தான்
He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes
What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman
He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes
What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman
What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth
What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth
From the heavens above, He brought the poem to a close
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
கருவில் இருந்தே கவிஞனின் பிறப்பு
காலத்தின் பரிசே கவிதையில் சிறப்பு
கற்பனை என்பது கடவுளின் படைப்பு
கடவுளை வென்றது கவிஞனின் நினைப்பு
A poet's birth begins right from the womb
The brilliance in poetry is a gift of time
Imagination is God's creation
A poet's thought is what conquers God
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
அதில் அறிஞனும் மூடனும் உண்டு
ஆனால் தொடக்கமும் முடிவும் ஒன்று
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
In it, there are both the wise and the fool
But the beginning and the end are one and the same
இறைவன் என்றொரு கவிஞன்
அவன் படைத்த கவிதை மனிதன்
God is a poet
Man is the poem created by Him
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu
In it, there are both the wise and the fool
Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru
But the beginning and the end are one and the same
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Kadavulin padaippilae kavidhaiyum undu
In God's creation, there is poetry as well
Gandhiyai polavae kaaviyam undu
There is an epic like Gandhi himself
Mudivu vilangaadha thodar kadhai undu
There is a serial story whose ending is incomprehensible
Mudikka vendum endru mudippadhum undu
There is also an ending made simply because it had to be ended
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan
He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes
Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan
What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman
Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan
He began with the eyes and ended with the eyes
Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan
What was born of a woman, He gave back to a woman
Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan
What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth
Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan
What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth
Vaanathil irundhae kavidhaiyai mudithaan
From the heavens above, He brought the poem to a close
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Karuvil irundhae kavinjanin pirappu
A poet's birth begins right from the womb
Kaalathin parisae kavidhaiyil sirappu
The brilliance in poetry is a gift of time
Karpanai enbadhu kadavulin padaippu
Imagination is God's creation
Kadavulai vendradhu kavinjanin ninaippu
A poet's thought is what conquers God
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu
In it, there are both the wise and the fool
Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru
But the beginning and the end are one and the same
Iraivan endroru kavinjan
God is a poet
Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan
Man is the poem created by Him
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
In 'Iraivan Endroru Kavinjan', lyricist Kannadasan presents a philosophical contemplation framing the Almighty as the ultimate poet and humankind as His living poetry. The song muses on the varied natures of human lives—some live epic lives like Mahatma Gandhi, while others have perplexing or abrupt end stories. Ultimately, regardless of whether one is wise or foolish, everyone shares the common trajectory of birth and death, returning to the soil from which they came. Kannadasan celebrates the power of poetic imagination as a divine spark, suggesting that while God creates imagination, a poet's profound thoughts possess the capability to capture even the divine.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamanai/Rupakam)
“Iraivan endroru kavinjan / Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan”
Compares God directly to a poet ('Iraivan endroru kavinjan') and human existence to a poem ('Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan').
Antithesis (Muran)
“Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu / Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru”
Contrasts opposites such as the wise ('arinjanum') and the fool ('moodanum'), as well as beginning ('thodakkamum') and end ('mudivum').
Alliteration (Monaai)
“Karuvil irundhae kavinjanin pirappu / Kaalathin parisae kavidhaiyil sirappu”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds like 'k' in 'Karuvil', 'Kaalathin', 'Karpanai', and 'Kadavulai'.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is featured in the 1970 Tamil film 'Yaen', starring Ravichandran and Jayalalithaa. The music for the film was composed by TR Pappa, with lyrics crafted by Kannadasan, capturing his trademark existential and philosophical depth.
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