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IsaimozhiLyrics · Translation · Meaning

Lyrics & meaning

Iraivan Endroru Kavinjan

From Yaen · 1970

Lyricist: Kannadasan
Singer: S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director: T. R. Pappa
Movie name: Yaen
Movie release year: 1970
Lyrics added on: 16 Mar 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics

↻ English translation

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu

Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Kadavulin padaippilae kavidhaiyum undu

Gandhiyai polavae kaaviyam undu

Mudivu vilangaadha thodar kadhai undu

Mudikka vendum endru mudippadhum undu

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan

Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan

Kangalil thodangi kangalil mudithaan

Pennidam pirandhadhai pennidam koduthaan

Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan

Mannilae nadandhadhai mannukkae alithaan

Vaanathil irundhae kavidhaiyai mudithaan

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Karuvil irundhae kavinjanin pirappu

Kaalathin parisae kavidhaiyil sirappu

Karpanai enbadhu kadavulin padaippu

Kadavulai vendradhu kavinjanin ninaippu

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

Adhil arinjanum moodanum undu

Aanaal thodakkamum mudivum ondru

Iraivan endroru kavinjan

Avan padaitha kavidhai manidhan

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

In it, there are the wise and the foolish,

yet their beginning and end are the same.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

In God's creation, there are gentle poems;

and there are grand epics like Gandhi.

There are continuous stories where the ending is never clear,

and there are stories ended just for the sake of ending them.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

He began life in the eyes and ended it in the eyes;

what was born of a woman, He gave to a woman.

He began life in the eyes and ended it in the eyes;

what was born of a woman, He gave to a woman.

What walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth;

what walked upon the earth, He returned to the earth;

and from high in the heavens, He finished His poem.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

A poet is born right from the womb;

the beauty of poetry is a gift of time.

Imagination is a creation of God,

yet a poet's thought conquers even God.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

In it, there are the wise and the foolish,

yet their beginning and end are the same.

There is a poet called God,

and man is the poem He created.

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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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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