Kaalamellam Payaname
From Anbu Magan · 1961
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. B. Sreenivas
- Music director
- T. Chalapathi Rao
- Details
- Anbu Magan1961
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Kodukkka therintha manamae unakku | Oh heart that knows how to give, for you, |
| Marakka theriyaadha | do you not know how to forget? |
| Pazhaga therindha uyirae unakku | Oh soul that knows how to bond, for you, |
| Vilaga theriyaadha | do you not know how to walk away? |
| Male | |
| Kaalam ellaam payanamae | Life throughout time is a journey, |
| Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae | it continues like a story. |
| Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal | Even if one travels all around the world, |
| Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai | peace is nowhere to be found. |
| Male | |
| Koyil kandaan koottam kandaan | He saw temples, he saw crowds, |
| Bakthi kandaan poojai kandaaan | he saw devotion, he saw worship rituals, |
| Aaravaaram yaavum kandaan | he saw all kinds of clamor, |
| Amaidhiyaithaan kaanavillai | yet peace he did not find. |
| Male | |
| Kaalam ellaam payanamae | Life throughout time is a journey, |
| Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae | it continues like a story. |
| Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal | Even if one travels all around the world, |
| Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai | peace is nowhere to be found. |
| Male | |
| Aaru kandaan amaidhi illai | He saw rivers, yet found no peace, |
| Alaiyum kaatril amaidhi illai | in the wandering wind, there was no peace. |
| Manadhil vaazhum amaidhi thannai | The peace that resides within the mind, |
| Ulagam engum thedugindraan | he searches for across the whole world. |
| Male | |
| Kaalam ellaam payanamae | Life throughout time is a journey, |
| Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae | it continues like a story. |
| Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal | Even if one travels all around the world, |
| Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai | peace is nowhere to be found. |
| Male | |
| Veenai ingae ..naadham angae | The lute is here, but its music is over there, |
| Deepam ingae jodhi angae | the lamp is here, but its light is over there. |
| Aasai paasam yaavum ingae | Desire and affection are all right here, |
| Amaidhi pona paadhai engae | where is the path that peace took? |
| Male | |
| Kaalam ellaam payanamae | Life throughout time is a journey, |
| Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae | it continues like a story. |
| Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal | Even if one travels all around the world, |
| Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai | peace is nowhere to be found. |
கொடுக்கத் தெரிந்த மனமே உனக்கு
மறக்கத் தெரியாதா
பழகத் தெரிந்த உயிரே உனக்கு
விலகத் தெரியாதா.....
Oh heart that knows how to give, for you,
do you not know how to forget?
Oh soul that knows how to bond, for you,
do you not know how to walk away?
காலமெல்லாம் பயணமே
கதையைப் போல தொடருமே
அகிலம் யாரும் சுற்றி வந்தால்
அமைதி காண முடியுமே...
Life throughout time is a journey,
it continues like a story.
Even if one travels all around the world,
peace is nowhere to be found.
கோயில் கண்டான் கூட்டம் கண்டான்
பக்தி கண்டான் பூஜை கண்டான்
ஆரவாரம் யாவும் கண்டான்
அமைதியைத்தான் காணவில்லை
He saw temples, he saw crowds,
he saw devotion, he saw worship rituals,
he saw all kinds of clamor,
yet peace he did not find.
காலமெல்லாம் பயணமே
கதையைப் போல தொடருமே
அகிலம் யாரும் சுற்றி வந்தால்
அமைதி காண முடியுமே...
Life throughout time is a journey,
it continues like a story.
Even if one travels all around the world,
peace is nowhere to be found.
ஆறு கண்டான் அமைதி இல்லை
அலையும் காற்றில் அமைதி இல்லை
மனதில் வாழும் அமைதி தன்னை
உலகமெங்கும் தேடுகின்றான்....
He saw rivers, yet found no peace,
in the wandering wind, there was no peace.
The peace that resides within the mind,
he searches for across the whole world.
காலமெல்லாம் பயணமே
கதையைப் போல தொடருமே
அகிலம் யாரும் சுற்றி வந்தால்
அமைதி காண முடியுமே...
Life throughout time is a journey,
it continues like a story.
Even if one travels all around the world,
peace is nowhere to be found.
வீணை இங்கே...! நாதம் அங்கே....!
தீபம் இங்கே.....! ஜோதி அங்கே....!
ஆசை பாசம் யாவும் இங்கே.....!
அமைதி போன பாதை எங்கே....!
The lute is here, but its music is over there,
the lamp is here, but its light is over there.
Desire and affection are all right here,
where is the path that peace took?
காலமெல்லாம் பயணமே
கதையைப் போல தொடருமே
அகிலம் யாரும் சுற்றி வந்தால்
அமைதி காண முடியுமே...
Life throughout time is a journey,
it continues like a story.
Even if one travels all around the world,
peace is nowhere to be found.
Kodukkka therintha manamae unakku
Oh heart that knows how to give, for you,
Marakka theriyaadha
do you not know how to forget?
Pazhaga therindha uyirae unakku
Oh soul that knows how to bond, for you,
Vilaga theriyaadha
do you not know how to walk away?
Kaalam ellaam payanamae
Life throughout time is a journey,
Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae
it continues like a story.
Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal
Even if one travels all around the world,
Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai
peace is nowhere to be found.
Koyil kandaan koottam kandaan
He saw temples, he saw crowds,
Bakthi kandaan poojai kandaaan
he saw devotion, he saw worship rituals,
Aaravaaram yaavum kandaan
he saw all kinds of clamor,
Amaidhiyaithaan kaanavillai
yet peace he did not find.
Kaalam ellaam payanamae
Life throughout time is a journey,
Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae
it continues like a story.
Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal
Even if one travels all around the world,
Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai
peace is nowhere to be found.
Aaru kandaan amaidhi illai
He saw rivers, yet found no peace,
Alaiyum kaatril amaidhi illai
in the wandering wind, there was no peace.
Manadhil vaazhum amaidhi thannai
The peace that resides within the mind,
Ulagam engum thedugindraan
he searches for across the whole world.
Kaalam ellaam payanamae
Life throughout time is a journey,
Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae
it continues like a story.
Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal
Even if one travels all around the world,
Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai
peace is nowhere to be found.
Veenai ingae ..naadham angae
The lute is here, but its music is over there,
Deepam ingae jodhi angae
the lamp is here, but its light is over there.
Aasai paasam yaavum ingae
Desire and affection are all right here,
Amaidhi pona paadhai engae
where is the path that peace took?
Kaalam ellaam payanamae
Life throughout time is a journey,
Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae
it continues like a story.
Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal
Even if one travels all around the world,
Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai
peace is nowhere to be found.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant philosophical song expresses a deep existential longing for inner peace and emotional detachment. Kannadasan addresses his own heart and soul, questioning why it is so easy to love, give, and bond, yet so difficult to forget pain and move away from attachments. The song frames human life as a continuous journey that unfolds like a story, pointing out the irony of human nature: people search for peace everywhere in the external world—in bustling temples, devotion, rivers, and winds—failing to realize that genuine peace dwells only within one's own mind. In the final verse, vivid imagery of separation—a lute separated from its melody, and a lamp separated from its light—underscores the profound sense of dislocation and internal conflict experienced when desire and affection remain, but tranquility is lost.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhetorical Question
“Kodukkka therintha manamae unakku / Marakka theriyaadha”
The song opens with rhetorical questions posed to one's own heart and soul, highlighting emotional dilemma.
Simile (Upamai)
“Kadhaiyai pola thodarumae”
Compares the continuous journey of time and human life to the unfolding of a story ('Kadhaiyai pola').
Metaphor & Imagery
“Veenai ingae ..naadham angae / Deepam ingae jodhi angae”
Uses the separation of cause and essence (veena/music, lamp/light) as a powerful metaphor for spiritual and emotional disconnect.
Refrain / Anaphora
“Agilam yaarum sutri vandhaal / Amaidhi yai thaan kaanavillai”
The lines reiterating that peace cannot be found anywhere across the world are repeated after every stanza to emphasize the core theme.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by the legendary poet Kannadasan and sung by P. B. Sreenivas for the 1961 film 'Anbu Magan', this track is widely regarded as one of Tamil cinema's classic 'thathuva paadalguri' (philosophical songs). Kannadasan was famous for writing such reflective, introspective verses that mirrored real-life emotional struggles, paired beautifully here with T. Chalapathi Rao's minimalist musical composition.
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