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Asai Anna Arumai Thambi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaanaadha Kaatshigalai Paaru

From Asai Anna Arumai Thambi · 1955

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singers
K. V. Mahadevan, K. Rani
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Asai Anna Arumai Thambi
Movie release year
1955
Lyrics added on
21 Sept 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaanaatha kaatchigalai paaru
Kaalaththin kolam thannai paaru
Moonaavin kaiyilae paa naa agappattu
Muzhiyaa muzhigiratha paaru
Moonaavin kaiyilae paa naa agappattu
Muzhiyaa muzhigiratha paaru
Maanaavin kaiyilae penaa agappattu
Mai veenaagirathai paaru
Antha maanaavin kaiyilae penaa agappattu
Mai veenaagirathai paaru…..paaru…..paaru…..
Aa naa vilaasam illaatha sananga
Avasathaep padugirathai paaru
Adhuvulla manushan kaaru savaari
Azhagaach seigiratha paaru
Adhuvulla manushan kaaru savaari
Azhagaach seigiratha paaru
Aanaa poranthum kaiyaalaagatha pasanga
Pennaaga thirigiratha paaru
Female :Kannkaanaatha pothu joppadi seiyum
Kaavaali pogiratha paaru
Thaanaaga ozhaikkaamal thgiduthaththanj seithu
Katti thookkunj saamigalai paaru
Thaanaaga ozhaikkaamal thgiduthaththanj seithu
Katti thookkunj saamigalai paaru
Than paavantheera
Than paavantheera thambidiya podum
Dharma prabuvaiyum paaru
Maanaapimaanam vitu periya manushngitta
Vattamidum kaakkaaya paaru
Vattamidum kaakkaaya paaru
Vannaan kadaiyilae
Iraval thuniyum vaangikittu
Vannaan kadaiyilae
Iraval thuniyum vaangikittu
Mainor vesham poduvathai paaru
Mainor vesham poduvathai paaru
Naagareega olagamithai paaru
Female :Pothum naanamaai vaazhavazhi paaru
Male :Naagareega olagamithai paaru
Female :Pothum naanamaai vaazhavazhi paaru
Look at sights you have never seen before!
Look at the strange ways of the times!
Trapped in the hands of a total fool,
look at that poor fellow blinking in confusion!
Trapped in the hands of a total fool,
look at that poor fellow blinking in confusion!
With a pen falling into the hands of an illiterate fool,
look at the ink going to waste!
With a pen falling into the hands of that illiterate fool,
look at the ink going to waste... look, look, look!
People without a name or standing,
look at them suffering in misery!
While a man of status riding in a car,
look at how grandly he shows off!
While a man of status riding in a car,
look at how grandly he shows off!
Useless fellows born as men,
look at them wandering about behaving like women!
Female: Pickpocketing when no one is looking,
look at that scoundrel walking away!
Without doing honest work, using tricks and deceit,
look at the fake holy men being carried high!
Without doing honest work, using tricks and deceit,
look at the fake holy men being carried high!
To wash away his sins,
tossing a tiny penny to wash away his sins,
look at that great "lord of charity"!
Discarding all self-respect around the wealthy,
look at the sycophants circling like crows!
look at the sycophants circling like crows!
From the washerman's shop,
borrowing clothes on rent,
From the washerman's shop,
borrowing clothes on rent,
look at him posing as a wealthy dandy!
look at him posing as a wealthy dandy!
Look at this modern world!
Female: Enough! Find a way to live with decency!
Male: Look at this modern world!
Female: Enough! Find a way to live with decency!
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This satirical social commentary song from the 1955 movie 'Asai Anna Arumai Thambi' reflects on the ironies and moral hypocrisies of modern society. Lyricist A. Maruthakasi uses vivid everyday imagery to highlight societal flaws—uneducated people struggling, wealthy people flaunting their riches, fraudulent godmen collecting money without real effort, cheap hypocrites offering small copper coins to expiate big sins, and shallow pretenders renting clothes to appear like wealthy gentlemen.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Refrain / Repetition (Anaphora)

“Kaanaatha kaatchigalai paaru”

The word 'paaru' (look/observe) is used repeatedly at the end of lines as an imperative refrain, urging the listener to observe society's contradictions.

Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

“Moonaavin kaiyilae paa naa agappattu / Muzhiyaa muzhigiratha paaru”

The initial 'M' sound is repeated in 'Moonaavin' and 'Muzhiyaa', creating a musical, rhythmic flow characteristic of classical Tamil prosody.

Metaphor (Sycophancy)

“Vattamidum kaakkaaya paaru”

The imagery of crows circling around ('vattamidum kaakkai') is used as a metaphor for fawning flatterers and sycophants hovering around influential people for personal gain.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Asai Anna Arumai Thambi' (1955) starred A. P. Nagarajan, T. R. Ramachandran, and Madhuri Devi. Lyricist A. Maruthakasi was renowned in 1950s Tamil cinema for embedding sharp philosophical insights and social criticism into accessible folk and light classical formats.

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