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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kaighal Irandil

From Veera Kanal · 1960

Lyricist
Ambikapathi
Singers
S. C. Krishnan, L. R. Eswari, P. Susheela
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Veera Kanal
Movie release year
1960
Lyrics added on
26 Aug 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Hoo ooo ooo hooo oo oo ooo
Hoo ooo ooo hooo oo oo ooo
Hooo ooo ooo oo ooo oo oo
Kaigal irandil valai kulunga
Kaalil silambu kalakalanga
Kaigal irandil valai kulunga
Kaalil silambu kalakalanga
Anna kodi idai pinni asaindhida
Aadi maghizhvom ammaanai
Anna kodi idai pinni asaindhida
Aadi maghizhvom ammaanai
Aaradi koondhal mazhai polae
Male :Adhil anaiyin kaigal malar polae
Female :Aaradi koondhal mazhai polae
Male :Adhil anaiyin kaigal malar polae
Female :Poothu sirikkum mugathilae
Male :Oru pottu kulungudhu meen polae
Aa… aaa…aaa…aaa…aaa….
Chorus :O hoho hoi…
Female :Hoo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo
Chorus :Hae haeii
Ooraar ellaam aadaiyilae
Unakkenna velai medaiyilae
Ha..ha..ha..haa..aaaa…aa…aa..aaa…aa..aa..
Ooraar ellaam aadaiyilae
Unakkenna velai medaiyilae
Thaalam illaamal bhaavam illaamal
Naamum kudhippom koottathilae
Aambala pombala iru jaadhi
Male :Aehae aasaiyil mattum oru jaadhi
Female :Humkum aambala pombala iru jaadhi
Male :Aehae aasaiyil mattum oru jaadhi
Gunathilae paadhi uruvathil paadhi
Kurangum naamum oru jaadhi
Aa… aaa ee… oo… ae… ai…
Kaadu vetti naadu kanda kaigal
Engal kaigal
Kal pilandhu silai vaditha kaigal
Engal kaigal
Paadu patta kaigal valam pera kaanbom
Female :Valam pera kaanbom
Panbizhandha pagaivarkku
Veera kanal aavom…
Female :Veera kanal aavom…
Veera kanal aavom…
Female :Veera kanal aavom…
Veera kanal aavom…
Female :Veera kanal aavom…
Veera kanal aavom…
Female :Veera kanal aavom…
Hoo oo oo hoo oo oo oo
Hoo oo oo hoo oo oo oo
Hoo oo oo oo oo oo oo
With bangles jingling on both hands,
With anklets tinkling on our feet,
With bangles jingling on both hands,
With anklets tinkling on our feet,
As our slender waists sway gracefully,
Let us dance and play ammanai (a traditional tossing game) with joy!
As our slender waists sway gracefully,
Let us dance and play ammanai (a traditional tossing game) with joy!
Six-foot-long hair flowing like rain,
Male: And the hands embracing it are like flowers!
Female: Six-foot-long hair flowing like rain,
Male: And the hands embracing it are like flowers!
Female: On that blooming, smiling face,
Male: A bindi shines and stirs like a fish!
Aa… aaaa… aaaa… aaaa… aaaa…
Chorus: Oh hoho hoy…
Female: Hoo oo oo oo oo oo
Chorus: Hey hey!
When all the townspeople are dancing,
What business do you have on the stage?
Ha.. ha.. ha.. ha.. aaaa… aa… aa.. aaaa… aa.. aa..
When all the townspeople are dancing,
What business do you have on the stage?
Without rhythm, without expressions,
Let us also jump and dance in the crowd!
Men and women are two different kinds,
Male: Hey, but when it comes to desire, they are just one kind!
Female: Hmph, men and women are two different kinds,
Male: Hey, but when it comes to desire, they are just one kind!
Half in behavior, half in appearance,
Monkeys and humans are of the very same kind!
Aa… aaa ee… oo… ae… ai…
The hands that cleared forests and built the nation,
They are our hands!
The hands that split rock and carved statues,
They are our hands!
We shall see these hardworking hands gain prosperity!
Female: We shall see them gain prosperity!
To enemies who have lost all honor,
We will become a brave, blazing fire…
Female: We will become a brave, blazing fire…
We will become a brave, blazing fire…
Female: We will become a brave, blazing fire…
We will become a brave, blazing fire…
Female: We will become a brave, blazing fire…
We will become a brave, blazing fire…
Female: We will become a brave, blazing fire…
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song from the 1960 movie 'Veera Kanal' transitions through playful cultural expressions, humorous social banter, and ultimately a powerful rallying cry for working-class dignity and heroic resistance. It begins with women playing traditional games like Ammanai, celebrating beauty and grace through traditional metaphors of rain, flowers, and swans. The middle section introduces a lighthearted exchange about social roles, human desires, and playful teasing regarding human evolution and behavior.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Aaradi koondhal mazhai polae”

Comparing six-foot long dark hair to rain falling ('mazhai polae').

Onomatopoeia (Oli-kurippu)

“Kaalil silambu kalakalanga”

'Kalakalanga' mimics the rhythmic tinkling sound produced by anklets (silambu).

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Veera kanal aavom…”

Describing the rising courage and strength of the working people as a heroic flame ('Veera kanal').

Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai)

“Kaadu vetti naadu kanda kaigal ... Kal pilandhu silai vaditha kaigal”

Repetition of initial consonants/sounds across line beginnings ('Kaadu' / 'Kal').

Did you know?

Trivia

'Veera Kanal' (1960) featured historic Tamil cinema icon Gemini Ganesan and M. N. Nambiar. Lyricist Ambikapathi composed high-impact poetic verses blending ancient Tamil cultural games (like Ammanai) with political and social upliftment themes characteristic of mid-20th-century Dravidian cinema reformist ideology.

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