Kalarey Kalarvasam
From Jagame Thandhiram · 2020
- Lyricist
- Anthony Dasan
- Singer
- Anthony Daasan
- Music director
- Santhosh Narayanan
- Details
- Jagame Thandhiram2020
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Aiyaa kalarae kalarvasam kalarae kalarvasam | Oh sir, the fragrance of color blossoms, the fragrance of flowers, |
| Karthigayum poo vaasam | The sweet fragrance of Karthigai flowers. |
| Indha sandala seemayila nee vittu ponadhu thaan | Leaving us behind in this cruel, wicked land, |
| En manasa rambam pottu arrukudhaiyaa | It saws through my heart like a sharp blade, oh sir. |
| Male | |
| Nee pona yedam periya edam | The place you have gone to is a grand place, |
| Periya edam punniyavan vaazhum edam | A holy place where righteous souls reside. |
| Thedum edam kedaikkalenu | Unable to find the destination you searched for, |
| Thedum edam kedaikkalenu | Unable to find the destination you searched for, |
| Thembalayae en raasa | Do not weep uncontrollably, my king. |
| Male | |
| Thaalamullu pallathukku pallathukku | Into the pit filled with palm thorns, into the pit, |
| Thalamuzhuga ponadhenna | Why did you go to submerge yourself completely? |
| Aiyaa thalamuzhuga ponadhenna | Oh sir, why did you go to submerge yourself forever? |
| Thaalamullu thachadhunnu | Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you, |
| Thaalamullu thachadhunnu | Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you, |
| Thala saanja maayam enna | What magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep? |
| Aiyaa thala saanja maayam enna | Oh sir, what magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep? |
| Male | |
| Aiyaa paakamecha aramannaiyum | Oh sir, the magnificent grand palace, |
| Aramannaiyum panjaanga saavadiyum | The royal palace and the astrology hall, |
| Unnaku panjaanga saavadiyum | For you, the porch of astrological wisdom, |
| Sekkanummu nenachavara | The one who desired to gather and conquer everything, |
| Sekkanummu nenachavara | The one who desired to gather and conquer everything, |
| Aaradi thaan panju metha | Now only gets a six-foot bed of cotton, |
| Unakku aaradi thaan panju metha | For you, it is merely a six-foot cotton bed. |
| Male | |
| Aiyaa dhesadhi dhesamengum dhesamengum | Oh sir, across lands and nations far and wide, |
| Kottakatta nenacha paavi | The ambitious soul who wished to build a massive fort, |
| Aya kotta katta nenacha paavi | Oh soul who dreamed of building a fortress, |
| Aaradi kotta ippo | Now resides in a six-foot fort, |
| Indha aaradi kotta ippo | In this tiny six-foot fort now, |
| Neeti padukka nimmadhiyo | Is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down? |
| Nee neeti padukka nimmadhiyo | Is it peaceful for you to stretch out and lie down? |
| Aiyaa neeti padukka nimmadhiyo | Oh sir, is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down? |
| Male | |
| En aiyaa | My dear master! |
| En aiyaa | My dear master! |
| En aiyaa | My dear master! |
| Ennai peththa aiyaa | My father who brought me into this world! |
ஐயா கலரே கலர்வசம் கலரே கலர்வசம்
கார்த்திகையும் பூ வாசம்
இந்த சண்டாள சீமையில நீ விட்டு போனது தான்
என் மனச ரம்பம் போட்டு அறுக்குதையா
Oh sir, the fragrance of color blossoms, the fragrance of flowers,
The sweet fragrance of Karthigai flowers.
Leaving us behind in this cruel, wicked land,
It saws through my heart like a sharp blade, oh sir.
நீ போன எடம் பெரிய எடம்
பெரிய எடம் புண்ணியவான் வாழும் எடம்
தேடும் எடம் கெடைக்கலேன்னு
தேடும் எடம் கெடைக்கலேன்னு
தேம்பலையே என் ராசா
The place you have gone to is a grand place,
A holy place where righteous souls reside.
Unable to find the destination you searched for,
Unable to find the destination you searched for,
Do not weep uncontrollably, my king.
தாளமுள்ளு பள்ளத்துக்கு பள்ளத்துக்கு
தலமுழுக போனதென்ன
ஐயா தலமுழுக போனதென்ன
தாளமுள்ளு தச்சதுன்னு
தாளமுள்ளு தச்சதுன்னு
தல சாஞ்சா மாயம் என்ன
ஐயா தல சாஞ்ச மாயம் என்ன
Into the pit filled with palm thorns, into the pit,
Why did you go to submerge yourself completely?
Oh sir, why did you go to submerge yourself forever?
Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you,
Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you,
What magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep?
Oh sir, what magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep?
ஐயா பாக்கமெச்ச அரமன்னையும்
அரமன்னையும் பஞ்சாங்க சாவடியும்
உனக்கு பஞ்சாங்க சாவடியும்
செக்கனும்மு நெனச்சவர
செக்கனும்மு நெனச்சவர
ஆறடி தான் பஞ்சு மெத்த
உனக்கு ஆறடி தான் பஞ்சு மெத்த
Oh sir, the magnificent grand palace,
The royal palace and the astrology hall,
For you, the porch of astrological wisdom,
The one who desired to gather and conquer everything,
The one who desired to gather and conquer everything,
Now only gets a six-foot bed of cotton,
For you, it is merely a six-foot cotton bed.
ஐயா தேசாதி தேசமெங்கும் தேசமெங்கும்
கோட்ட கட்ட நெனச்ச பாவி
ஐயா கோட்ட கட்ட நெனச்ச பாவி
ஆறடி கோட்டை இப்போ
இந்த ஆறடி கோட்ட இப்போ
நீட்டி படுக்க நிம்மதியோ
நீ நீட்டி படுக்க நிம்மதியோ
ஐயா நீட்டி படுக்க நிம்மதியோ
Oh sir, across lands and nations far and wide,
The ambitious soul who wished to build a massive fort,
Oh soul who dreamed of building a fortress,
Now resides in a six-foot fort,
In this tiny six-foot fort now,
Is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down?
Is it peaceful for you to stretch out and lie down?
Oh sir, is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down?
என் ஐயா
என் ஐயா
என் ஐயா
என்னை பெத்த ஐயா
My dear master!
My dear master!
My dear master!
My father who brought me into this world!
Aiyaa kalarae kalarvasam kalarae kalarvasam
Oh sir, the fragrance of color blossoms, the fragrance of flowers,
Karthigayum poo vaasam
The sweet fragrance of Karthigai flowers.
Indha sandala seemayila nee vittu ponadhu thaan
Leaving us behind in this cruel, wicked land,
En manasa rambam pottu arrukudhaiyaa
It saws through my heart like a sharp blade, oh sir.
Nee pona yedam periya edam
The place you have gone to is a grand place,
Periya edam punniyavan vaazhum edam
A holy place where righteous souls reside.
Thedum edam kedaikkalenu
Unable to find the destination you searched for,
Thedum edam kedaikkalenu
Unable to find the destination you searched for,
Thembalayae en raasa
Do not weep uncontrollably, my king.
Thaalamullu pallathukku pallathukku
Into the pit filled with palm thorns, into the pit,
Thalamuzhuga ponadhenna
Why did you go to submerge yourself completely?
Aiyaa thalamuzhuga ponadhenna
Oh sir, why did you go to submerge yourself forever?
Thaalamullu thachadhunnu
Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you,
Thaalamullu thachadhunnu
Just because a sharp palm thorn pricked you,
Thala saanja maayam enna
What magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep?
Aiyaa thala saanja maayam enna
Oh sir, what magic made your head lean down into eternal sleep?
Aiyaa paakamecha aramannaiyum
Oh sir, the magnificent grand palace,
Aramannaiyum panjaanga saavadiyum
The royal palace and the astrology hall,
Unnaku panjaanga saavadiyum
For you, the porch of astrological wisdom,
Sekkanummu nenachavara
The one who desired to gather and conquer everything,
Sekkanummu nenachavara
The one who desired to gather and conquer everything,
Aaradi thaan panju metha
Now only gets a six-foot bed of cotton,
Unakku aaradi thaan panju metha
For you, it is merely a six-foot cotton bed.
Aiyaa dhesadhi dhesamengum dhesamengum
Oh sir, across lands and nations far and wide,
Kottakatta nenacha paavi
The ambitious soul who wished to build a massive fort,
Aya kotta katta nenacha paavi
Oh soul who dreamed of building a fortress,
Aaradi kotta ippo
Now resides in a six-foot fort,
Indha aaradi kotta ippo
In this tiny six-foot fort now,
Neeti padukka nimmadhiyo
Is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down?
Nee neeti padukka nimmadhiyo
Is it peaceful for you to stretch out and lie down?
Aiyaa neeti padukka nimmadhiyo
Oh sir, is it peaceful to stretch out and lie down?
En aiyaa
My dear master!
En aiyaa
My dear master!
En aiyaa
My dear master!
Ennai peththa aiyaa
My father who brought me into this world!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song is a soul-stirring 'Oppari' (traditional Tamil funeral lament) that reflects on the transience of life, ambition, and worldly power. It laments the passing of a prominent figure/fatherly figure who once harbored grand dreams of conquering lands, building palaces, and acquiring vast wealth. The lyrics highlight the bitter irony of human existence: no matter how large a person's empire or ambitions are, every human ultimately ends up requiring only a simple six-foot plot of land for their final rest. Through evocative imagery of nature, thorns, and graves, the singer expresses intense grief while questioning the peacefulness of eternal sleep.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“En manasa rambam pottu arrukudhaiyaa”
Compares grief and heartbreak to the excruciating physical action of sawing through a heart with a saw blade.
Irony / Contrast
“Aya kotta katta nenacha paavi... Indha aaradi kotta ippo”
Contrasts the deceased's vast ambition of building grand fortresses across nations with the humble reality of a six-foot grave.
Anaphora / Repetition
“En aiyaa / En aiyaa / En aiyaa”
Repetition of emotional vocatives and questions to accentuate the depth of mourning in traditional Oppari style.
Emonai (Tamil Alliteration)
“Thaalamullu thachadhunnu / Thala saanja maayam enna”
Matching initial consonant sounds ('Th') in consecutive words/lines to maintain rhythm in folk chant.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track is composed in the authentic Tamil 'Oppari' (elegy) genre by Santhosh Narayanan for Karthik Subbaraj's gangster drama 'Jagame Thandhiram' (2021). Sung and written by popular folk artist Anthony Daasan, the song roots the movie's thematic focus on mortality and loss amidst international crime narrative themes.
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