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Isaimozhi
Manipayal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kanchiyile Oru

From Manipayal · 1973

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singers
L. R. Eswari, Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Manipayal
Movie release year
1973
Lyrics added on
8 Nov 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Engal tamil annai
Ethanaiyo thavamirunthu
Thingalaai sengthiraai
Thirunaattin oli vilakkaai
Valluvan kural pola vadivamo sirithaaga
Ulamo intha ulaginum perithaaga
Kanjiyilae oru puththan piranthaan
Konda karunaiyinaal engal nenjil nirainthaan
Annaavendrae ellorum azhaikka vanthaar
Aayiram thalaimurai thazhaikka vanthaar
Annaa annaa annaa
Engal anbin deivam annaa
Edhaiyum thaangum idhayam kondu thannai
Edhirppavar meethu karunai kondu
Vaithavar yaavarum vaazhattum endru
Vaazhththiya idhyam adhuvallavaa
Female and Male :
Adhu valluvan kaattiya vazhiyallavaa
Maattraan thottathu malligaikkum
Nalla manamundu endrae solliyavar
Kadamai kanniyam kattupaaduthaan
Thaaraga manthiram aakkiyavar
Female and Male :
Nam thozhvugal ellaam pokkiyavar
Annaa annaa annaa
Engal anbin deivam annaa
Yaezhaigal siriththida arasamaiththaar
Adhil iraivanai kaanbom ena uraiththaar
Erinthidum kudisaiyil varunthiduvoorkku
Area veedugal amaithaliththaar
Female and Male :
Angu eriyum vilakkaai avar irunthaar
Chennai endroru peyar maattri
Adhai senthamizh naadena peyar sootti
Male :Bharathi paadiya painthamizh naattai
Paarinil meendum kaattiyavar
Nam pazhigal anaiththaiyum maattriyavar
Ellorkkum annanavan
Illaarkku selvamavan
Female :Nallorgal ullamellaam
Naalthorum aalupavan
Sonnaal manam padhaikkum
Sollavo vaai padhaikkum
Thannath thanimaiyilae
Thaanuranga ponaano
Vanga kadal alaiyae
Vaai moodi thoongum engal
Thanga tamizh maganai
Thaalaattu paadinaiyo
Male :Paadu nee paadu painthamizhar naadendru
Odi uzhaiththa magan urangattum amaithiyilae
Odi uzhaiththa magan urangattum amaithiyilae
Amaithiyilae
Annaa annaa annaa
Engal anbin deivam annaa
Our Mother Tamil,
through countless penances and prayers,
as a soothing moon and a radiant flame,
as the shining light of our blessed land,
small in stature like Valluvar's couplet,
but with a heart bigger than this world,
a Buddha was born in Kanchipuram!
Through his boundless compassion, he filled our hearts.
Everyone came to call him Anna (elder brother),
he came so thousands of generations could flourish.
Anna, Anna, Anna!
Anna, the god of our love!
Bearing a heart that could endure anything,
showing kindness even toward his foes,
saying, "May all who reviled me live well,"
wasn't his the noble heart that blessed them?
Both:
Wasn't that the path shown by Valluvar?
"Even the jasmine in an opponent's garden
has a sweet fragrance," he said.
Duty, dignity, and discipline—
he made these our guiding mantra.
Both:
He wiped away all our hardships and sorrow.
Anna, Anna, Anna!
Anna, the god of our love!
He formed a government so the poor could smile,
and said, "We see God in the smile of the poor."
For those suffering when their thatched huts caught fire,
he built sturdy, fireproof homes.
Both:
He lived on as the shining lamp in their homes.
Changing the old name of Madras State,
he named it Tamil Nadu (land of pure Tamil).
Male: The sweet Tamil land Bharathi sang about,
he revealed proudly to the world once again.
He erased every disgrace from our name.
He was an elder brother to all,
a treasure to the poorest of the poor.
Female: In the hearts of all good people,
he reigns every single day.
To speak of it makes the heart tremble,
my lips falter to say the words...
into utter solitude,
did he go away to sleep forever?
O waves of the Bay of Bengal,
for our beloved who sleeps in silence,
for our golden son of Tamil,
did you sing a lullaby?
Male: Sing, keep singing, that for the land of Tamils,
the son who ran and laboured tirelessly may rest in peace!
Let the son who ran and laboured tirelessly rest in peace!
In peace...
Anna, Anna, Anna!
Anna, the god of our love!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from the film 'Manipayal' (1973) is a poignant tribute to C. N. Annadurai (affectionately known as Anna), former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and founder of the DMK. Written by lyricist Pulamaipithan, the song elevates Anna to a saintly political icon who brought dignity, statehood identity, and welfare to the Tamil people. It draws parallels between Anna and great historical figures like Thiruvalluvar and Lord Buddha, highlighting his philosophy of 'Duty, Dignity, Discipline' and his famous axiom 'See God in the smile of the poor'. The song moves from celebrating Anna's political achievements—such as renaming Madras State to Tamil Nadu and providing housing for hut-dwellers—to a deep lament over his untimely passing in 1969. The imagery of the Bay of Bengal's waves singing a lullaby over his memorial at Marina Beach underscores the profound grief felt by the entire Tamil nation, concluding with a prayer for eternal peace for a leader who tirelessly served his people.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Valluvan kural pola vadivamo sirithaaga”

Compares Anna's physical form and immense moral character to the Thirukkural ('Valluvan kural pola vadivamo sirithaaga / Ulamo intha ulaginum perithaaga').

Metaphor (Uruvakam)

“Kanjiyilae oru puththan piranthaan”

Metaphorically compares Anna to Buddha born in Kanchipuram ('Kanjiyilae oru puththan piranthaan').

Personification

“Vanga kadal alaiyae ... Thaalaattu paadinaiyo”

Personifies the waves of the Bay of Bengal as singing a lullaby to Anna resting at his beach memorial.

Alliteration / Second-letter Rhyme (Etukai)

“Ellorkkum annanavan / Illaarkku selvamavan”

Tamil poetic etukai where second consonants match, as seen in 'Annaa' / 'Engal' and 'Ellorkkum' / 'Illaarkku'.

Did you know?

Trivia

C. N. Annadurai (Anna) passed away in February 1969, and his funeral held the Guinness World Record for the highest attendance at the time. This song was composed years later in 1973 for 'Manipayal' as an emotional homage, referencing his memorial located right beside the Bay of Bengal on Marina Beach.

Keep listening

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Oru Poraliyin Payanam1987
Ore RaththamSocial JusticeGrief
Veerathin Chinname1959
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Kadamaiyile Uyir Vazhndhu1956
Madurai VeeranDevotionGrief
Oorukku Uzhaithavane2004
KamarajSocial JusticeGrief
Samarasam Ulaavum Idame1956
Rambaiyin KaadhalNot ApplicableMemorial Service
Kaadhal Baliyaagi1950
Manthiri KumariGriefPatriotism

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