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Isaimozhi
Kungumam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mayakkam Enadhu

From Kungumam · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Kungumam
Movie release year
1963
Lyrics added on
18 Feb 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Kalakkam enadhu kaaviyam
Naan kanneer varaindha oviyam
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Kalakkam enadhu kaaviyam
Naan kanneer varaindha oviyam
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Pagalil thondrum nilavu
Kan paarvaikku maraindha azhagu
Pagalil thondrum nilavu
Kan paarvaikku maraindha azhagu
Thirai moodiya silai naan
Thunba chiraiyil malarndha malar naan
Thirai moodiya silai naan
Thunba chiraiyil malarndha malar naan
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Kalakkam enadhu kaaviyam
Naan kanneer varaindha oviyam
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Naanae enakku pagaiyaanen
En naadagathil naan thiraiyaanen
Thaenae unakku puriyaadhu
Andha dheivam varaamal vilangaadhu
Naanae enakku pagaiyaanen
En naadagathil naan thiraiyaanen
Thaenae unakku puriyaadhu
Andha dheivam varaamal vilangaadhu
Vidhiyum madhiyum verammaa
Adhan vilakkam naan thaan paarammaa
Vidhiyum madhiyum verammaa
Adhan vilakkam naan thaan paarammaa
Madhiyil vandhaval neeyammaa
En vazhi maraithaal vidhiyammaa
Madhiyil vandhaval neeyammaa
En vazhi maraithaal vidhiyammaa
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
Kalakkam enadhu kaaviyam
Naan kanneer varaindha oviyam
Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam
Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Turmoil is my epic story,
I am a portrait painted with tears.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Turmoil is my epic story,
I am a portrait painted with tears.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Like the moon appearing in daylight,
A beauty hidden from sight.
Like the moon appearing in daylight,
A beauty hidden from sight.
I am a statue covered by a curtain,
I am a flower that bloomed in a prison of sorrow.
I am a statue covered by a curtain,
I am a flower that bloomed in a prison of sorrow.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Turmoil is my epic story,
I am a portrait painted with tears.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
I became my own enemy,
In my own play, I became the curtain.
My sweet, you will not understand,
It cannot be understood unless God intervenes.
I became my own enemy,
In my own play, I became the curtain.
My sweet, you will not understand,
It cannot be understood unless God intervenes.
Fate and the human mind are different, my dear;
Look at me, I am the living proof of it.
Fate and the human mind are different, my dear;
Look at me, I am the living proof of it.
You were chosen by my mind, my dear,
Yet Fate stepped in and blocked my path.
You were chosen by my mind, my dear,
Yet Fate stepped in and blocked my path.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Turmoil is my epic story,
I am a portrait painted with tears.
A daze is my motherland,
Silence is my mother tongue.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
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Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song, penned by Kannadasan, expresses deep existential grief and melancholy. The protagonist laments their tragic life, comparing their soul to a painting drawn with tears, a flower blooming in a prison of suffering, and a statue hidden behind a curtain. The lyrics reflect on how tragic circumstances and fate (Vidhi) override human intellect and intentions (Madhi), leaving the speaker feeling alienated even from themselves. Through rich metaphorical imagery, the song portrays a heart broken by silent suffering, where confusion becomes home and silence becomes the only language left to speak.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uruvagamy (Metaphor)

“Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam / Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi”

Extensive use of metaphors comparing abstract feelings of grief to tangible or cultural identities like motherland, mother tongue, epic poem, and painting.

Mona (Alliteration)

“Mayakkam enadhu thaayagam / Maunam enadhu thaai mozhi”

Repetition of the initial letter 'M' across consecutive lines (Mayakkam, Maunam).

Esubu (Rhyme/Refrain)

“Kalakkam enadhu kaaviyam / Naan kanneer varaindha oviyam”

Rhyming ends 'thaayagam', 'mozhi', 'kaaviyam', 'oviyam' creating a lyrical cadence.

Wordplay / Contrast (Vidhi vs Madhi)

“Vidhiyum madhiyum verammaa”

Contrasting 'Vidhi' (Fate) and 'Madhi' (Intellect/Mind), a classic Kannadasan stylistic motif exploring destiny versus free will.

Did you know?

Trivia

The movie Kungumam (1963) features music scored by K. V. Mahadevan and stars Sivaji Ganesan, S. S. Rajendran, and Vijayakumari. Kannadasan's philosophical lines in this song are often cited as some of his finest expressions of sorrow and philosophical acceptance.

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