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IsaimozhiLyrics · Translation · Meaning

Lyrics & meaning

Naalu Perukku

From Sange Muzhangu · 1972

Lyricist: Kannadasan
Singer: T. M. Soundararajan
Music director: M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name: Sange Muzhangu
Movie release year: 1972
Lyrics added on: 31 Dec 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics

↻ English translation

Ullathil iruppadhellaam

Solla oru vaarthaiyillai…

Naan oomaiyaai pirakkavillai…

Unarchiyo maraiyavillai…

En thangamae unadhu maeni

Thaangi naan sumandhu sella…

Enakkoru bandhamillai…

Evarukko iraivan thandhaan…

Andha naalu perukku nandri…

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Thaai illaadha anaadhaikkellaam

Thol koduthu thookki chellum

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Oo…ooo…ooo…ooo…oo…oo…oo..oo…oo..

Uravu endrum paasam endrum

Iraivan poottiya vilangu

Azhudhavarkkum sirippadharkkum

Amaitha ullam ondru

Aattru vellam thaanae odum

Aasai vellam sondham thaedum

Aattru vellam thaanae odum

Aasai vellam sondham thaedum

Sondham yedhum illai endraal

Andha neram naalvar vendum

Naalu perukku nandri

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Thaai illaadha anaadhaikkellaam

Thol koduthu thookki chellum

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Inbathaiyae pangu vaithaal

Punnagai solvadhu nandri

Thunbathilae thunaiyirundhaal

Kanneer sovadhu nadri

Vaazhum podhu varuvorkkellaam

Vaarthaiyaalae nadri solvom

Vaazhum podhu varuvorkkellaam

Vaarthaiyaalae nadri solvom

Vaarthai indri pogum podhu

Maunathaalae nandri solvom

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Thaai illaadha anaadhaikkellaam

Thol koduthu thookki chellum

Naalu perukku nandri

Andha naalu perukku nandri

Oo…ooo…ooo…ooo…oo…oo…oo..oo…oo..

All that is in my heart,

there are no words to say.

I was not born mute,

nor have my feelings faded away...

My precious one, to hold your body

and carry it in my arms...

I have no bond of kinship,

God gave that right to someone else.

Thanks to those four people,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

For every motherless orphan,

to those who lend their shoulders and carry them away,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

Oh... Ooh... Oh... Ooh... Ooh... Ooh... Oh... Oh...

What we call kinship and love

are chains locked by God.

Both to weep and to smile,

He created a single heart.

The river in flood flows on its own,

the flood of desires searches for kin.

The river in flood flows on its own,

the flood of desires searches for kin.

If there is no kin at all,

at that moment, four people are needed.

Thanks to the four people,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

For every motherless orphan,

to those who lend their shoulders and carry them away,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

When joy is shared with others,

a smile expresses our thanks.

When someone stands by us in sorrow,

tears express our thanks.

To all who come while we are alive,

we say thanks with our words.

To all who come while we are alive,

we say thanks with our words.

When we depart without any words,

we say thanks through our silence.

Thanks to those four people,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

For every motherless orphan,

to those who lend their shoulders and carry them away,

thanks to the four people,

thanks to those four people.

Oh... Ooh... Oh... Ooh... Ooh... Ooh... Oh... Oh...

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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant song by Kannadasan reflects on mortality, human bonds, and the finality of death. The central motif of 'naalu per' (four people) refers to the four pallbearers who carry a deceased person's bier to the funeral pyre. The speaker expresses deep sorrow over losing a loved one without having the formal familial right to carry their body, realizing that ultimate human dignity in death relies on the kindness of four bearers.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

“Uravu endrum paasam endrum Iraivan poottiya vilangu”

Compares emotional ties and affection to shackles forged by God ('Iraivan poottiya vilangu').

Parallelism / Imagery

“Aattru vellam thaanae odum Aasai vellam sondham thaedum”

Contrasts natural flow of river waters with human desires searching for emotional kinship.

Emonymic Symbolism / Cultural Synecdoche

“Andha naalu perukku nandri”

'Naalu per' (four people) serves as a traditional Tamil idiom for society at large as well as the four pallbearers needed at a funeral.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by poet laureate Kannadasan for the 1972 M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) film 'Sange Muzhangu', the music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan and sung by T. M. Soundararajan. The song is famed in Tamil culture for popularizing the phrase 'naalu per' to emphasize social duty and human mortality.

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