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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Naattukkoru Seidhi

From Anbe Sivam · 2003

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Kamal Haasan, Chandran
Music director
Vidyasagar
Details
Anbe Sivam2003

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Naattukkoru sedhi sollaTo tell a message to the country,
Naagareega komaali vandhenungoI, a modern clown, have come.
Aattam aadi paattu paadiDancing and singing,
Azhagaaga kadhai solla vandhenungoI have come to tell a story beautifully.
Male
Patta paatta paadaTo sing of the suffering endured,
Naanum vandhenungoI too have come.
Padara paatta paadaTo sing of the spreading suffering,
naanum vandhaenungoI too have come.
910 roobha kadhaiya kelungoListen to the story of 910 rupees.
Thozhilaalargal sollappadumThe story spoken by workers,
Kadhaiyaa kelungoListen to that story.
Ayya kelungo amma kelungoListen sir, listen madam,
Annan kelungo akka kelungoListen brother, listen sister,
Male
Kelunga kelungaListen, listen,
Kelunga kelungaListen, listen,
Kelunga kelungaListen, listen,
Kelunga kelungaListen, listen,
Kelunga kelunga keluListen, listen, listen,
Thaththom thagathom sariyaeRhythmically matching beat by beat,
Enpaadu unpaadu kizhinjudhupoMy plight and your plight are torn to shreds.
Seththom polaichom dhinasariDying and surviving every day,
Enthalai unthalai uruludhupo…My head and your head keep rolling around...
Male
Ohhoo…. periyorgalae…Oh elders...
AdhaagappattadhuSo it happened that
Kadhaiyin aarambaththilaeat the beginning of the story,
Namadhu kadhaiyin naayaganthe hero of our story,
Adhaavandhuthat is to say,
910 roobha sambalakkaarana worker earning 910 rupees,
Saga thozhilaalargalwhile fellow workers
Ellaam factory gate-ilaewere all at the factory gate,
Nindru sambalaththai usaththik kettustanding and demanding a wage raise,
Aarppaattam seidhu kondu irukkaiyilaeprotesting loudly,
Avargalukku ellaam kadukkai koduththugiving them all the slip,
Midukkaai pogiraan….(Dialogue)walks away stylishly...
Female
Enga poraan…(Dialogue)Where is he going?...
Male
Pogumbodhae enga poraannuWhile going, if you ask where he goes,
Ketta uruppadumaa.will things turn out well?
Avaennnn…(Dialogue)He...
Male
Daavadikka odi poguraanruns off to romance,
Thanadhu kaadhaliyaigoing in search of
Thedi pogiraanhis lover.
Male :Ohoooo….Male: Ohoooo...
Female :Ohoooo….Female: Ohoooo...
Male
Maanga moonjikkuOh girl who mesmerizes with yellow turmeric on a mango-like face,
Manja poosi mayakkura ponnaeyour two eyes are threatening,
Un muzhi irandum mirattudhadimy golden darling...
En ponnaana kannae…Female: Haan haa
Female :Haan haaAhh... oh girl who mesmerizes with yellow turmeric on a mango-like face,
Male
Ahh… maanga moonjikkuyour two eyes are threatening,
Manja poosi mayakkura ponnaemy golden darling...
Un muzhi irandum mirattudhadiThe town bus
En ponnaana kannae…is going empty,
Male
Town bus-uwe can go to the cinema hall
Pogudhadi gaaliyaaand enjoy a jolly time.
Naamaa cinema kottaiFemale: Hoi...
Poi varalaam jolly-aThe town bus
Female :Hoi…is going empty,
Male
Town bus-uwe can go to the cinema hall
Pogudhadi gaaliyaaand enjoy a jolly time.
Naamaa cinema kottaiThe salary earned is just 910,
Poi varalaam jolly-ato bear the family burden, where do you have
Female
Vaanguradho sambalam 910the stamina or nutrition?
Kudumba bhaaram sumakka unakkuHaving received wisdom and advice
Yedhaiyya saththufrom his lover,
Male
Kaadhaliyidam gynaanaaour story's hero
Ubadhesam petrahimself enters the battleground of protest.
Namma kadhaiyin naayaganThere is a minimum
Thaanum porata kalathil eranghugirarwage law in place,
Male
Kuraindha patchathere is a rule that not a single paisa
Kooli kendra sattam irrukudhucan be reduced from it.
Adhil paisa kuraikkalagaadhuDespite hundreds of rules and regulations,
Endru thittam irrukkudhueven so,
Sattam thittam nooru noorusome will reduce wages as they wish,
Irundha bodhilumand swallow the poor alive.
Silar istham pola oodhiyathaGiving such low
Kurachi vazhanghuvaarwages,
Ezhaiya kadichi muzhunghuvaarand giving trouble
Female
Ivao kammiyato the workers,
Sambalam thanthuwho is this big boss, man?
Thozhillaalar galukkuLook right over there, man!
Nombalam thantha...
Periya manushan yaarappaLong live the white-clad king!
Adho angae paarappa…Long live the prosperous ruler!
Chorus
………………………….Long live the pioneer of industry!
Velludai vendhae vazhgaLong live the magnet of trade!
Valamudai arasae vazhgaWhat is that?
Than thozhil munnaiva vazhgaMagnet of trade,
Vyaabaara gaantham vazhgaBusiness tycoon!
Male
Adhu ennada adhuHit him one on the head!
Vyaabaara gaanthamChorus: Leader... long live!
Buisness magunetuLong live, long live,
Podra onnu thalailaaashouting till our throats tear,
Chorus :Thalaivaaa…va..vaazhgapraising repeatedly,
Chorus
{Vaazhga vaazhgawe are completely exhausted.
Vendru vaaikizhiyaOur life,
Koovi koovi vaazhthuppaadiwhen shall we live?
Aanju onjittomTo live,
Vaazhvu naangawhere shall we go?
Eppo vaazhvadhuHey, go and ask what it is!
VaazhvadharkkuDo we have to give them a pay raise?
Engae povadhu} (2)Hit them with a slipper!
Male
Dei ennanu poi keludaaAieee yaiya yaiya... not that, sir!
Male
Avangalukku naama kooti kudukanumaaDo we need to increase their salaries?
Male
Adi seruppalaOh... all that can be given
Male
Aieee yaiya yaiya..adhilla aiyaaais 910.
Avangalukku..sambalam kooti kudukanummaIt's impossible to give
Male
Oh…kodukka mudinthathueven one extra paisa now.
910 thaanHow are you going to manage them,
Kodukka mudiyaathu iniboss?
Oru paisa serththu thaan...
Male
Ivangala eppadi samalikkaWith multinational companies,
Poringha mudhalalitheir raw materials,
Male
……………………………………they will send to us.
Multinational company odaWe import... yes,
Avanga raw materialswe refine... yes,
Nammaku anupuvaanghawe pack... yes,
Irakku madhi pandrom..yeswe plan... yes,
Refine pandrom..yeswe market... yes,
Pack pandrom..yesIf there's no scope in the market,
Plan pandrom…yeswe will get beaten.
Market pandrom..yes (Dialogue)What are we going to import?
Male
Markettukku scope illanaTea... tea.
Vanghuvom udhaiMale: What?
Errakku madhi panna povadhu edhaMale: Tea leaves.
Male
Tea………..teaMale: That's right... that's right.
Male :EnnadhuHow much is the profit margin?
Male :TheiyilaiMale: That multinational company guy
Male :Adhu seri…adhu seriwill give crumbs after biting off his share,
Profit margin evalavuu40% for us, 20% for him.
Male :Andha multinational company kaaranThen what about the fate of local farmers?
Kaaka kadi kaduchi tharuvaanWhatever ruin they face, why do we care?
40% nammakku 20% avanukku (Dialogue)For us, our foreign capitalist owner
Male
Appo ullur vivasaiyingaloda gedhiis what matters.
Male
Avanga ekkedu ketta nammaku ennaThe profit gained through them matters.
Nammakku namma velinaatu mudhalaliDialogue
Thaan mukkiyamIn this game of chess,
Avangalala kedaikkum laabam mukkiyamwhile the capitalists seize control,
(Dialogue)will the hands of workers
Female
Sadhurangha aatathilaepluck flowers,
Mudhalaligal kai parikkaor gather leftovers?
Thozhilaligal kaigalEven if shores wish to leave,
Enna pooparikkumawaves do not let go.
Illai kai porukkuma (Dialogue)Chorus: Do not let go.
Male
Karaigal poga virumbinaalumMale: Even if trees desire rest,
Avaigal viduvaadhillaithe wind does not let go.
Chorus :ViduvaadhillaiChorus: Do not let go.
Male :Marangal ooivai virumbinaalumMale: Even after running and hiding,
Kaatru viduvaadhillaithe hand of war does not let go.
Chorus :ViduvaadhillaiChorus: Do not let go... do not let go
Male :Oodi oodi olintha podhumDo not let go
Porkai viduvadhillaiFrom somewhere, someone snapped the whip,
Chorus :Viduvaadhillai….viduvaadhillaifrom somewhere, someone turned the bolt,
Viduvaadhillai (Dialogue)from somewhere, secret strings extend...
Male
Sodukkivittan engiruntho sataiyaIn America... in England...
Suththi vittan engirunthoo nattaiyaein France, in Germany,
Suitchama kairru engirundhu neeludhu (Dialogue)we have people to support us.
Male
Americavilae..englandilae..We are not a single tree, we are a grove!
Franceilae germanyilaeMale: Watch us checkmate them...
Nammmaku oththasikku aal irukkirarWhat we need
Namma thani maram ila thoppuis a good conclusion.
Male :Veikka porom paaru aappu… (Dialogue)Not just in the play,
Male
Nammakku thevaifor everyone.
Naaladhoru mudivuIf we want a good conclusion,
Nadagathula mattum ilait's not enough if only actors
Ellarkum thaanset their minds to it.
Nalla mudivu veenum naaMe... you... him, her...
Nadagakarar mattumthey... these people... look, those who honk
Manasu vecha podhathuand ruin the play while passing in cars,
Naan ..nee..avaru ivaruwe all must make up our minds,
Avanga ..ivanga..itho nadagaththaawe must take a decision.
Keduthitu horn adichituLet us sing a new song,
Car la kurukka porangalae ivangaa new song,
Namma ellarum manasu veikkanumlooking at the path
Mudivu edukkanum (Dialogue)of a long journey.
Chorus
Pudhu paattu paadiduvom...
Pudhu paattuYour struggle, my struggle, the struggle
Tholaidhooru payanaththinendured by the whole world,
Vazhi paarththu} (2)along the way with courage,
……………………………………………….with clarity and courage,
Un paadu en paadu oorulagama journey setting forth to see well-being.
Padum paaduSing that there is no room for tears anymore.
Vazhinaadu thunivoduA journey setting forth to see well-being.
Thelivodu thunivoduSing that there is no room for tears anymore...
Nalamkaana sellum oru purappaadu
Ini kanneeru kidamillai ena paadu
Nalamkaana sellum oru purappaadu
Ini kanneeru kidamillai ena paadu……

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This track represents a dynamic street theatre performance (Therukoothu/drama) enacted by the protagonist (Nallasivam, played by Kamal Haasan) in the movie Anbe Sivam. Through sharp satire, folk rhythms, and interactive dialogue, the play exposes the harsh realities of labor exploitation, low wages (the symbolic 910 rupees salary), corporate greed, and globalization affecting local livelihoods.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Aattam aadi paattu paadi / Azhagaaga kadhai solla vandhenungo

The second letters of consecutive lines match ('Aattam' / 'Azhagaaga', 'Patta' / 'Padara'), creating rhythmic flow typical of Tamil folk oral traditions.

Metaphor

Sadhurangha aatathilae / Mudhalaligal kai parikka

The phrase compares the capitalist manipulation of market forces to a game of chess ('Sadhurangha aatam') and puppetry controlled by invisible strings.

Personification / Nature Imagery

Marangal ooivai virumbinaalum / Kaatru viduvaadhillai

Nature elements like trees desiring rest but being agitated by the relentless wind are used as a metaphor for workers seeking peace amidst capitalist oppression.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track was composed by Vidyasagar, with lyrics written by Vairamuthu and sung by Kamal Haasan alongside background performers. The sequence forms a key thematic centerpiece in 'Anbe Sivam' (2003), showcasing street theatre as a tool for political awareness and social movement.

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