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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oru Velai Sotrukkaga

From Pichaikkaran · 2016

Lyricist
Annamalai
Singer
Yazin Nizar
Music director
Vijay Antony
Details
Pichaikkaran2016

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oru velai sotrukkaga udal vaadidaAs the body withers for a single meal's worth of food,
Kai yendhi odugindrom uyir vaazhndhidaWe run around with outstretched hands just to stay alive.
Pasi endra theeyil iraippai saambal aaguthaeIn the fire called hunger, the stomach turns to ashes.
Manithaneyam engae.. ingae sethuponathaeWhere is humanity? Here, it has died.
Irupavan konjam thanthaal ilaatha yezhai illaiyaeIf those who have share a little, no poor person would exist.
Kan thiranthu iraivaa paaru ellorum un pillaiyaeOpen Your eyes and look, Oh God, everyone is Your child!
Male
Oru velai sotrukkaga udal vaadidaAs the body withers for a single meal's worth of food,
Kai yendhi odugindrom uyir vaazhndhidaWe run around with outstretched hands just to stay alive.
Male
Illaatha yedho ondraiFor something that is missing,
Thedum vaazhvillaein this life of searching,
Pirantha manithan ellorumaeevery human born into this world
Ulagil pichaikaaranaeis ultimately a beggar.
Male
Pirakaatha peranukuFor a grandson who isn't even born yet,
Soththu serkkum vaazhvillaein a life spent accumulating wealth,
Pasikindra ezhaikellamfor all the poor who suffer from hunger,
Kadavul mattum thaan kaavalaeGod alone is the ultimate protector.
Male
Kidaithaalum nee thedum edhuvumWhether you attain whatever you seek,
Kidaikaamal ponaalumor fail to get it,
Avamanam yematram unnaieven if insult and disappointment
Thinandhorum thodarnthaalumhaunt you every single day,
Thiruvodum illamal nee ooreven if you lie without even a begging bowl
Theruvoram kidanthaalumby the side of a street in town,
Anjaathae ulagathin mudivilfear not, at the end of the world,
Avanunduu ennalumHe is always there for you forever.
Male
Haaa…aaa….aaa….aaa….Haaa…aaa….aaa….aaa….
Male
Oru velai sotrukkaga udal vaadidaAs the body withers for a single meal's worth of food,
Kai yendhi odugindrom uyir vaazhndhidaWe run around with outstretched hands just to stay alive.
Pasi endra theeyil iraippai saambal aaguthaeIn the fire called hunger, the stomach turns to ashes.
Manithaneyam engae.. ingae sethuponathaeWhere is humanity? Here, it has died.
Irupavan konjam thanthaal ilaatha yezhai illayaeIf those who have share a little, no poor person would exist.
Kan thiranthu iraivaa paaru ellorum un pillaiyaeOpen Your eyes and look, Oh God, everyone is Your child!
Ae….ae…..ae…..Ae….ae…..ae…..

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant track highlights the harsh reality of poverty, hunger, and the erosion of human empathy in society. It questions a world where affluent individuals endlessly hoard wealth for unborn future generations while ignoring the immediate life-threatening hunger of the poor right beside them.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Pasi endra theeyil iraippai saambal aaguthae

Hunger is explicitly metaphorized as a consuming fire ('Pasi endra theeyil') that burns the stomach into ashes.

Philosophical Metaphor

Pirantha manithan ellorumae Ulagil pichaikaaranae

The lyricist equates every human being to a beggar ('pichaikaaran'), suggesting that everyone in life is constantly begging or yearning for something they lack.

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyming)

Thiruvodum illamal nee oor / Theruvoram kidanthaalum

The second letters of 'Thiruvodum' (ri) and 'Theruvoram' (ru) share a soft rhyming resonance, adding poetic rhythm.

Personification

Manithaneyam engae.. ingae sethuponathae

Humanity ('Manithaneyam') is personified as a living entity that has died ('sethuponathae').

Did you know?

Trivia

Although listed as unknown in the provided prompt, *Pichaikkaran* (2016) was composed by Vijay Antony, who also starred as the lead actor. The film tells the story of a rich businessman who accepts a secret religious vow to live as an anonymous beggar for 48 days in order to save his comatose mother's life. This song encapsulates the film's core thematic heart and social message.

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