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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pagai Konda Ullam

From Ellorum Nallavare · 1975

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
K. J. Yesudas
Music director
V. Kumar
Details
Ellorum Nallavare1975

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pagai konda ullamA heart filled with enmity
Thuyarathin illamIs an abode of sorrow
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Male
Pagai konda ullamA heart filled with enmity
Thuyarathin illamIs an abode of sorrow
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Male
Veettukku velichamTo bring light into a house
VaruvatharkaagaJust for that sake
Kooraiyai erippaaroWould anyone set fire to their roof?
Vedhanai thannaiAgony itself
Vilai thandhu yaarumBy paying a price, would anyone
Vaangida ninaippaaro…ooEver think of purchasing?
Vaangida ninaippaaroEver think of purchasing?
Male
Idhayathai thirandhuOpen your heart
Nyaayaththai pesuAnd speak with fairness
Idhayathai thirandhuOpen your heart
Nyaayaththai pesuAnd speak with fairness
Vazhakkugal mudivaagumDisputes will come to an end
Irukkindra pagaiyaiThe existing hostility
Valarthida thaanaeOnly to escalate and nurture
Vaadhangal thunaiyaagumArguments serve as a tool
Male
Pagai konda ullamA heart filled with enmity
Thuyarathin illamIs an abode of sorrow
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Male
Vatriya kulathaiA dried-up pond
Paravaigal thediBirds in search
Varuvadhu kidaiyaadhuWill never come seeking
Vaazhkkaiyil varumaiPoverty in life
Varugindra podhuWhen it strikes
Uravugal kidaiyaadhuRelatives will not stay
Uravugal kidaiyaadhuRelatives will not stay
Male
PaalaivanaththilIn a desert
VidhaippadhanaalaeBy sowing seeds
PaalaivanaththilIn a desert
VidhaippadhanaalaeBy sowing seeds
Payirondrum vilaiyaadhuNo crop will ever grow
Pattapinnaalaae varugindra nyaanamWisdom that arrives after suffering severe loss
Yaarukkum udhavaadhuIs of no use to anyone
Male
Pagai konda ullamA heart filled with enmity
Thuyarathin illamIs an abode of sorrow
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?
Theeraadha kobamUnending anger
Yaarukku laabamWho does it benefit?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This philosophical song written by Lyricist Pulamaipithan emphasizes the futility of hatred, anger, and endless disputes. It asks fundamental questions about human behavior, pointing out that harboring hatred only leads to personal sorrow and that endless arguments serve no purpose other than stoking enmity further. Openness and fair speech are presented as the true path to resolving conflicts. Through vivid natural metaphors, the song illustrates stark real-world truths: just as birds abandon a dried pond, fair-weather relatives desert a person facing poverty. Sowing seeds in a desert yields no crops, symbolizing how realization or wisdom gained after complete ruin comes too late to be of any practical use. The song calls for compassion, self-reflection, and timely wisdom.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhai (Second letter rhyming / Assonance)

Pagai konda ullam

The second consonant 'g' (க்/கை) rhymes in 'Pagai' and 'Thuyar'/'Theeraadha' patterns across stanzas, giving rhythmic harmony.

Rhetorical Question

Veettukku velicham Varuvatharkaaga Kooraiyai erippaaro

The lyricist uses questions ('Yaarukku laabam', 'Kooraiyai erippaaro') to make the listener reflect on the irrational nature of anger and self-destruction.

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Paalaivanaththil Vidhaippadhanaalae Payirondrum vilaiyaadhu

Comparing a heart filled with hostility to a 'house of sorrow' (Thuyarathin illam) and comparing late wisdom to seeds sown in a desert.

Monorhyme / Anaphora

Theeraadha kobam Yaarukku laabam

Repetition of lines and concepts to emphasize core moral themes.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song from the 1975 film 'Ellorum Nallavare' features lyrics by Pulamaipithan, known for his deeply philosophical and moralistic verses in Tamil cinema that drew heavily from classic Sangam literature styles and Thirukkural concepts.

Keep listening

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