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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pattini Kodunjiraikkul

From Ini Oru Sudhanthiram · 1987

Lyricist
Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Details
Ini Oru Sudhanthiram1987

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress,
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress,
Male
Paaril kadaiyarae ezhuveerOh downtrodden of the earth, arise!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Paaril kadaiyarae ezhuveerOh downtrodden of the earth, arise!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Male
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress,
Paaril kadaiyarae ezhuveerOh downtrodden of the earth, arise!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress,
Male
Thondruthottu uzhaithaWe who have laboured since ancient times,
Vivasaayi thozhilaali naamWe are the farmers and workers.
Thozharaayi naam uzhaippomWe shall work together as comrades,
Yaavarenum orr kulamAll of humanity belongs to one single family.
Yaavarenum orr kulamAll of humanity belongs to one single family.
Male
Undu namm uzhaippilaeFueled by our hard labour,
Uyarndhavarkku sollalaamWe can declare to those who claim superiority,
Uzhaippavar yaavarkkumThat to all those who toil,
Sondham indha nilam ellaamAll of this land belongs rightfully to them!
Sondham indha nilam ellaamAll of this land belongs rightfully to them!
Male
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress,
Paaril kadaiyarae ezhuveerOh downtrodden of the earth, arise!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Veeru kondu thozharkaalRise up with valour, comrades!
Pattini kodunjiraikkulInside the cruel prison of starvation,
Padharukindra manidhargaalOh humans who are trembling in distress.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This powerful anthem calls upon the oppressed, impoverished, and working class—the farmers and laborers who have sustained society since time immemorial—to rise up against tyranny and injustice. Trapped in the metaphorical prison of hunger and exploitation, the downtrodden are urged to unite as comrades, reclaim their dignity, and assert their rightful ownership over the land they cultivate. The song emphasizes equality and solidarity, proclaiming that all humans belong to a single global family and that the fruits of labor belong to those who work, challenging the oppressive ruling elites.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Pattini kodunjiraikkul

Compares hunger and extreme poverty to a cruel, inescapable prison ('kodunjirai').

Monaai (Initial Alliteration)

Pattini kodunjiraikkul / Padharukindra manidhargaal

Repetition of the initial consonant sound 'P' across consecutive words ('Pattini' / 'Padharukindra').

Anaphora / Refrain

Veeru kondu thozharkaal

Repetition of key imperative phrases like 'Veeru kondu thozharkaal' to build a rhythmic, anthem-like call to action.

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Trivia

This lyric serves as the Tamil rendition of 'The Internationale', the world-famous socialist anthem originally written by Eugène Pottier. In Tamil cultural history, such adaptation lyrics blend the egalitarian vision of poet Subramanya Bharathiyar with global working-class struggle movements.

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