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Cooliekkaran album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Pazhum Vayiruthan

From Cooliekkaran · 1987

Lyricist
T. Rajendar
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
T. Rajender
Movie name
Cooliekkaran
Movie release year
1987
Lyrics added on
29 Dec 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Paazhum vayiruthaan paadaapaduththuthu
Ennaadaa olagamithu ada pollaatha olagamithu
Maadaa ozhaikkirom oodaa thaeiyurom
Vaazhkkai oyaraleenga yaezhai vaattam neegaleenga
Koolikkaaran…..koolikkaaran
Neththi vervaiyai
Nelaththil sinthuraan koolikkaaran
Niththam sumaigalai
Thaangi kolgiraan koolikkaaran
Paazhum vayiruthaan paadaapaduththuthu
Ennaadaa olagamithu ada pollaatha olagamithu
Maadaa ozhaikkirom oodaa thaeiyurom
Vaazhkkai oyaraleenga yaezhai vaattam neegaleenga
Maadigalin osaram mattum
Osanthu kittae poguthadaa
Kudisaigalin olai mattum
Azhuthu kittae vaaduthadaa
Medaiyum poduraanga oo….oo…
Yaedhedho pesuraanga oo….oo…
Suvarezhuththu kaayaleenga
Thalaiyezhuththu maaraleenga
Suvarezhuththu kaayaleenga
Thalaiyezhuththu maaraleenga
Paazhum vayiruthaan paadaapaduththuthu
Ennaadaa olagamithu ada pollaatha olagamithu
Maadaa ozhaikkirom oodaa thaeiyurom
Vaazhkkai oyaraleenga yaezhai vaattam neegaleenga
Aadumaadaa poranthirunthaa
Thazhaiyai kooda thinnudalaam
Manithargalaa poranthuvittom
Koozhukkuththaan vaadugirom
Vayiththathaan kazhuvidavae oo…oo…
Kayiththulathaan nadakkuraanga oo…oo…
Padaichchavano velaiyaaduraan
Pasichchavano paliyaaguraan
Padaichchavano velaiyaaduraan
Pasichchavano paliyaaguraan
Paazhum vayiruthaan paadaapaduththuthu
Ennaadaa olagamithu ada pollaatha olagamithu
Maadaa ozhaikkirom oodaa thaeiyurom
Vaazhkkai oyaraleenga yaezhai vaattam neegaleenga
Koolikkaaran……koolikkaaran….
Koolikkaaran……koolikkaaran….
This wretched belly torments us so,
What kind of world is this, oh what a cruel world!
We slog like cattle, we grind ourselves to the bone,
Our lives never improve, and the poor man's grief never ends.
The daily laborer... the daily laborer...
The sweat from his brow
He sheds onto the soil, the laborer.
Every single day, heavy loads
He bears upon himself, the laborer.
This wretched belly torments us so,
What kind of world is this, oh what a cruel world!
We slog like cattle, we grind ourselves to the bone,
Our lives never improve, and the poor man's grief never ends.
Only the height of the mansions
Keeps rising higher and higher,
While only the thatch of our huts
Weeps and withers away.
They set up grand stages, oh...
They make all kinds of speeches, oh...
The paint on the wall slogans hasn't even dried,
Yet our written destiny never changes.
The paint on the wall slogans hasn't even dried,
Yet our written destiny never changes.
This wretched belly torments us so,
What kind of world is this, oh what a cruel world!
We slog like cattle, we grind ourselves to the bone,
Our lives never improve, and the poor man's grief never ends.
If we had only been born as cattle or sheep,
We could have at least eaten green leaves.
Having been born as human beings,
We suffer just for a simple bowl of porridge.
Just to feed their empty bellies, oh...
People even walk on tightropes, oh...
The Creator merely plays His games,
While the starving are made the victims.
The Creator merely plays His games,
While the starving are made the victims.
This wretched belly torments us so,
What kind of world is this, oh what a cruel world!
We slog like cattle, we grind ourselves to the bone,
Our lives never improve, and the poor man's grief never ends.
The daily laborer... the daily laborer...
The daily laborer... the daily laborer...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Cooliekkaran' is a powerful social critique depicting the raw anguish and daily hardship experienced by working-class laborers. It highlights how poor workers toil relentlessly like cattle, pouring their sweat onto the earth, yet their basic quality of life never elevates. The lyrics contrast the ever-rising tall buildings of the rich with the weeping, rotting thatched roofs of poor huts, emphasizing the widening socio-economic divide.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Maadaa ozhaikkirom oodaa thaeiyurom”

Compares human labor to cattle ('Maadaa ozhaikkirom'), signifying backbreaking, unappreciated toil.

Contrast / Anthesis

“Maadigalin osaram mattum / Kudisaigalin olai mattum”

Contrasts the rising heights of rich mansions ('Maadigalin osaram') against the wilting huts of the poor ('Kudisaigalin olai').

Irony & Rhyme (Edhugai)

“Suvarezhuththu kaayaleenga / Thalaiyezhuththu maaraleenga”

Rhymes 'Suvarezhuththu' (wall slogans) with 'Thalaiyezhuththu' (destiny) to deliver a sharp political irony—political campaign promises dry on walls while the fate of workers remains untouched.

Alliteration (Monai)

“Padaichchavano velaiyaaduraan / Pasichchavano paliyaaguraan”

Uses matching initial consonants 'Pa' ('Padaichchavano' / 'Pasichchavano') combined with end rhymes to emphasize existential inequality between God/destiny and the hungry worker.

Did you know?

Trivia

The movie 'Cooliekkaran' (1987) stars Vijayakanth in the lead role, portraying a working-class protagonist. T. Rajendar authored lyrics for several tracks in this period that strongly championed working-class issues, social injustice, and philosophical reflections on poverty.

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