Pengale Ulaga Pengale
From Ratha Kanneer · 1954
- Lyricist
- Udumalai Narayanakavi
- Singer
- T. S. Bhagavathy
- Music director
- C. S. Jayaraman
- Details
- Ratha Kanneer1954
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae | Oh women, women of the world! |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae | Oh women, women of the world! |
| Female | |
| Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro | Is it not men who make mistakes? |
| Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro | Is it not men who make mistakes? |
| Azhaivai adaipavar neengalandro | Is it not you women who bear the suffering? |
| Female | |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae | Oh women, women of the world! |
| Female | |
| Anbu manaviyar thaniththu varunthida | While loving wives suffer in solitude, |
| Arumai naayagar piriyalaamo | Is it right for beloved husbands to separate from them? |
| Andir paravaiyum pettaiyai pirinthaal | Even if a male bird separates from its female mate, |
| Arai nodiyilae uyirvidumo | Does it not give up its life in half a second? |
| Female | |
| Ennudamibil naan paathi manaivi paathi | Men who say, 'In my body, I am half and my wife is half', |
| Endru sollum aadavargal | Those men who say so, |
| Maru vinaadi thanmaiyilaa kovalangal | Become characterless Kovalan-like figures the very next second, |
| Aagindraar enna neethi | What justice is this? |
| Female | |
| Inba unarve uyirin iyarkkai | Joyful emotion is the nature of life, |
| Idhaiyum marnthaar aadavargal | Men have forgotten even this. |
| Ponnai pol manaivi irukkaiyil | While having a wife who is like gold, |
| Pothu magal thunai naadugindraar | They seek the companionship of public women. |
| Female | |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae | Oh women, women of the world! |
| Female | |
| Pengalidam karpai edhirpaarkkum aangal | Men who expect chastity from women, |
| Pengalaiye karpazhiththu thiriyalaamo | Is it fair for them to wander around ruining the chastity of women? |
| Pengalukkum aangalukkum | For both women and men, |
| Karppu podhuvandro | Isn't chastity common to both? |
| Female | |
| Konda manaiviyar theruvir sendraal | If wedded wives step out onto the street, |
| Kobam kondidum aangal yaarum | Men who get angry, |
| Kanda pengalai annai endre | Shouldn't they consider all other women as mothers, |
| Karuthi vaazhvathu kadamaiyandro | And live with that duty? |
| Female | |
| Oru pennai ainthu per naaduvathum | Five men seeking one woman, |
| Oru paavi arupathaayiram pengal | Or one sinner robbing sixty thousand women of their rights, |
| Urimai parippathum sarithaano | Is this right? |
| Penninaththai thaazhththum sathiyandro | Isn't this a conspiracy to degrade womanhood? |
| Female | |
| Irulil ullathu paazhum ulagam | This ruined world is submerged in darkness, |
| Magalir vedhanai endru vilagum | When will the agony of women recede? |
| Paruva maatharin urimai kaaththida | To protect the rights of young women, |
| Ariya sevai puriya vendum | Noble service must be performed! |
| Female | |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae | Oh women, women of the world! |
| Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro | Is it not men who make mistakes? |
| Azhaivai adaipavar neengalandro | Is it not you women who bear the suffering? |
| Female | |
| Pengalae ulaga pengalae…. | Oh women, women of the world! |
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே
Oh women, women of the world!
Oh women, women of the world!
பிழைகள் செய்பவர் ஆண்களன்றோ
பிழைகள் செய்பவர் ஆண்களன்றோ
அழிவை அடைபவர் நீங்களன்றோ
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Is it not you women who bear the suffering?
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே..
Oh women, women of the world!
அன்பு மனைவியர் தனித்து வருந்திட
அருமை நாயகர் பிரியலாமோ
அன்றிற் பறவையும் பெட்டையைப் பிரிந்தால்
அரை நொடியிலே உயிர் விடுமே
While loving wives suffer in solitude,
Is it right for beloved husbands to separate from them?
Even if a male bird separates from its female mate,
Does it not give up its life in half a second?
என்னுடம்பில் நான் பாதி மனைவி பாதி
என்று சொல்லும் ஆடவர்கள்
மறு வினாடி தன்மையிலாக் கோவலன்கள்
ஆகின்றார் என்ன நீதி...
Men who say, 'In my body, I am half and my wife is half',
Those men who say so,
Become characterless Kovalan-like figures the very next second,
What justice is this?
இன்ப உணர்வே உயிரின் இயற்கை
இதையும் மறந்தார் ஆடவர்கள்
பொன்னைப் போல் மனைவி இருக்கையில்
பொது மகள் துணை நாடுகின்றார்
Joyful emotion is the nature of life,
Men have forgotten even this.
While having a wife who is like gold,
They seek the companionship of public women.
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே..
Oh women, women of the world!
பெண்களிடம் கற்பை எதிர்பார்க்கும் ஆண்கள்
பெண்களையே கற்பழித்துத் திரியலாமோ
பெண்களுக்கும் ஆண்களுக்கும்
கற்புப் பொதுவன்றோ
Men who expect chastity from women,
Is it fair for them to wander around ruining the chastity of women?
For both women and men,
Isn't chastity common to both?
கொண்ட மனைவியர் தெருவிற் சென்றால்
கோபம் கொண்டிடும் ஆண்கள் யாரும்
கண்ட பெண்களை அன்னை என்றே
கருதி வாழ்வது கடமையன்றோ
If wedded wives step out onto the street,
Men who get angry,
Shouldn't they consider all other women as mothers,
And live with that duty?
ஒரு பெண்ணை ஐந்து பேர் நாடுவதும்
ஒரு பாவி அறுபதாயிரம் பெண்கள்
உரிமை பறிப்பதும் சரிதானோ
பெண்ணினத்தை தாழ்த்தும் சதியன்றோ
Five men seeking one woman,
Or one sinner robbing sixty thousand women of their rights,
Is this right?
Isn't this a conspiracy to degrade womanhood?
இருளில் உள்ளது பாழும் உலகம்
மகளிர் வேதனை என்று விலகும்
பருவ மாதரின் உரிமை காத்திட
அறிய சேவை புரிய வேண்டும்
This ruined world is submerged in darkness,
When will the agony of women recede?
To protect the rights of young women,
Noble service must be performed!
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே..
பிழைகள் செய்பவர் ஆண்களன்றோ
அழிவை அடைபவர் நீங்களன்றோ
Oh women, women of the world!
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Is it not you women who bear the suffering?
பெண்களே உலகப் பெண்களே..
Oh women, women of the world!
Pengalae ulaga pengalae
Oh women, women of the world!
Pengalae ulaga pengalae
Oh women, women of the world!
Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Azhaivai adaipavar neengalandro
Is it not you women who bear the suffering?
Pengalae ulaga pengalae
Oh women, women of the world!
Anbu manaviyar thaniththu varunthida
While loving wives suffer in solitude,
Arumai naayagar piriyalaamo
Is it right for beloved husbands to separate from them?
Andir paravaiyum pettaiyai pirinthaal
Even if a male bird separates from its female mate,
Arai nodiyilae uyirvidumo
Does it not give up its life in half a second?
Ennudamibil naan paathi manaivi paathi
Men who say, 'In my body, I am half and my wife is half',
Endru sollum aadavargal
Those men who say so,
Maru vinaadi thanmaiyilaa kovalangal
Become characterless Kovalan-like figures the very next second,
Aagindraar enna neethi
What justice is this?
Inba unarve uyirin iyarkkai
Joyful emotion is the nature of life,
Idhaiyum marnthaar aadavargal
Men have forgotten even this.
Ponnai pol manaivi irukkaiyil
While having a wife who is like gold,
Pothu magal thunai naadugindraar
They seek the companionship of public women.
Pengalae ulaga pengalae
Oh women, women of the world!
Pengalidam karpai edhirpaarkkum aangal
Men who expect chastity from women,
Pengalaiye karpazhiththu thiriyalaamo
Is it fair for them to wander around ruining the chastity of women?
Pengalukkum aangalukkum
For both women and men,
Karppu podhuvandro
Isn't chastity common to both?
Konda manaiviyar theruvir sendraal
If wedded wives step out onto the street,
Kobam kondidum aangal yaarum
Men who get angry,
Kanda pengalai annai endre
Shouldn't they consider all other women as mothers,
Karuthi vaazhvathu kadamaiyandro
And live with that duty?
Oru pennai ainthu per naaduvathum
Five men seeking one woman,
Oru paavi arupathaayiram pengal
Or one sinner robbing sixty thousand women of their rights,
Urimai parippathum sarithaano
Is this right?
Penninaththai thaazhththum sathiyandro
Isn't this a conspiracy to degrade womanhood?
Irulil ullathu paazhum ulagam
This ruined world is submerged in darkness,
Magalir vedhanai endru vilagum
When will the agony of women recede?
Paruva maatharin urimai kaaththida
To protect the rights of young women,
Ariya sevai puriya vendum
Noble service must be performed!
Pengalae ulaga pengalae
Oh women, women of the world!
Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro
Is it not men who make mistakes?
Azhaivai adaipavar neengalandro
Is it not you women who bear the suffering?
Pengalae ulaga pengalae….
Oh women, women of the world!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Pengalae Ulaga Pengalae' is a landmark reformist song from the 1954 Tamil film Ratha Kanneer, composed by C. S. Jayaraman with lyrics by the famous rationalist poet Udumalai Narayanakavi. The song strongly critiques patriarchal double standards, questioning why men demand strict chastity from women while indulging in moral laxity and infidelity themselves. Referencing classical literature such as Silappatikaram (Kovalan) as well as mythological tales, the song forcefully argues that chastity and moral standards must be equal for both men and women. Through poignant rhetorical questions, the lyrics call for a social awakening, demanding an end to female suffering and emphasizing the urgent duty to safeguard women's rights and dignity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Anbu manaviyar thaniththu varunthida / Arumai naayagar piriyalaamo”
Repetition of initial sounds in consecutive lines, such as 'Anbu' and 'Arumai'.
Edugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Pizhaigal seipavar aangalandro / Azhaivai adaipavar neengalandro”
Rhyming of second letters in adjacent lines, a key Tamil prosodic device ('Pizhaigal' and 'Azhaivai').
Rhetorical Question
“Pengalukkum aangalukkum karppu podhuvandro”
Posing direct questions to challenge societal hypocrisy rather than expecting an answer.
Allusion
“Maru vinaadi thanmaiyilaa kovalangal aagindraar enna neethi”
Referencing Kovalan from Silappatikaram to symbolize husbands who abandon devoted wives for courtesans.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by Udumalai Narayanakavi for M. R. Radha's iconic film Ratha Kanneer (1954), this song reflects the Dravidian movement's social reform themes of the 1950s, advocating gender equality, rationalism, and moral accountability for men.
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