- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Thaai Sollai Thattadhe
- Movie release year
- 1961
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Oct 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic philosophical song written by Kannadasan expresses deep distress at how humanity has misused the unique intellect granted by God. Instead of using reason for moral goodness and harmony, mankind has corrupted the world with deceit, lies, betrayal, and greed, going so far as to harm even their own kin.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Emonai (Head Alliteration)
“Adhil poiyum purattum thiruttum kalandhu”
Repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words in a line, such as 'Poyum poyum' and 'poiyum purattum thiruttum'.
Etukai (Second-Letter Rhyming)
“Kangal irandil arul irukkum”
Rhyming of the second letter across consecutive lines, seen in 'Kangal', 'Sollum', and 'Ullathil'.
Contrast / Imagery
“Paayum puliyin kodumaiyai”
Sharp juxtaposition between a wild beast like a tiger (whose danger is honest and visible in its gaze) and a human being (who hides malice behind a cloak of friendliness).
Did you know?
Trivia
This song from the 1961 M.G. Ramachandran starrer 'Thaai Sollai Thattadhe' was composed by K.V. Mahadevan and sung by T.M. Soundararajan. Kannadasan's lyrics in this film were celebrated for embedding deep moral philosophy into mainstream commercial cinema.
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