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Isaimozhi
Ethir Kaatru album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Saamiyaaraa Ponavanukku

From Ethir Kaatru · 1990

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Ilayaraja, Chorus
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Ethir Kaatru
Movie release year
1990
Lyrics added on
11 Feb 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
: Haa…aaa…haaa….aaa…
Haaa….aaa..haaa…aaa..
Haa..aa…aa…haaa…aaa….aaa…
Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Samsaara nenappedhukku
Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Aahaa ikkaraikku thaan
Andha akkara pacha
Ada akkaraikku ikkara pacha
Naama inga irndhaa
Adhu anga izhukkum
Ada engaeyumae yedhum illa daa
Hae hae
Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Samsaara nenappedhukku
Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Vaazha nenaikkum manushanukku
Saavu oru kadaisi ella
Saaga nenachaa adhu kaiyila illa
Indha vaazhkkaiyla ethana tholla
Vaazha nenaikkum manushanukku
Saavu oru kadaisi ella
Chorus :Haan haa…aaaa aan
Male :Saaga nenachaa adhu kaiyila illa
Indha vaazhkkaiyla ethana tholla
Chorus :Haan haa…aaaa aan
Aathangarai oram
Nee mudhalil kulikkum thanni
Adutha mora ponaa
Adhu vera pudhu thanni
Porandhu porandhu saagum
Adhu sethu sethu pozhaikkum
Dhenamum dhenamum nadanthum
Idhu marandhu marandhu pogum
Indha olagathilae vaazhvadhilae
Artham illa daa
Hae hae
Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Samsaara nenappedhukku
Male :Hae hae
Chorus :Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Male :Hoi hoi
Enna thirutha onna thirutha
Ethana per porandhu vandhaan
Thathuvangala ezhudhi vechu
Ada vittu vittu odi maranjaan
Enna thirutha onna thirutha
Ethana per porandhu vandhaan
Chorus :Haan haa…aaaa aan
Male :Thathuvangala ezhudhi vechu
Ada vittu vittu odi maranjaan
Chorus :Haan haa…aaaa aan
Muzhichirukkum vaazhkka
Oru kanava pola thambi
Idhil thookkathilae sorgam
Adhu enga varum ambi
Urutti urutti paaru
Idhu naai kaiyil thaengaa
Uzhudhu payira podu
Idhu paara nelathu poongaa
Adhil uzhuvadhilae azhuvadhilae
Artham illa daa
Hae hae
Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Samsaara nenappedhukku
Male :Hae hae
Chorus :Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Aahaa ikkaraikku thaan
Andha akkara pacha
Ada akkaraikku ikkara pacha
Naama inga irndhaa
Adhu anga izhukkum
Ada engaeyumae yedhum illa daa
Hae hae
Male :Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Samsaara nenappedhukku
Chorus :Hae hae
Male :Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Hae hae
Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku
Male :Hoi
Chorus :Samsaara nenappedhukku
Male :Hae hae
Chorus :Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku
Male :Hoi hoi
Chorus :Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku
Male :Hoi hoi hae
Ha... aa... ha... aa...
Ha... aa... ha... aa...
Ha... aa... aa... ha... aa... aa...
For someone who became a monk,
why think of family life?
For someone living as a family man,
why think of renouncing it all?
Aha, to this bank of the river,
the other side looks green,
and to the other side, this side looks green!
When we are here,
it pulls us over there,
yet there is nothing anywhere, man!
Hey hey!
For someone who became a monk,
why think of family life?
For someone living as a family man,
why think of renouncing it all?
For a person who wishes to live,
death is the final boundary.
If you wish to die, it is not in your hands,
and in this life, oh how many troubles there are!
For a person who wishes to live,
death is the final boundary.
Chorus: Haan ha... aaa aan
Male: If you wish to die, it is not in your hands,
and in this life, oh how many troubles there are!
Chorus: Haan ha... aaa aan
By the edge of the riverbank,
the water you bathe in first,
if you go back the next time,
is completely different, new water.
It is born and dies again and again,
gathering itself to flow along.
Even as this happens day after day,
it gets forgotten again and again.
Living in this world,
has no real meaning, man!
Hey hey!
For someone who became a monk,
why think of family life?
Male: Hey hey!
Chorus: For someone living as a family man,
why think of renouncing it all?
Male: Hoy hoy!
To reform me and to reform you,
how many people were born?
Writing down philosophies,
they left it all behind and vanished!
To reform me and to reform you,
how many people were born?
Chorus: Haan ha... aaa aan
Male: Writing down philosophies,
they left it all behind and vanished!
Chorus: Haan ha... aaa aan
Waking life
is just like a dream, brother.
In this, finding heaven in sleep—
where will that ever come from, little brother?
Turn it over and look closely,
it is like a coconut in a dog's paws.
Plow and sow your crop,
in this garden of rocky soil!
Plowing there and crying over it,
has no meaning, man!
Hey hey!
For someone who became a monk,
why think of family life?
Male: Hey hey!
Chorus: For someone living as a family man,
why think of renouncing it all?
Aha, to this bank of the river,
the other side looks green,
and to the other side, this side looks green!
When we are here,
it pulls us over there,
yet there is nothing anywhere, man!
Hey hey!
Male: For someone who became a monk,
why think of family life?
Chorus: Hey hey!
Male: For someone living as a family man,
why think of renouncing it all?
Hey hey!
For someone who became a monk,
Male: Hoy!
Chorus: Why think of family life?
Male: Hey hey!
Chorus: For someone living as a family man,
Male: Hoy hoy!
Chorus: Why think of renouncing it all?
Male: Hoy hoy hey!
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Chorus
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Chorus
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Chorus
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Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Saamiyaaraa Ponavanukku from Ethir Kaatru (1990), penned by lyricist Vaali, is a philosophical track exploring the human condition, perennial discontent, and the grass-is-greener syndrome. It highlights how humans are rarely satisfied with their current state—an ascetic dreams of family life while a family man longs for renunciation. Through conversational philosophical lines, the song reflects on how people constantly seek what they do not have, trapped in illusions of happiness. Vaali uses vivid metaphors like the constantly flowing river water to represent the fleeting nature of life and time. Despite numerous philosophers offering wisdom throughout history, human nature remains stuck in cycle of desires, struggles, and discontentment, making raw worldly pursuits ultimately futile.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Proverb / Idiom (Pazhamozhi)

Aahaa ikkaraikku thaan / Andha akkara pacha

Uses the famous Tamil proverb 'Ikkaraikku akkara pacha' (The grass is always greener on the other side) to illustrate constant human dissatisfaction.

Metaphor / Contrast (Ethir-nidhai)

Saamiyaaraa ponavanukku / Samsaara nenappedhukku / Samsaariyaa vaazhbavanukku / Sanniyaasa nenappedhukku

Contrasts the desires of an ascetic (Saamiyaaraa) with that of a family man (Samsaariyaa) to point out human paradoxical nature.

Simile / Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Idhu naai kaiyil thaengaa / Uzhudhu payira podu / Idhu paara nelathu poongaa

Compares dynamic life and useless human struggles to a dog holding a coconut ('naai kaiyil thaengaa') and trying to cultivate rocky land.

Did you know?

Trivia

Ethir Kaatru (1990) was directed by Muktha S. Sundar and featured music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. Lyricist Vaali was well known for blending deep philosophical truths into simple, accessible colloquial Tamil vernacular for film songs.

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