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Idhu Sathiyam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Sathiyam Idhu Sathiyam

From Idhu Sathiyam · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music directors
Vishwanathan, Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Idhu Sathiyam
Movie release year
1963
Lyrics added on
2 Apr 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Ellaam valla iraivanin aanai
Solla povadhu yaavaiyum unmai
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Ellaam valla iraivanin aanai
Solla povadhu yaavaiyum unmai
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Pathu thingal siraiyil irundhaen
Pallikkooda araiyil irundhaen
Pathu thingal siraiyil irundhaen
Pallikkooda araiyil irundhaen
Ethanaiyo siraigalai
Naan paarthu vittaen podaa po podaa po
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Ellaam valla iraivanin aanai
Solla povadhu yaavaiyum unmai
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Thalaikku melae vellam ponaal
Jaan enna muzham enna
Thannai nambum dhairiyam irundhaal
Naal enna pozhudhenna
Thalaikku melae vellam ponaal
Jaan enna muzham enna
Thannai nambum dhairiyam irundhaal
Naal enna pozhudhenna
Vilaikku melae vilai vaithaalum
Manidhan vilai enna
Uyir vittu vittaal udal suttu vittaal
Adhil adutha kadhai enna enna
Adhil adutha kadhai enna
Ellaam valla iraivanin aanai
Solla povadhu yaavaiyum unmai
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Panjai pottu neruppai maraippavan
Paithiyakkaaranadaa
Paavam theerkka panathai iraippavan
Pachai madaiyanadaa
Nenjukku needhiyai olithae vaazhbavan
Nichayam mirugamadaa
Nalla naermaiyilum than vaervaiyilum
Dhinam vaazhbavan dheivamadaa aa…
Dhinam vaazhbavan dheivamadaa
Ellaam valla iraivanin aanai
Solla povadhu yaavaiyum unmai
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
Sathiyam idhu sathiyam
I swear, this is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
In the name of almighty God,
Everything I am going to say is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
In the name of almighty God,
Everything I am going to say is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
For ten months, I lived inside a prison (the womb),
And then I stayed in a schoolroom.
For ten months, I lived inside a prison,
And then I stayed in a schoolroom.
I have already seen so many prisons in life—
So get lost, just go away!
I swear, this is the truth.
In the name of almighty God,
Everything I am going to say is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
When the flood rises over your head,
What does an inch or a yard matter?
If you have the courage to believe in yourself,
What does an auspicious day or time matter?
When the flood rises over your head,
What does an inch or a yard matter?
If you have the courage to believe in yourself,
What does an auspicious day or time matter?
No matter how high a price you name,
What is a human being really worth?
Once life departs and the body is burned,
What story is left after that? Tell me what?
What story is left after that?
In the name of almighty God,
Everything I am going to say is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
A person who covers a fire with cotton
Is nothing but a madman.
A person who throws money around to wash away his sins
Is nothing but a complete fool.
A person who lives hiding justice from his own conscience
Is surely an animal.
The one who lives by pure honesty and his own sweat
Is truly a god every single day... Ah...
Is truly a god every single day!
In the name of almighty God,
Everything I am going to say is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
I swear, this is the truth.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Sathiyam Idhu Sathiyam is a philosophical song from the 1963 Tamil film 'Idhu Sathiyam', featuring lyrics by Kannadasan. The song serves as a moral proclamation on truth, resilience, and righteous living. It asserts that truth is an divine mandate and encourages individuals to overcome fear and despair through self-confidence, pointing out that when adversity reaches its peak, worrying over minor details is pointless.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagim)

Pathu thingal siraiyil irundhaen

Describing the mother's womb during ten months of pregnancy as a 'sirai' (prison).

Proverb / Idiomatic Expression (Pazhamozhi)

Thalaikku melae vellam ponaal Jaan enna muzham enna

Uses the popular Tamil proverb 'Thalaikku melae vellam ponaal jaan enna muzham enna' to illustrate that once a crisis passes a certain threshold, minor variations in difficulty no longer matter.

Analogy / Imagery

Panjai pottu neruppai maraippavan Paithiyakkaaranadaa

Comparing the foolish attempt to cover up evil or sin to placing flammable cotton over fire.

Antithesis / Contrast (Muran)

Nichayam mirugamadaa ... Dhinam vaazhbavan dheivamadaa

Contrasting a dishonest person who hides justice as a 'mirugam' (beast) with an honest, hard-working person as a 'dheivam' (god).

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Idhu Sathiyam' (1963) was directed by K. Shankar and produced by GN Pictures. The music was composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy with vocals by T. M. Soundararajan. Kannadasan's lyrics in this song strongly reflect his characteristic philosophical style that blends moral commentary with simple, rhythmic Tamil.

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