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Lyrics & meaning

Sattam Oru Iruttarai

From Sattam Oru Iruttarai · 1981

Lyricist
Kamakodiyan
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Sattam Oru Iruttarai
Movie release year
1981
Lyrics added on
26 Dec 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sattam oru iruttarai
Anna sonnaar
Aringar anna sonnaar
Adhai purinju nadappavan
Ulagil nimirnthu nadakkiraan
Summa nadungi kidappavan
Puzhu pol nezhinju kidakkiraan
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai….
Sattam oru iruttarai
Anna sonnaar
Aringar anna sonnaar
Adhai purinju nadappavan u
Ulagil nimirnthu nadakkiraan
Summa nadungi kidappavan
Puzhu pol nezhinju kidakkiraan
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai….
Unakku ondru enakku ondru sattaththil illa
Thanakku endru edhuvum antha needhiyil illai
Aa…aa… unakku odru enakku ondru sattaththil illa
Thanakku endru edhuvum antha needhiyil illai
Idaiyilae kolaaru thaduththida nee yaaru
Thunivudan munaerun nadapathuthaan veru
Pasiyil vaadum pillikkaag apaavaththai senjaan
Antha paavaththilae kulichavalo labaththai kandaa
Pasiyil vaadum pillaikkaaga paavaththai senjaan
Antha paavaththilae kulichavalo labaththai kandaa
Yaezhaigalim illaamai ellaamae vilambaram
Iruppavar vaazhkkaiyo oorARINJA RAGASIYAM
Sattam oru iruttarai
Anna sonnaar
Aringar anna sonnaar
Adhai purinju nadappavan u
Ulagil nimirnthu nadakkiraan
Summa nadungi kidappavan
Puzhu pol nezhinju kidakkiraan
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai….
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai….
Avan nenappula sattam iruttarai….
The law is a dark room,
Anna said so,
Scholar Anna said so.
The one who understands it and acts
walks with his head held high in this world.
The one who merely cowers in fear
lies squirming like a worm.
Only in his mind is the law a dark room.
Only in his mind is the law a dark room...
The law is a dark room,
Anna said so,
Scholar Anna said so.
The one who understands it and acts
walks with his head held high in this world.
The one who merely cowers in fear
lies squirming like a worm.
Only in his mind is the law a dark room.
Only in his mind is the law a dark room...
There is no separate law for you and another for me,
justice seeks nothing for itself.
Ah... there is no separate law for you and another for me,
justice seeks nothing for itself.
The corruption lies in the middle—who are you to stop it?
March forward with courage, though reality turns out differently!
For a child suffering in hunger, he committed a sin,
yet the one who bathed in that sin made all the profit.
For a child suffering in hunger, he committed a sin,
yet the one who bathed in that sin made all the profit.
The poverty of the poor is openly displayed for all to see,
while the life of the rich is an open secret in town.
The law is a dark room,
Anna said so,
Scholar Anna said so.
The one who understands it and acts
walks with his head held high in this world.
The one who merely cowers in fear
lies squirming like a worm.
Only in his mind is the law a dark room...
Only in his mind is the law a dark room...
Only in his mind is the law a dark room...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This iconic title track from the 1981 film 'Sattam Oru Iruttarai' takes its core thesis from C. N. Annadurai's famous quote stating that the legal system is a 'dark room'. The song acts as a sharp social critique of the justice system, highlighting how systemic corruption and social inequalities disproportionately affect the poor while the wealthy exploit the loopholes to their benefit. It points out that while law itself is meant to be unbiased, real-world application is skewed by corrupt intermediaries. Through intense and thought-provoking lyrics by Kamakodiyan, rendered powerfully by Malaysia Vasudevan and composed by Shankar Ganesh, the song urges people to shed fear and face reality bravely rather than cowering like helpless worms. It exposes the tragedy of forced crimes born out of starvation versus systemic exploitation by the rich, making it an enduring revolutionary anthem in Tamil cinema.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

“Sattam oru iruttarai”

Directly compares the legal system to a dark room ('iruttarai') to emphasize its opacity and complexity.

Simile (Uvamai)

“Puzhu pol nezhinju kidakkiraan”

Compares a passive, fearful person to a worm ('puzhu') squirming helpless in the dirt.

Oxymoron / Contrast

“Iruppavar vaazhkkaiyo oorARINJA RAGASIYAM”

Uses the paradoxical phrase 'oorARINJA RAGASIYAM' (an open/publicly known secret) to highlight how corruption and wealthy lifestyles are blatantly visible yet ignored.

Second-letter Rhyme (Edhugai)

“Pasiyil vaadum pillaikkaaga paavaththai senjaan”

The second consonant 's' in 'Pasiyil' matches the 'v'/'s' phonetic pattern in 'Antha' for melodic flow.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song and movie title are derived directly from a celebrated statement by former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, C. N. Annadurai (Arignar Anna): 'Sattam oru iruttarai, adhil vazhakkarinjarin vaadham oru vilakku' (The law is a dark room, in which the lawyer's argument is a lamp). Directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar, the film was a massive career-defining blockbuster for Vijayakanth and established his image as a champion of social justice.

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From the same album

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Sattam Oru IruttaraiSensual

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