Senga Soola Kaara
From Vaagai Sooda Vaa · 2011
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Anitha Karthikeyan
- Music director
- M. Ghibran
- Details
- Vaagai Sooda Vaa2011
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Chorus | |
| Hmmm …mmm….mmm… | Hmmm ...mmm....mmm... |
| Hmmm …mmm….mmm… | Hmmm ...mmm....mmm... |
| Female | |
| Senga soola kaara | O brick kiln worker, |
| Senga soola kaara | O brick kiln worker, |
| Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada | The dried clay bricks have baked, come along! |
| Senga soola kaara.. | O brick kiln worker.. |
| Senga soola kaara.. | O brick kiln worker.. |
| Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada.. | The dried clay bricks have baked, come along.. |
| Megam koodi iruti poochu vaadaa.. | The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along.. |
| Female | |
| Sutta sutta mannu kallachu | The baked, heated mud turned into bricks, |
| Natta natta kallu veedachu | The planted bricks became homes, |
| Nachu nachu patta namma | Though battered and afflicted with troubles, our... |
| Pozappu thaan pacha manna poochu | Very livelihood has turned fragile like raw clay. |
| Female | |
| Vitha vitha kallu ennachu | What happened to the variety of bricks? |
| Vinna vinna thottu ninnaachu | They stood tall, reaching up to the skies! |
| Mannu kuzhi poola namma parampara | Like a pit dug in the dirt, our lineage... |
| Pallam aagi poochu | Has sunk into a deep depression. |
| Female | |
| Aiyanaaru saamy | O Lord Aiyanaar, |
| Azuthu theerthu paarthom | We cried our hearts out appealing to you, |
| Sooranaketta saamy | O insensitive deity, |
| Sootha thaana kettom | Did we ever ask for your throne or power? |
| Female | |
| Kaalavaasal kangu poda | To stoke the embers at the kiln entrance, |
| Kali mulla vetti vaada | Cut and bring the thorn wood, come on! |
| Female | |
| Senga soola kaara.. | O brick kiln worker.. |
| Senga soola kaara.. | O brick kiln worker.. |
| Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada.. | The dried clay bricks have baked, come along.. |
| Megam koodi iruti poochu vaadaa.. | The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along.. |
| Female | |
| Mannu mannu mattum sooraga | Only the soil remains scattered and dry, |
| Makka makka vazunthu varaaga | Yet these people endure and live on. |
| Male :Mazhai vara pogudhu | Male: The rain is about to fall, |
| Mazhai vara pogudhu | The rain is about to fall. |
| Female :Mazha mazha vanthu | Female: When the heavy rain arrives, |
| Mannu karaigaiyil | And dissolves the earth, |
| Makka enga poga | Where will our people go? |
| Female | |
| Ittha kali mannu vegaathu | This wet clay soil won't bake, |
| Enga thala mura maarathu | Our generation's plight won't change. |
| Manna kindi vazhum mannu puzuvukku | For the earthworms living by digging through dirt, |
| Veedu vaasal yethu ….. | Where is the home or shelter? |
| Female | |
| Aiyanaaru saamy | O Lord Aiyanaar, |
| Kanna thiranthu paaru | Open your eyes and look at us, |
| Enga sanam vazha | For our people to live, |
| Onna vita yaaru | Who else is there besides you? |
| Female | |
| Ethirkaalam unakkaga | The future is waiting for you, |
| Ettu ettu vachu vaada | Take steps forward and come! |
| Thanthaanae nanae | Thanthaanae nanae, |
| Thanthananae nanae | Thanthananae nanae, |
| Female | |
| Verva thanni veetukulla | Inside the house filled with sweat, |
| Velakku yethum vaada | Come and light a lamp! |
| Verva thanni veetukulla | Inside the house filled with sweat, |
| Velakku yethum vaada……. | Come and light a lamp!...... |
ம்.....ம்.....ம்....
ம்....ம்.....ம்....
Hmmm ...mmm....mmm...
Hmmm ...mmm....mmm...
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா
காஞ்ச கல்லு
வெந்துப்போச்சு வாடா
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா..
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா..
காஞ்ச கல்லு
வெந்துப்போச்சு வாடா
மேகம் கூடி இருட்டிப்போச்சி வாடா
O brick kiln worker,
O brick kiln worker,
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along!
O brick kiln worker..
O brick kiln worker..
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along..
The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along..
சுட்ட சுட்ட
மண்ணு கல்லாச்சு
நட்ட நட்ட கல்லு வீடாச்சு
நச்சு நச்சுப் பட்ட நம்ம
பொழப்புதான் பச்ச
மண்ணா போச்சே
The baked, heated mud turned into bricks,
The planted bricks became homes,
Though battered and afflicted with troubles, our...
Very livelihood has turned fragile like raw clay.
வித்த வித்த
கல்லு என்னாச்சு
வின்ன வின்ன தொட்டு நின்னாச்சு
மண்ணு குழிப்போல நம்ம பரம்பரை
பள்ளம் ஆகிப்போச்சே
What happened to the variety of bricks?
They stood tall, reaching up to the skies!
Like a pit dug in the dirt, our lineage...
Has sunk into a deep depression.
அய்யனாரு சாமி
அழுது தீர்த்து பார்த்தோம்
சொரணைக்கெட்ட சாமி
சோத்த தானே கேட்டோம்
O Lord Aiyanaar,
We cried our hearts out appealing to you,
O insensitive deity,
Did we ever ask for your throne or power?
கால வாச தந்துப்போட
கள்ளி முள்ளு வெட்டி வாடா
To stoke the embers at the kiln entrance,
Cut and bring the thorn wood, come on!
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா..
செங்கல் சூலைக்காரா..
காஞ்ச கல்லு
வெந்துப்போச்சு வாடா
மேகம் கூடி இருட்டிப்போச்சி வாடா
O brick kiln worker..
O brick kiln worker..
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along..
The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along..
மண்ணு மண்ணு
மட்டும் சோறாக
மக்க மக்க வாழ்ந்து வாராக
மழை வர போகுது
மழை வர போகுது
மழை மழை வந்து
மண்ணு கரைகையில்
மக்க எங்க போக
Only the soil remains scattered and dry,
Yet these people endure and live on.
Male: The rain is about to fall,
The rain is about to fall.
Female: When the heavy rain arrives,
And dissolves the earth,
Where will our people go?
இந்த களி மண்ணு வேகாது
எங்க தலைமுறை மாறாது
மண்ண தீண்டி வாழும்
மண்ணு புழுவுக்கு
வீடு வாசல் ஏது
This wet clay soil won't bake,
Our generation's plight won't change.
For the earthworms living by digging through dirt,
Where is the home or shelter?
அய்யனாரு சாமி
கண்ணு தொறந்து பாரு
எங்க சனம் வாழ
ஒன்ன விட்டா யாரு
O Lord Aiyanaar,
Open your eyes and look at us,
For our people to live,
Who else is there besides you?
எதிர்காலம் உனக்காக
எட்டு எட்டு வச்சிவாடா...
தந்தானே தானே
தந்தன்னானே தானே
The future is waiting for you,
Take steps forward and come!
Thanthaanae nanae,
Thanthananae nanae,
வேர்வை தண்ணி
வீட்டுக்குள்ள
விளக்கு ஏத்தும் வாடா
வேர்வை தண்ணி வீட்டுக்குள்ள
விளக்கு ஏத்தும் வாடா.....
Inside the house filled with sweat,
Come and light a lamp!
Inside the house filled with sweat,
Come and light a lamp!......
Hmmm …mmm….mmm…
Hmmm ...mmm....mmm...
Hmmm …mmm….mmm…
Hmmm ...mmm....mmm...
Senga soola kaara
O brick kiln worker,
Senga soola kaara
O brick kiln worker,
Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along!
Senga soola kaara..
O brick kiln worker..
Senga soola kaara..
O brick kiln worker..
Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada..
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along..
Megam koodi iruti poochu vaadaa..
The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along..
Sutta sutta mannu kallachu
The baked, heated mud turned into bricks,
Natta natta kallu veedachu
The planted bricks became homes,
Nachu nachu patta namma
Though battered and afflicted with troubles, our...
Pozappu thaan pacha manna poochu
Very livelihood has turned fragile like raw clay.
Vitha vitha kallu ennachu
What happened to the variety of bricks?
Vinna vinna thottu ninnaachu
They stood tall, reaching up to the skies!
Mannu kuzhi poola namma parampara
Like a pit dug in the dirt, our lineage...
Pallam aagi poochu
Has sunk into a deep depression.
Aiyanaaru saamy
O Lord Aiyanaar,
Azuthu theerthu paarthom
We cried our hearts out appealing to you,
Sooranaketta saamy
O insensitive deity,
Sootha thaana kettom
Did we ever ask for your throne or power?
Kaalavaasal kangu poda
To stoke the embers at the kiln entrance,
Kali mulla vetti vaada
Cut and bring the thorn wood, come on!
Senga soola kaara..
O brick kiln worker..
Senga soola kaara..
O brick kiln worker..
Kanja kallu venthu poochu vaada..
The dried clay bricks have baked, come along..
Megam koodi iruti poochu vaadaa..
The clouds have gathered and darkened, come along..
Mannu mannu mattum sooraga
Only the soil remains scattered and dry,
Makka makka vazunthu varaaga
Yet these people endure and live on.
Male :Mazhai vara pogudhu
Male: The rain is about to fall,
Mazhai vara pogudhu
The rain is about to fall.
Female :Mazha mazha vanthu
Female: When the heavy rain arrives,
Mannu karaigaiyil
And dissolves the earth,
Makka enga poga
Where will our people go?
Ittha kali mannu vegaathu
This wet clay soil won't bake,
Enga thala mura maarathu
Our generation's plight won't change.
Manna kindi vazhum mannu puzuvukku
For the earthworms living by digging through dirt,
Veedu vaasal yethu …..
Where is the home or shelter?
Aiyanaaru saamy
O Lord Aiyanaar,
Kanna thiranthu paaru
Open your eyes and look at us,
Enga sanam vazha
For our people to live,
Onna vita yaaru
Who else is there besides you?
Ethirkaalam unakkaga
The future is waiting for you,
Ettu ettu vachu vaada
Take steps forward and come!
Thanthaanae nanae
Thanthaanae nanae,
Thanthananae nanae
Thanthananae nanae,
Verva thanni veetukulla
Inside the house filled with sweat,
Velakku yethum vaada
Come and light a lamp!
Verva thanni veetukulla
Inside the house filled with sweat,
Velakku yethum vaada…….
Come and light a lamp!......
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Senga Soola Kaara from the film Vaagai Sooda Vaa is a deeply moving folk song depicting the grueling life and plight of bonded laborers working at a brick kiln in rural Tamil Nadu. The song presents a sharp contrast: while the clay bricks baked by the workers go on to build tall, sky-reaching homes for others, the workers' own lives remain fragile, impoverished, and stuck in deep misery like raw, unbaked mud easily dissolved by rain.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Pozappu thaan pacha manna poochu”
Comparing human life and livelihood to unbaked, raw mud ('pacha manna poochu') which easily dissolves in hardship, and comparing the laborers to earthworms ('mannu puzuvukku').
Irony (Maranisai)
“Vinna vinna thottu ninnaachu / Mannu kuzhi poola namma parampara / Pallam aagi poochu”
The contrast between the bricks building sky-touching mansions for others while the workers who make them sink deeper into pits of poverty.
Repetition / Alliteration (Adukkuthodar / Edugai)
“Sutta sutta mannu kallachu / Natta natta kallu veedachu”
Rhythmic repetition of Tamil words for poetic rhythm and emphasis (Sutta sutta, Natta natta, Nachu nachu, Vitha vitha, Vinna vinna).
Did you know?
Trivia
Vaagai Sooda Vaa (2011) marked the film debut of acclaimed music composer M. Ghibran. Set in 1960s rural Tamil Nadu, the song sensitively captures the reality of child labor and bonded brick kiln workers, earning wide critical acclaim for Vairamuthu's poetic lyrics and the authentic folk score.
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