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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Singam Rendu

From Natpu · 1986

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, S. N. Surendar
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Natpu1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Singam rendu serndhadhadaaTwo lions have come together.
Theemaigala vetti chaaikkumadaaThey will chop down and destroy all evils.
Male
Singam rendu serndhadhadaaTwo lions have come together.
Theemaigala vetti chaaikkumadaaThey will chop down and destroy all evils.
Male
Ada kuttu patta koottamOh, the group of oppressed people,
Ini thatti ketkum paaruSee, now they will question and demand answers.
Male
Ini mosakkaaran mutta vandhaaNow if a deceitful person comes to attack,
Modhi paarkkum paaruSee, they will clash and fight back.
Male
Ezhu mora nee vote pottaYou voted seven times,
Enna kanda thuni ottu pottaWhat did you get? Just patched-up clothes.
Male
Paadi vechaan andru pattukkottaBack then, Pattukkottai sang about this in his poetry,
Kettu puttu neeyum koratta vittaBut after listening to it, you just snored and slept off.
Male
Annaachi paadu pattaElder brother worked so hard,
Nee ennaatha saethu vechaWhat did you manage to save up?
Male
Kai serndha kaasai ellaamAll the money that reached your hands,
Nee karpooram kaatti putta haeYou burned it away like camphor, hey!
Male
Maadikkum andha chaerikkumBetween the high mansions and that slum,
Ingu parambara vazhakkuThere is an age-old traditional divide here.
Male
Maaranum nanma seranumIt must change and good things must unite;
Vandha sudhandhiram edhukku haeiOtherwise, what is the point of achieved independence, hey!
Male
Singam rendu serndhadhadaaTwo lions have come together.
Theemaigala vetti chaaikkumadaaThey will chop down and destroy all evils.
Male
Ada kuttu patta koottamOh, the group of oppressed people,
Ini thatti ketkum paaruSee, now they will question and demand answers.
Male
Ini mosakkaaran mutta vandhaaNow if a deceitful person comes to attack,
Modhi paarkkum paaruSee, they will clash and fight back.
Male
Annae annae neenga singaaramaaHey brother, brother, are you silently posing?
Innum enna pazham panjaangamaaWhy are you still holding onto ancient calendars?
Male
Thaerdhal dheivam rendumWill both elections and God...
Neeyaagumaa...ever become true for you?
Poga poga rendum poiyaagumaaAs time goes on, won't both turn out to be false?
Male
Naam vaazhum oorukkullaInside the town where we live,
Hoi onaaigal oolaiyadaaHey, the wolves are howling!
Male
Ellorum vaal eduppomLet us all raise our swords,
Porkaalam naalaiyadaaTomorrow will be a golden era!
Male
Pechinaal seyal veechinaalThrough speech, and through the stroke of action,
Makkal manangalai uzhudhuPloughing through the hearts of the people,
Male
Ezhaiyae ini illaiyaeWrite a new history declaring...
Ennum sarithiram ezhudhu haei...'There are no poor people anymore!', hey!
Male
Singam rendu serndhadhadaaTwo lions have come together.
Theemaigala vetti chaaikkumadaaThey will chop down and destroy all evils.
Male
Ada kuttu patta koottamOh, the group of oppressed people,
Ini thatti ketkum paaruSee, now they will question and demand answers.
Male
Ini mosakkaaran mutta vandhaaNow if a deceitful person comes to attack,
Modhi paarkkum paaruSee, they will clash and fight back.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Singam Rendu Serndhadhadaa from the film Natpu (1986) is a high-energy socio-political awakening song penned by Vairamuthu. Utilizing the metaphor of two lions joining forces, the song represents a formidable unity against societal injustice, economic disparity, and political deceit. It calls upon the working class and marginalized people to stop enduring suffering passively, challenge corrupt leaders, and reclaim their dignity and rights. Furthermore, the song emphasizes the gap between rich mansions and impoverished slums, urging citizens to channel their collective strength into real political awareness. By invoking the memory of legendary poet Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, the song challenges people to move beyond empty political promises and build a golden future free from poverty.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Urugagam)

Singam rendu serndhadhadaa

Compares the alliance of two strong, righteous individuals to two lions uniting to clear away evils.

Allusion (Kurippuu)

Paadi vechaan andru pattukkotta

Refers directly to Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, the legendary Tamil lyricist known for his revolutionary and working-class songs.

Rhyme (Edhugai)

Ezhu mora nee vote potta

Uses matching second-consonant sounds across consecutive lines ('vote potta', 'ottu potta', 'pattukkotta').

Imagery (Ouvaiyaan / Kaatchi-i)

Hoi onaaigal oolaiyadaa

Uses vivid imagery of wolves howling to represent predatory oppressors in society.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song references the legendary populist poet-lyricist Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, whose mid-20th century songs inspired Tamil Nadu's social justice movements. Music for Natpu (1986) was composed by Sankar-Ganesh.

Keep listening

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