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Koyil Kaalai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Thaai Undu Thanthai Undu

From Koyil Kaalai · 1993

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
Ilayaraja, Gangai Amaran
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Koyil Kaalai
Movie release year
1993
Lyrics added on
10 Jul 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Naan oru paradhaesi aiyaiyaiyaa
Nallor kaal dhoosi aiyaiyaiyaa
Ellorum ennai thalla naanaaga cholli kolla
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Petraval petreduthu dheivathin kaaladiyil
Potta kadhaiyai chollavaa
Utravar kutrangalai endhan mael katti vaithu
Vitta kadhaiyai chollavaa
Aiyaa or thunbam vandhu
Dheivathidam poi uraithaal
Kai thandhu kaakkum allavaa
Dheivamae thunbam thandhaal
Engae sendru poi uraippom
Nallorkku kaalam illaiyaa
Ellaamum ingae undu unmai illa
Naanae solgindra vaakkil yaedhum poiyae illa
Naanae solgindra vaakkil yaedhum poiyae illa illa
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Dhooratthu pachai kandu ichaiyo pattadhillai
Maelum naan enna sollattum
Yaarukkum pichai ida paerukkum selvam illai
Naerathai enna sollattum
Annaiyin paalai undu aareeraaro kaettadhillai
Ammammaa enna kodumai
Thinnaiyil naan valarndhum
Theruvil dharmam kaettadhillai
Maelum yaen indha chirumai
Dheivangal thandha pichai poiyaa poiyaa
Ingae poi ondrae meiyaai pochae aiyaa aiyaa
Ingae poi ondrae meiyaai pochae aiyaa aiyaiyaiyaa
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
Naan oru paradhaesi aiyaiyaiyaa
Nallor kaal dhoosi aiyaiyaiyaa
Ellorum ennai thalla naanaaga cholli kolla
Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae
Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
I am just a wanderer, oh alas!
Dust beneath the feet of good people, oh alas!
With everyone casting me aside, I tell myself:
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
The woman who gave birth to me placed me at God's feet,
shall I tell the story of how she abandoned me?
Blaming me for the misdeeds of my own kin,
shall I tell the story of how they cast me away?
Oh sir, when sorrow strikes,
if we go and tell God,
He will lend a hand and protect us, won't He?
If God Himself brings suffering,
where can we go to tell our pain?
Is there no good time for good people?
Everything exists here, yet there is no truth.
In the words I speak, there is no lie at all.
In the words I speak, there is no lie at all, none at all.
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
Seeing greener grass from afar, I never craved it.
What more can I say?
I have no great wealth to give alms to anyone,
what can I say about my fate?
Drinking a mother's milk, I never heard a lullaby.
Oh my, what cruelty!
Though I grew up on a porch,
I never begged in the street.
Why then must I suffer this disgrace?
Is the gift of life from the gods a lie, is it a lie?
Here, only lies have become the truth, oh sir, oh sir!
Here, only lies have become the truth, oh sir, oh alas!
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
I am just a wanderer, oh alas!
Dust beneath the feet of good people, oh alas!
With everyone casting me aside, I tell myself:
There is a mother, there is a father, but I have no parents.
Oh sir, there is a town and a world, but I have no kin.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Thaai undu thandhai undu' from the 1993 film 'Koyil Kaalai' is a poignant lament about abandonment, loneliness, and societal hypocrisy. The protagonist expresses the irony of having parents, relatives, and a place in the world while remaining completely orphaned and destitute in reality. Having been abandoned as an infant at a temple, the speaker laments carrying the blame for others' misdeeds and questioning why God afflicts those who are inherently righteous. Despite the extreme hardship and growing up on public porches without family warmth, the protagonist maintains personal dignity, refusing to beg or covet what belongs to others. The lyrics critique a world where honesty is disregarded and falsehood reigns supreme, portraying the solitary journey of an innocent soul seeking divine justice.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

“Petraval petreduthu dheivathin kaaladiyil / Utravar kutrangalai endhan mael katti vaithu”

The second consonant 't' (ட்) rhymes in consecutive lines 'Petraval' and 'Utravar'.

Monaai (Alliteration)

“Petraval petreduthu dheivathin kaaladiyil / Potta kadhaiyai chollavaa”

Initial consonant sound 'P' is repeated in 'Petraval petreduthu' and 'Potta'.

Paradox / Irony

“Thaai undu thandhai undu petrom illae / Aiyaa oor undu ulagum undu utraar illae”

Presents the existential paradox of possessing biological parents and a community while being completely orphaned.

Metaphor

“Nallor kaal dhoosi aiyaiyaiyaa”

Comparing oneself to dust beneath the feet of virtuous people to signify utmost humility.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Koyil Kaalai' (1993) was directed by Gangai Amaran, who also penned the lyrics for this track. The music was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, who prominently featured soulful, folk-infused melancholic compositions in Vijayakanth starrers during this era.

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