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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thanga Katti Pola

From Samsara Sangeetham · 1989

Lyricist
T. Rajendar
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
T. Rajendar
Movie name
Samsara Sangeetham
Movie release year
1989
Lyrics added on
24 Dec 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thangakatti pola silarukku pondatti
Mannaangkatti pola silarukku pondatti
Avanavan yogam amaivathu thaaram
Avanavan yogam amaivathu thaaram
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram
Pennoda avasaram adhuthaandi kaaranam
Pennoda avasaram adhuthaandi kaaranam
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Madhaviyai thaedi pona
Kovalanai ennaththaan
Kannagiyum vaazhnthaanu
Kadhaiyil sonnaanga
Madhaviyai thaedi pona
Kovalanai ennaththaan
Kannagiyum vaazhnthaanu
Kadhaiyil sonnaanga
Kaadhali thedavilla ava maadhavi aagavilla
Naan kadhali thedavilla ava maadhavi aagavilla
Irunthumkooda kannagi pirinjaa
Puriyaamaththaanae kadhai onnu thirichchaa
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Raman pola naanirunthum
Kaman endru sollivittaal
Seedhaikaaga naaniruppen
Paadhai maari pogamaattaen
Raman pola naanirunthum
Kaman endru sollivittaal
Seedhaikaaga naaniruppen
Paadhai maari pogamaattaen
Kaiyil oru pillai en kangalil neermullai
Kaiyil oru pillai en kangalil neermullai
Thandavaalam pirinjaa rayil engu pogum
Thaai thanthai pirinjaa kuzhanthainga paavam
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeetham
Some men get a wife as precious as gold,
Some men get a wife as worthless as a lump of clay.
A man's destiny determines the wife he gets,
A man's destiny determines the wife he gets.
The music of family life, the music of family life!
In some lives it's pure harmony; in some it's jarring discord.
A woman's hasty temper is the root of it all!
A woman's hasty temper is the root of it all!
The music of family life, the music of family life,
The music of family life, the music of family life!
Longing for Kovalan,
Who had left in pursuit of Madhavi,
Kannagi still held on and lived for him—
That is what the ancient legend tells us.
Longing for Kovalan,
Who had left in pursuit of Madhavi,
Kannagi still held on and lived for him—
That is what the ancient legend tells us.
I never looked for another woman, nor did anyone take Madhavi's place,
I never looked for another woman, nor did anyone take Madhavi's place,
Yet, my own Kannagi still walked away from me,
Blind to the truth, she spun her own twisted story!
In some lives it's pure harmony; in some it's jarring discord,
In some lives it's pure harmony; in some it's jarring discord.
The music of family life, the music of family life!
Though I remained loyal like Rama,
She labeled me a man driven by lust.
I will live only for my Sita,
I will never stray from the right path.
Though I remained loyal like Rama,
She labeled me a man driven by lust.
I will live only for my Sita,
I will never stray from the right path.
With a child in my arms and tears filling my eyes,
With a child in my arms and tears filling my eyes,
If the tracks split apart, where will the train go?
If parents separate, it is the poor children who suffer!
In some lives it's pure harmony; in some it's jarring discord,
In some lives it's pure harmony; in some it's jarring discord.
The music of family life, the music of family life,
The music of family life, the music of family life!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Samsara Sangeetham compares domestic family life to musical notes, observing how marital union can either yield sweet harmony (subasuram) or painful discord (abasuram). The song laments how destiny dictates one's spouse and how misunderstandings and rash judgments can fracture a home despite a husband's innocence and devotion. By referencing epic characters from Tamil literature and Hindu lore—such as Kovalan, Kannagi, Madhavi, Rama, and Sita—the speaker stresses his unyielding fidelity. He mourns the emotional tragedy of broken marriages, highlighting the heartbreak borne by innocent children when parents separate, symbolized by train tracks veering apart.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Thangakatti pola silarukku pondatti”

Compares a supportive wife to a bar of gold (Thangakatti) and an unsuitable wife to a worthless lump of clay (Mannaangkatti).

Antithesis / Contrast (Ethirai)

“Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuram”

Juxtaposes 'subasuram' (harmonious, melodious note) with 'abasuram' (discordant note) to illustrate the dual outcomes of marital bliss and misery.

Literary Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)

“Madhaviyai thaedi pona Kovalanai ennaththaan”

Refers to the classic Tamil epic Silappatikaram (Kovalan, Kannagi, Madhavi) and the Ramayana (Rama, Sita) to draw parallels with modern domestic heartbreak.

Metaphor / Analogy (Uruvagam)

“Thandavaalam pirinjaa rayil engu pogum”

Uses the image of splitting railway tracks leading to a derailed train as an analogy for separating parents and disrupted children.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is from the movie 'Samsara Sangeetham' (1989), written, directed, composed, and produced by T. Rajendar. Known for his signature rhyming lyricism and intense melodramas, T. Rajendar frequently integrated classic literary metaphors from Tamil epics into modern everyday dialect in his songs.

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