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Lyrics & meaning

Thanga Katti Pola

From Samsara Sangeetham · 1989

Lyricist
T. Rajendar
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
T. Rajendar
Details
Samsara Sangeetham1989

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thangakatti pola silarukku pondattiFor some, a wife is like a lump of gold
Mannaangkatti pola silarukku pondattiFor some, a wife is like a lump of clay
Avanavan yogam amaivathu thaaramOne's fate determines the spouse one gets
Avanavan yogam amaivathu thaaramOne's fate determines the spouse one gets
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music
Male
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuramIn some people's lives it is a pleasant note, in some lives a discordant note
Pennoda avasaram adhuthaandi kaaranamA woman's haste is the reason behind it
Pennoda avasaram adhuthaandi kaaranamA woman's haste is the reason behind it
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music
Male
Madhaviyai thaedi ponaGoing in search of Madhavi...
Kovalanai ennaththaan...what happened to Kovalan?
Kannagiyum vaazhnthaanuKannagi still lived on with him...
Kadhaiyil sonnaanga...so the story told us.
Male
Madhaviyai thaedi ponaGoing in search of Madhavi...
Kovalanai ennaththaan...what happened to Kovalan?
Kannagiyum vaazhnthaanuKannagi still lived on with him...
Kadhaiyil sonnaanga...so the story told us.
Male
Kaadhali thedavilla ava maadhavi aagavillaI didn't search for a lover, nor did she become Madhavi
Naan kadhali thedavilla ava maadhavi aagavillaI didn't search for a lover, nor did she become Madhavi
Irunthumkooda kannagi pirinjaaEven so, Kannagi separated from me
Puriyaamaththaanae kadhai onnu thirichchaaWithout understanding, someone twisted the story
Male
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuramIn some people's lives it is a pleasant note, in some lives a discordant note
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuramIn some people's lives it is a pleasant note, in some lives a discordant note
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music
Male
Raman pola naanirunthumEven though I was righteous like Rama...
Kaman endru sollivittaal...she accused me of being a womanizer like Kama
Seedhaikaaga naaniruppenI will remain devoted like Rama for Sita
Paadhai maari pogamaattaenI will not stray from my path
Male
Raman pola naanirunthumEven though I was righteous like Rama...
Kaman endru sollivittaal...she accused me of being a womanizer like Kama
Seedhaikaaga naaniruppenI will remain devoted like Rama for Sita
Paadhai maari pogamaattaenI will not stray from my path
Male
Kaiyil oru pillai en kangalil neermullaiA child in my arms, and sharp tears of agony in my eyes
Kaiyil oru pillai en kangalil neermullaiA child in my arms, and sharp tears of agony in my eyes
Thandavaalam pirinjaa rayil engu pogumIf the railway tracks split, where will the train go?
Thaai thanthai pirinjaa kuzhanthainga paavamIf parents separate, the poor children suffer
Male
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuramIn some people's lives it is a pleasant note, in some lives a discordant note
Silar vaazhvil subasuram silar vaazhvil abasuramIn some people's lives it is a pleasant note, in some lives a discordant note
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music
Samsaaram sangeetham samsaaram sangeethamFamily life is music, family life is music

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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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