Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ulagam Ippo

From Azhagar Malai · 2009

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Azhagar Malai2009

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Hahahahaha…Hahahahaha...
Hahahahaha…Hahahahaha...
Male
Ulagam ippo engo pogudhuWhere is the world heading to right now?
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Male
Ingu pirandhavarum engo pogiraarEven those born here are going elsewhere.
Enakkendhan sondha naadu podhumMy own country is enough for me.
Enakkendhan sondha naadu podhumMy own country is enough for me.
Male
Vagai thogaiyaai vaazhndhadhellaamLiving with variety and grandeur,
Vazhkai illaiyaaIs that not a true life?
Vazhivazhiyaai kaathadhelaam namadhuEverything preserved through generations,
Selvam illaiyaaIs that not our true wealth?
Maatram dhaan nalla maatramaaIs change really a good change?
Adhu namakku vaenumaa..Do we really need that change?
Male
Ulagam ippo engo pogudhuWhere is the world heading to right now?
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Male
Rararaaraa raaa..Rararaaraa raaa..
Rarararaaa…Rarararaaa…
Male
Nadhigalinaal nilamBecause of the rivers, the land
Sezhiththu kozhippadhilFlourishes and thrives,
Nenjam negizhgiraenAnd my heart is moved with joy.
Vidhi vasaththaal naanBy the turns of fate, I
SottrukkalaindhadhaiLost my livelihood and food,
Ninaiththu paarkkiraenI reflect back on those times.
Male
Pattiniyum paamaranumThe hungry person and the commoner,
Bhaaradhathin selvam enbaenI consider them the true wealth of India.
Naadu vitta selvarellaamThe wealthy who abandon their motherland,
Izhindhu nirkkum ezhai enbaenI consider them degraded poor souls.
Anniyaril selvam ellaamCan all the wealth among foreigners
Annai mannukkoru vilaiyaamoEqual the worth of our mother soil?
Indha mannai vittuvittu engu povadhu…Leaving this soil, where else could one go?
Male
Ulagam ippo engo pogudhuWhere is the world heading to right now?
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Male
Edhuvum ingae maari pogudhuEverything here keeps changing.
Ennai indha maatram enna seiyumWhat can this change do to me?
Ennai indha maatram enna seiyumWhat can this change do to me?
Male
Thaayaval paasamumA mother's boundless love,
Thandhayin nesamumAnd a father's deep affection,
Vilaikku kidaikumaaCan they ever be bought for a price?
Uravinar sondhamumThe roots of kinship,
Urugidum bandhamumAnd melting heart-to-heart bonds,
Veliyil kidaikumaaCan they be found outside?
Male
Valluvanum bharathiyumThe land revered by Thiruvalluvar and Bharathiyar,
Vanangiya mann idhuvallavaIsn't this that very sacred land?
Vaigaikkarai orathilaeAlong the banks of the River Vaigai,
Valarndha thamizh namadhallavaIsn't that nurtured Tamil language ours?
Vaarththaikullae adangidumaaCan it ever be contained within words,
Munoorthum perumai ellaamAll the glory of our ancestors?
Ninaikaiyilae nenjamellam nirambi vazhiyudhaeThinking of it, my heart overflows with pride!
Male
Ulagam ippo engo pogudhuWhere is the world heading to right now?
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Male
Ingu pirandhavarum engo pogiraarEven those born here are going elsewhere.
Enakkendhan sondha naadu podhumMy own country is enough for me.
Enakkendhan sondha naadu podhumMy own country is enough for me.
Male
Vagai thogaiyaai vaazhndhadhellaamLiving with variety and grandeur,
Vazhkai illaiyaaIs that not a true life?
Vazhivazhiyaai kaathadhelaam namadhuEverything preserved through generations,
Selvam illaiyaaIs that not our true wealth?
Maatram dhaan nalla maatramaaIs change really a good change?
Adhu namakku vaenumaa..Do we really need that change?
Male
Ulagam ippo engo pogudhuWhere is the world heading to right now?
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.
Enakkindha annai bhoomi podhumThis motherland is enough for me.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song expresses profound patriotism, love for one's roots, and cultural pride in Tamil Nadu and India. The singer questions the modern rush toward westernization and brain drain, emphasizing that true happiness and wealth lie in staying connected to one's native soil, family relationships, and ancestral heritage. The song glorifies Tamil language and icons like Thiruvalluvar, Bharathiyar, and the sacred Vaigai river while challenging whether material wealth abroad can ever replace familial affection and cultural roots.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Alliteration)

Valluvanum bharathiyum / Vaigaikkarai orathilae / Vaarththaikullae adangidumaa

Repetition of the initial letter 'Va' in consecutive lines for poetic rhythm.

Rhetorical Question

Maatram dhaan nalla maatramaa / Adhu namakku vaenumaa..

Using questions to stimulate reflection on societal migration and value shift rather than seeking an answer.

Etukai (Assonance/Rhyme)

Valluvanum bharathiyum / Valarndha thamizh namadhallava

Matching second consonant sounds across lines ('ll' sound in Valluvanum and Valarndha).

Did you know?

Trivia

Azhagar Malai (2009) stars RK and Bhanu, with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The song highlights rural grounding and attachment to one's native roots, a central theme in many classic Ilaiyaraaja rural dramas.

Keep listening

More from Azhagar Malai