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Naadodigal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Ulagil Yentha Kathal

From Naadodigal · 2009

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Sundar C Babu
Movie name
Naadodigal
Movie release year
2009
Lyrics added on
11 Jun 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ulagil endha kaadhal
Udanae jeiththadhu
Valigal thaangum kaadhal
Migavum valiyadhu
Kaadhal thotradhaai kadhaigal yedhu
Thotraal thotradhu kaadhal aagaadhu
Ellaamae sandharppam
Karppikkum thappartham
Ulagil endha kaadhal
Udanae jeiththadhu
Valigal thaangum kaadhal
Migavum valiyadhu
Ninaivugalaalae nichayathaartham
Nadandhadhu avanodu
Avanai allaadhu aduthavan mazhai
Yerppadhu perumpaadu
Oruppuram thalaivan
Maruppuram thagappan
Irukkolli erumbaanaal
Paasaththukkaaga kaadhalai tholaithu
Aalaiyil karumbaanaal
Yaar kaaranam yaar kaaranam
Yaar paavam yaaraicherum
Yaarthaan solla
Kanneer vaarthaal kanneer aanen
Sutram seidha kutram thaanae
Uyiril pookkum kaadhal
Unarvin aazhnilai
Unarvai paarppadhedhu
Uravin soozhnilai
Manam ennum kulathil
Vizhiyennum kallai
Mudhan mudhal erindhaalae
Alai alaiyaaga aasaigal ezhumba
Aval vasam vizhundhaanae
Nadhi vazhipponaal
Karaivarakkoodum
Vidhi vazhipponaanae
Vidhai ondru poda verondru mulaitha
Kadhai endru aanaanae
En solvadhu en solvadhu
Thaan konda natpukkaaga
Thaanae theaindhaan
Karpai polae natpai paarthaan
Kaadhal thorkum endraa paarthaan
Ulagil endha kaadhal
Udanae jeiththadhu
Valigal thaangum kaadhal
Migavum valiyadhu
Kaadhal thotradhaai kadhaigal yedhu
Thotraal thotradhu kaadhal aagaadhu
Ellaamae sandharppam
Karppikkum thappartham
Ulagil endha kaadhal
Udanae jeiththadhu
Valigal thaangum kaadhal
Migavum valiyadhu
Which love in this world
has ever won right away?
The love that endures pain
is the strongest of all.
Are there any stories of love truly losing?
If it is defeated, it was never love at all.
It is all just circumstances
giving people the wrong impression.
Which love in this world
has ever won right away?
The love that endures pain
is the strongest of all.
Through heartfelt memories alone,
an engagement was made with him.
Apart from him, accepting another man's love
is an unbearable ordeal.
Her lover on one side,
her father on the other,
she was trapped like an ant between two fires.
Giving up her love for the sake of family,
she was crushed like sugarcane in a mill.
Who is to blame? Who is to blame?
Whose sin will fall upon whom?
Who can really say?
When she shed tears, I dissolved into tears too;
is this not the fault of family and kin?
The love that blooms within the soul
is the deepest state of feeling.
How could such deep emotion ever care about
the demands of social ties?
Into the quiet pond of his heart,
with a glance from her eyes like a stone,
she cast the very first ripple.
As desires rose in wave after wave,
he fell completely under her spell.
If you go with the river's flow,
you might reach the shore;
yet he followed the path of fate.
Sowing one seed only for another to sprout,
his life turned into that tragic tale.
What can I say? What can I say?
For the sake of the friendship he cherished,
he wore himself completely away.
He held friendship as sacred as virtue;
did he ever imagine that love would lose?
Which love in this world
has ever won right away?
The love that endures pain
is the strongest of all.
Are there any stories of love truly losing?
If it is defeated, it was never love at all.
It is all just circumstances
giving people the wrong impression.
Which love in this world
has ever won right away?
The love that endures pain
is the strongest of all.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from the movie Naadodigal explores the profound and painful nature of true love and self-sacrificing friendship. It reflects on how love is rarely achieved instantly without suffering, asserting that true love is defined by its endurance through suffering and trial. The lyrics vividly describe a woman's tragic predicament, torn between her affection for her father and her love for her partner, comparing her torment to an ant caught between two fires or sugarcane crushed in a mill. At the same time, the song pays tribute to the protagonist's selfless friendship. He risks his own life and happiness to unite his friend with his lover, treating friendship with reverence equivalent to sacred virtue. Through lyricist Vaali's poignant words, the song questions fate, familial pressure, and the unseen consequences of human decisions.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

“Irukkolli erumbaanaal”

Compares the helpless heroine trapped between her father and lover to an ant caught in a stick burning on both ends.

Metaphor (Uruvam)

“Manam ennum kulathil / Vizhiyennum kallai”

Metaphorically compares the mind to a pond ('manam ennum kulam') and the gaze of eyes to a thrown stone ('vizhiyennum kal').

Simile (Uvamai)

“Karpai polae natpai paarthaan”

Compares sacred reverence for friendship to chastity ('karpai polae natpai paarthaan').

Assonance/Rhyme (Edhukai)

“Nadhi vazhipponaal / Vidhi vazhipponaane”

Second letter rhyming in consecutive lines (Nadhi / Vidhi).

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 2009 blockbuster Tamil film 'Naadodigal' directed by Samuthirakani, this emotional track was composed by Sundar C. Babu with lyrics penned by legendary poet Vaali. The song underscores the climax of emotional sacrifices made by friends for love.

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