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Isaimozhi
Attagasam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Unakkenna Unakkenna

From Attagasam · 2004

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Tippu
Music director
Bharathwaj
Movie name
Attagasam
Movie release year
2004
Lyrics added on
6 Oct 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Imayamalyil en kodi paranthaal
Unakkenna ….
(Unakkenna unakkenna unakkenna)
Ezhu kadalum en peyar sonnal
Unakkenna ….
(Unakkenna unakkenna unakkenna)
Erindhu pona saambalil irundhu
Elundhu parakkum phenix pola
Meendum meendum parappen
Unakkenna ….
Naan vaaznthaal unakkenna
Unakkenna ….aaa…
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna ….aaa…
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna thambhi
Unakkenna….
Imayamalyil en kodi paranthaal
Unakkenna…ahaa….
…………………………..
Yetri vidavum thandhaiyum illai
Yenthi kolla thaai madi illai
Ennai naanae sigarathil vaithen
Adhanaal unakkenna
Thath thara raa raa
Thaara raa raa thaaa
Thaayin karuvil valarum kuzhanthai
Ezhaam maadham idhayam thudikkum
Ainthae maadhathil idhayam thudippen
Adhanaal unakkenna
Ivan konda neruppo
Kuraiyavillai
Neruppendrum thalai keezhaai
Erivadhillai
Malaigalin thalaiyo
Kunivadhillai
Manam ulla manidhan
Azhivadhillai
Nee enna urugum panimalai
Naan thaanae erimalai erimalai
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna thambhi
Unakkenna….
Imayamalyil en kodi paranthaal
Unakkenna..
(Unakkenna unakkenna unakkenna)
Hoo hoo hooo hoo hoo
Hoo hoo hooo hoo hoo
Hitleraaga vaazhvathu kodithu
Buththanaaga vaazhvathum kadithu
Hitler buththan iruvarumaai
Naan irunthaal unakkenna
Thath thara raa raa
Thaara raa raa thaaa
Vetri enbathu pattaampochchi
Maatri maatri malargalil amarum
Unakku mattum niranththaram
Endru ninaiththaal sariyalla
Enakkoru nanban endru
Amaivatharkku
Thanippatta thaguthigal
Yethuvum illai
Enakkoru ethiriyaai
Iruppatharkku
Unakkoru unakkoru
Thaguthiyillai
Nee enna urugum panimalai
Naan thaanae erimalai erimalai
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna
Unakkenna unakkenna thambhi
Unakkenna….
If my flag flies atop the Himalayas,
what is it to you?
(What is it to you? What is it to you? What is it to you?)
If all seven seas chant my name,
what is it to you?
(What is it to you? What is it to you? What is it to you?)
Rising from the burnt-out ashes,
like a phoenix taking flight,
I will soar again and again.
What is it to you?
If I thrive, what is it to you?
What is it to you? Ah...
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you? Ah...
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you, brother?
What is it to you?
If my flag flies atop the Himalayas,
what is it to you? Aha...
...
I have no father to raise me up,
no mother's lap to cradle me.
I placed myself on the peak,
so what is it to you?
Thath thara raa raa
Thaara raa raa thaa
For a baby growing in a mother's womb,
the heart beats in the seventh month.
My heart beats with life in just five months,
so what is it to you?
The fire burning inside me
has never dimmed.
A flame never burns
upside down.
The mountain peaks
never bow down.
A man with true spirit
will never be destroyed.
You are just a melting mountain of ice,
while I am a volcano, a raging volcano!
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you, brother?
What is it to you?
If my flag flies atop the Himalayas,
what is it to you?
(What is it to you? What is it to you? What is it to you?)
Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo
Hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo
Living as a Hitler is cruel,
living as a Buddha is tough.
If I live as both Hitler and Buddha,
what is it to you?
Thath thara raa raa
Thaara raa raa thaa
Success is like a butterfly,
fluttering from flower to flower.
Thinking that it belongs to you alone forever
is completely wrong.
To become
a friend of mine,
no special qualifications
are needed at all.
But to stand
as an enemy to me,
you just don't have, you don't have
what it takes!
You are just a melting mountain of ice,
while I am a volcano, a raging volcano!
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you? What is it to you?
What is it to you, brother?
What is it to you?
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Unakkenna Unakkenna is a high-octane mass anthem from the 2004 Tamil film Attagasam, starring Ajith Kumar. Lyricist Vairamuthu pens a fiercely independent protagonist who proclaims his self-made success, resilience, and stoic pride in the face of envious detractors. Without relying on parental privilege or external help, he rose to the peak on his own strength. He draws parallels between himself and a rising phoenix, an unbending mountain, and an active volcano, while dismissing his opponents as fragile melting icebergs. Throughout the song, the central rhetorical refrain 'Unakkenna?' ('What is it to you?') acts as a bold slap against haters who question his rise.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

“Elundhu parakkum phenix pola”

Compares the protagonist's resurrection and drive to a phoenix rising from the ashes.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Nee enna urugum panimalai Naan thaanae erimalai erimalai”

Directly equates the opponent to a melting iceberg and himself to an erupting volcano.

Antithesis (Maranpatta Porul)

“Hitler buththan iruvarumaai Naan irunthaal unakkenna”

Contrasts two extreme personality archetypes—Hitler (ruthlessness) and Buddha (peace)—to highlight his complex dual nature.

Refrain / Anaphora

“Unakkenna unakkenna thambhi Unakkenna….”

Repetition of 'Unakkenna' at the end of stanzas to emphasize defiance and unbothered self-assurance.

Did you know?

Trivia

Attagasam (2004) featured Ajith Kumar in a dual role and was directed by Saran, featuring popular music composed by Bharadwaj. The song 'Unakkenna Unakkenna' became an iconic anthem for Ajith Kumar's real-life image as a self-made actor who achieved stardom without a film background.

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