- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Shankar Mahadevan
- Music director
- Augaath
- Movie name
- Naatpadu Theral 2
- Movie release year
- 2022
- Lyrics added on
- 17 Jul 2022
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Unnai paarthu ulagam kuraikkum
Thannanbikkai thalara vidathae
Rettaai pechu pesum ulagam
Mirattum thambhi mirandu vidathae (Dialogue)
Ovvoru vaayilum ottrai naakku
Ulagin vaayil rettai naakku
Enakku nerndha izhamozhi ellaam
Unaku solgiren ullathil ezhuthu
Ezhuthu ehzuthu ezhuthu
Ezhuthu ehzuthu ezhuthu
Innisai thamizhai elimai seidhen
Ilakkiyam illai laegiyam endrathu
Thirai paattukkul sendhamizh seidhen
Parimaelazhagarai varasol endrathu (Dialogue)
Ho kurunthogai kamban kotti moozhginen
Kundu sattiyil kudhirai endrathu
Eliyat neruda ellaam sonnen
Thiramai ellam thirudiya thendrathu
Thirudiya thendrathu thirudiya thendrathu
Thirudiya thendrathu thirudiya thendrathu
Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu
Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu
Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendam
Than nizhal paarthu thanae kuraikkum kuraikkum
Eliya thottramae iyalbena irundhen
Vaduga patti vazhiyudhu endrathu
Azhagaai nanaum aadaigal konden
Kazhuthaikkuedharkku kanmai endrathu
Maedaiyil kaalmel kaalittamarndhen
Paditha thimirthaan panivillai endrathu
Moothavar vandhadhum mudhalil ezhundhen
Kavigan nalla kaakka endrathu (Dialogue)
Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu
Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu
Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendam
Than nizhal paarthu thanae kuraikkum kuraikkum
Mattravar soozhchiyaal mannil vizhunthen
Puthi kozhuthavan pudhainthan endrathu
Moochu piditha mutti mulaithen
Thandhirakaaran thalli nil endrathu(Dialogue)
Pagaiayi kandu paiya nagarndhen
Payandhu vittaan paavam endrathu
Modhi midhithu mugathil umildhen
Vilangi vittadha mirugam endrathu
Uyarndhor perumai uvandhu pugazhndhen
Kaadhil poo vaikkiraan kavanam endrathu
Viral nagatahlavu vimarsanam seidhen
Arivaal edukkiraan aabathu endrathu (Dialogue)
Punathil porulil pattattru irundhen
Varumaiyin vindhil pirandhavan endrathu
Ennai theithu mandapam kattinen
Pulavan illai poorshva endrathu (Dialogue)
Sondha peril thuli nilam illai
Ivana mannin maindhan endrathu
Thennai marangal thedi vaanginen
Pannaiyaar aanaan paavaalan endrathu
Kayavar kettaal kasu maruthaen
Karakka mudiyaadha kanjan endrathu
Unmai irundhaal urupporul koduthen
Udhiri thiriyum oodhaari endrathu
Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu
Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu
Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendaam
Than nizhal paarthu thaanae kuraikkum kuraikkum
Mangaiyaridaiyae maunam kaathen
Kavingen endra karvar endrathu
Pengal silarudan pesa thodanginen
Kangalai kavani kaamam endrathu (Dialogue)
Hmm virudhugal kaluthil veezha kanden
Kuruttu adhirstam koodiya thendrathu
Mendum meednum virudhugal konden
Dilliyil yaaraiyoo theriyum endrathu
Dhisaigal thorum thaedhi koduthen
Aiyoo pugalukku alaigiraan endrathu
Nera kuaraivu niruthi konden
Kanakku paarkkiraan kavingan endrathu
Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu
Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu
Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendaam
Than nizhal paarthu thaanae kuraikkum kuraikkum
Ulagin vaaiyai thaithidu alladhu
Irandu sevigalai irukki moodidu
Ulagin vaaiyai thaipathu kadinam
Undhan sevigal mooduthal sulabam (Dialogue)
The world will bark when it looks at you,
Do not let your self-confidence waver.
The world speaks with a double tongue;
It will try to intimidate you, brother, do not be scared! (Dialogue)
Every mouth has a single tongue,
In the world's mouth, there are two tongues.
All the insults that were aimed at me,
I tell you now—inscribe them in your heart.
Write it down, write it down, write it down,
Write it down, write it down, write it down.
I made sweet musical Tamil simple to grasp;
It said, 'This isn't literature, just medicinal syrup!'
I brought pure classical Tamil into film songs;
It said, 'Call Parimelazhagar (ancient commentator) to explain it!' (Dialogue)
Oh, I poured out Kurunthogai and Kamban and immersed myself in them;
It said, 'He is just riding a horse in a clay pot!'
I expressed everything simply, without any friction;
It said, 'All his talent is stolen!'
It said it was stolen, it said it was stolen,
It said it was stolen, it said it was stolen!
If you are like that, that is wrong too;
If you are like this, this is wrong too.
A barking dog needs no reason—
Looking at its own shadow, it just barks and barks!
I kept a simple look, staying natural;
It said, 'His rustic village Vadugapatti is oozing out of him!'
I dressed myself in handsome clothes;
It said, 'Why does a donkey need eyeliner?'
On stage, I sat with one leg crossed over the other;
It said, 'That's the arrogance of education, he has no humility!'
When an elder arrived, I was the first to stand up;
It said, 'The poet is a great flatterer!' (Dialogue)
If you are like that, that is wrong too;
If you are like this, this is wrong too.
A barking dog needs no reason—
Looking at its own shadow, it just barks and barks!
Trapped by others' plots, I fell to the ground;
It said, 'The arrogant upstart is buried at last!'
Holding my breath, I fought through and sprouted up again;
It said, 'He is a cunning man, stay away from him!' (Dialogue)
Seeing hostility, I quietly stepped aside;
It said, 'Poor fellow, he got scared!'
I charged ahead, crushed it, and spat in its face;
It said, 'Has the beast broken free from its chains?'
I gladly praised the greatness of noble people;
It said, 'He is flattering you to fool you, beware!'
I gave just a fingernail's worth of critique;
It said, 'He is picking up a sickle, he is dangerous!' (Dialogue)
I lived detached from money and material things;
It said, 'He was born from the seed of poverty!'
Toiling hard and wearing myself out, I built a grand hall;
It said, 'He is no poet, he is a bourgeois!' (Dialogue)
I didn't own a single patch of land in my name;
It said, 'Is this fellow supposed to be a son of the soil?'
I searched and bought coconut groves;
It said, 'The poet has turned into a landlord!'
When swindlers asked, I refused to give them money;
It said, 'He is a tightfisted miser you cannot milk!'
When there was genuine need, I gave substantial help;
It said, 'He is a wandering, reckless spendthrift!'
If you are like that, that is wrong too;
If you are like this, this is wrong too.
A barking dog needs no reason—
Looking at its own shadow, it just barks and barks!
Among women, I stayed silent;
It said, 'Look at his pride as a poet!'
I began talking with some women;
It said, 'Look at his eyes, that is lust!' (Dialogue)
Hmm, I saw awards placed around my neck;
It said, 'It's just blind luck coming together!'
Again and again, I won awards;
It said, 'He must know someone in Delhi!'
I gave my dates and traveled in every direction;
It said, 'Oh, he is chasing after fame!'
Short on time, I cut back and stayed home;
It said, 'The poet is calculating his gains!'
If you are like that, that is wrong too;
If you are like this, this is wrong too.
A barking dog needs no reason—
Looking at its own shadow, it just barks and barks!
Either stitch up the mouth of the world,
Or shut your two ears tight.
Stitching up the world's mouth is hard,
Closing your own ears is easy. (Dialogue)
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song from Naatpadu Theral 2, penned by Vairamuthu and sung dynamically by Shankar Mahadevan, delves into the paradoxical and inherently hyper-critical nature of society. Through a personal and philosophical narrative, the lyricist illustrates how cynical observers find fault in every single choice an individual makes—whether one chooses simplicity or elegance, humility or confidence, silence or speech, poverty or prosperity, or fear or courage.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Refrain / Repetitive Chorus
“Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu / Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu”
The core stanza 'Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu / Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu' repeats across the song to reinforce the central thesis of inescapable societal double standards.
Metaphor
“Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendam / Than nizhal paarthu thanae kuraikkum kuraikkum”
Critics who find fault without reason are compared to a dog barking aimlessly at its own shadow.
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Appadi irundhaal adhuvum thappu / Ippadi irundhaal idhuvum thappu”
The first syllables of contiguous lines match, creating rhythmic structure in classic Tamil poetry.
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kaththum naaikku kaaranam vendam / Than nizhal paarthu thanae kuraikkum”
The second consonants in successive lines rhyme ('th' in Kaththum and Than).
Did you know?
Trivia
Naatpadu Theral 2 is an independent Tamil music initiative produced by lyricist Vairamuthu featuring 10 songs set to music by various composers. This track features high-octane vocals by Shankar Mahadevan interspersed with dramatic spoken dialogue.
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