Uzhaipa Thilla
From Nadodi Mannan · 1958
- Lyricist
- Kavi Lakshmanadas
- Singer
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Details
- Nadodi Mannan1958
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| {Uzhaippathila uzhaippai | Is happiness found in working hard, or in gaining the fruits of labor? |
| Peruvathila inbam | Where is true joy created? |
| Undaavathengae sol | Tell me where it comes from, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend? |
| Male | |
| Uzhaippavarae urimai | When the hard workers gain their rights, |
| Peruvathilae inbam | Happiness is created! |
| {Uzhaippavarae urimai | When the hard workers gain their rights, |
| Peruvathilae inbam | Happiness is created! |
| Undaagum endrae sol | Say that joy is born there, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend! |
| Male | |
| {Kalvi kattrom | We have gained education - |
| Endra garvaththilae inbam | Is there joy in such pride? |
| Kandavar undo sol | Has anyone ever seen joy in that? Tell me, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend! |
| Male | |
| {Kallaadha peraiyellam | By enabling all those who are uneducated |
| Kalvi payila seidhu} (2) | To learn and gain knowledge, |
| {Kaanbathil thaan inbam | There is joy in witnessing that, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend! |
| Male | |
| {Irapporkku eedhalilum | Neither in giving alms to beggars, |
| Iranthundu vaazhvathilum} (2) | Nor in living by begging for food, |
| {Inbam undaavathillai | Does true happiness arise, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend! |
| Male | |
| {Ariya kaith thozhil seidhu | By engaging in rare handicrafts and skilled work, |
| Anaivarum pagirnthundu | Sharing food and resources with everyone, |
| Anbudan vaazhvathinbam | And living together with love, lies true joy, |
| En thozhaa} (2) | My friend! |
| Anbudan vaazhvathinbam en thozhaa… | Living with love is true happiness, my friend... |
| Male | |
| {Pattaththilae padhavi | In obtaining titles and positions, |
| Uyarvathilae inbam} (2) | Or rising high in authority, |
| {Kittuvadhae illai en thozhaa} (2) | Joy is never attained, my friend! |
| Male | |
| Unai eendra thaai naadu… | The motherland that gave birth to you... |
| Ahh…aahhh… | Ahh... aahhh... |
| {Unai eendra thaai naadu | In the uplifting and progress of the motherland that gave birth to you, |
| Uyarvathilae inbam} (2) | Lies true happiness! |
| {Undaagum endrae sol | Say that joy will surely arise there, |
| En thozha…} (2) | My friend... |
{உழைப்பதிலா உழைப்பை
பெறுவதிலா இன்பம்
உண்டாவதெங்கே சொல்
என் தோழா} (2)
Is happiness found in working hard, or in gaining the fruits of labor?
Where is true joy created?
Tell me where it comes from,
My friend?
உழைப்பவரே உரிமை
பெறுவதிலே இன்பம்
{உழைப்பவரே உரிமை
பெறுவதிலே இன்பம்
உண்டாகும் என்றே சொல்
என் தோழா} (2)
When the hard workers gain their rights,
Happiness is created!
When the hard workers gain their rights,
Happiness is created!
Say that joy is born there,
My friend!
{கல்வி கற்றோம்
என்ற கர்வத்திலே இன்பம்
கண்டவர் உண்டோ சொல்
என் தோழா} (2)
We have gained education -
Is there joy in such pride?
Has anyone ever seen joy in that? Tell me,
My friend!
{கல்லாத பேரையெல்லாம்
கல்வி பயிலச் செய்து} (2)
{காண்பதில் தான் இன்பம்
என் தோழா..} (2)
By enabling all those who are uneducated
To learn and gain knowledge,
There is joy in witnessing that,
My friend!
{இரப்போர்க்கு ஈதலிலும்
இரந்துண்டு வாழ்வதிலும்} (2)
{இன்பம் உண்டாவதில்லை
என் தோழா} (2)
Neither in giving alms to beggars,
Nor in living by begging for food,
Does true happiness arise,
My friend!
{அரிய கைத் தொழில் செய்து
அனைவரும் பகிர்ந்துண்டு
அன்புடன் வாழ்வதின்பம்
என் தோழா} (2)
அன்புடன் வாழ்வதின்பம்
என் தோழா...
By engaging in rare handicrafts and skilled work,
Sharing food and resources with everyone,
And living together with love, lies true joy,
My friend!
Living with love is true happiness, my friend...
{பட்டத்திலே பதவி
உயர்வதிலே இன்பம்} (2)
{கிட்டுவதே இல்லை என் தோழா} (2)
In obtaining titles and positions,
Or rising high in authority,
Joy is never attained, my friend!
உனை ஈன்ற தாய் நாடு...
ஆ... ஆ.....
{உனை ஈன்ற தாய் நாடு
உயர்வதிலே இன்பம்} (2)
{உண்டாகும் என்றே சொல்
என் தோழா...} (2)
The motherland that gave birth to you...
Ahh... aahhh...
In the uplifting and progress of the motherland that gave birth to you,
Lies true happiness!
Say that joy will surely arise there,
My friend...
{Uzhaippathila uzhaippai
Is happiness found in working hard, or in gaining the fruits of labor?
Peruvathila inbam
Where is true joy created?
Undaavathengae sol
Tell me where it comes from,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend?
Uzhaippavarae urimai
When the hard workers gain their rights,
Peruvathilae inbam
Happiness is created!
{Uzhaippavarae urimai
When the hard workers gain their rights,
Peruvathilae inbam
Happiness is created!
Undaagum endrae sol
Say that joy is born there,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend!
{Kalvi kattrom
We have gained education -
Endra garvaththilae inbam
Is there joy in such pride?
Kandavar undo sol
Has anyone ever seen joy in that? Tell me,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend!
{Kallaadha peraiyellam
By enabling all those who are uneducated
Kalvi payila seidhu} (2)
To learn and gain knowledge,
{Kaanbathil thaan inbam
There is joy in witnessing that,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend!
{Irapporkku eedhalilum
Neither in giving alms to beggars,
Iranthundu vaazhvathilum} (2)
Nor in living by begging for food,
{Inbam undaavathillai
Does true happiness arise,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend!
{Ariya kaith thozhil seidhu
By engaging in rare handicrafts and skilled work,
Anaivarum pagirnthundu
Sharing food and resources with everyone,
Anbudan vaazhvathinbam
And living together with love, lies true joy,
En thozhaa} (2)
My friend!
Anbudan vaazhvathinbam en thozhaa…
Living with love is true happiness, my friend...
{Pattaththilae padhavi
In obtaining titles and positions,
Uyarvathilae inbam} (2)
Or rising high in authority,
{Kittuvadhae illai en thozhaa} (2)
Joy is never attained, my friend!
Unai eendra thaai naadu…
The motherland that gave birth to you...
Ahh…aahhh…
Ahh... aahhh...
{Unai eendra thaai naadu
In the uplifting and progress of the motherland that gave birth to you,
Uyarvathilae inbam} (2)
Lies true happiness!
{Undaagum endrae sol
Say that joy will surely arise there,
En thozha…} (2)
My friend...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This classic song from Nadodi Mannan (1958) serves as a socio-political anthem advocating for socialist values, worker rights, education, and genuine human compassion. The narrator asks rhetorical questions about the true essence of happiness, dismantling false notions of joy derived from academic pride, titles, status, or transactional charity. Instead, it asserts that real joy comes from workers winning their rights, educating the illiterate, sharing the fruits of honest craft work with love, and contributing to the elevation of one's motherland.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kallaadha peraiyellam / Kalvi payila seidhu”
The second consonant sound is matched across lines to create rhythmic flow, such as 'Kalvi' and 'Kallaadha', or 'Irapporkku' and 'Iranthundu'.
Rhetorical Question (Vinah)
“Kandavar undo sol / En thozhaa”
The lyricist uses direct questioning towards a friend ('En thozhaa') to provoke deep thought on what truly constitutes joy.
Refrain / Repetition (Anaphora)
“En thozhaa”
The direct address 'En thozhaa' (My friend) is repeated systematically at the end of stanzas to build an intimate, egalitarian dialogue.
Did you know?
Trivia
Nadodi Mannan (1958) was a landmark film produced and directed by M. G. Ramachandran (MGR). The song's socialist themes—such as worker rights, universal literacy, and devotion to the motherland—heavily shaped MGR's onscreen political persona, which contributed significantly to his political rise in Tamil Nadu.
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