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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Uzhuthane Uzhuthane

From Yer Munai · 1992

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
L. Vaithiya Nathan
Movie name
Yer Munai
Movie release year
1992
Lyrics added on
1 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Uzhuthanae uzhuthaanae vivasaayi uzhuthaanae
Yaarukku enna vechchaan
Ada yaarukku enna vechchaan
Manaivikkum maganukkum magan peththa maganukkum
Kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Verum kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Uzhuthittu yaer vittu vidhaiyittu payirittu
Adipattu kanneer vittaan
Kanneer thudaikka vanthavanga
Adha kaassu panna paththaanga
Thunbaththa ellaarum sonnaanga
Adha thudaikkum vazhiyum ennaanga
Thunbaththa ellaarum sonnaanga
Adha thudaikkum vazhiyum ennaanga
Moolai uzhaippukku udal uzhaippenna kuraivaa
Saeththukulla puzhuvaa sikki kidappathu elithaa
Moolai uzhaippukku udal uzhaippenna kuraivaa
Saeththukulla puzhuvaa sikki kidappathu elithaa
Urpaththi senjavan uppukkum paruppukkum
Oodaga theivathenna
Iadhaththaan ninaikka evarukkum neram illae
Pozhappu nadaththa bhoomikkil eeram illae
Vivasaayi thunbam enna
Antha vivaraththa solla vanthom
Vivasaayi thunbam enna
Antha vivaraththa solla vanthom
Uzhuthanae uzhuthaanae vivasaayi uzhuthaanae
Yaarukku enna vechchaan
Ada yaarukku enna vechchaan
Manaivikkum maganukkum magan peththa maganukkum
Kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Verum kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Oomai sanam padumpaadu
Mozhi illaiyae
Kalai ilakkaiyam engal thunbam
Sollavillaiyae
Oomai sanam padumpaadu
Mozhi illaiyae
Kalai ilakkaiyam engal thunbam
Sollavillaiyae
Veedhi varai vantha cinimaavum dramavum
Veettukkul vanthathilla
Veedhi varai vantha cinimaavum dramavum
Veettukkul vanthathilla
Sollaththaan nenachchom
Solla therinjukittom
Edhuvum nadakkum enni thuninjuvittom
Uzhugindra vaazhkkai enna
Adhai uzhupavan sonnaalenna
Uzhugindra vaazhkkai enna
Adhai uzhupavan sonnaalenna
Uzhuthanae uzhuthaanae vivasaayi uzhuthaanae
Yaarukku enna vechchaan
Ada yaarukku enna vechchaan
Manaivikkum maganukkum magan peththa maganukkum
Kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Verum kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Vellai vetti katti allai thinnugira pozhappa
Puzhuthikkula purusana ponjaathi paarththaalum veruppaa
Vellai vetti katti allai thinnugira pozhappa
Puzhuthikkula purusana ponjaathi paarththaalum veruppaa
Veyilukku neer moru koozhukku vengaayam
Veraethum inbam illae
Veyilukku neer moru koozhukku vengaayam
Veraethum inbam illae
Uzhaichchu uzhaichchu ulla uyir illaiyae
Irakkum varakkum nalla kadhi illaiyae
Yaeru pidichcha inam ini kodi pidikattumae
Yaeru pidichcha inam ini kodi pidikattumae
Uzhuthanae uzhuthaanae vivasaayi uzhuthaanae
Yaarukku enna vechchaan
Ada yaarukku enna vechchaan
Manaivikkum maganukkum magan peththa maganukkum
Kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Verum kadanthaanae michcham vechchaan
Uzhuthittu yaer vittu vidhaiyittu payirittu
Adipattu kanneer vittaan
Kanneer thudaikka vanthavanga
Adha kaassu panna paththaanga
Thunbaththa ellaarum sonnaanga
Adha thudaikkum vazhiyum ennaanga
Thunbaththa ellaarum sonnaanga
Adha thudaikkum vazhiyum ennaanga
He ploughed and ploughed, the farmer ploughed the land.
What did he leave behind, and for whom?
Ah, what did he leave behind, and for whom?
For his wife, his son, and his son's son,
he left behind only debt!
He left behind nothing but debt!
Ploughing the soil, driving the plough, sowing seeds, and raising crops,
he was beaten down by hardship and shed tears.
Those who came to wipe his tears
only tried to make money from them.
Everyone spoke about the suffering,
but what is the way to wipe it away?
Everyone spoke about the suffering,
but what is the way to wipe it away?
Is physical labor any less worthy than mental work?
Is it easy to stay trapped like a worm struggling in deep mud?
Is physical labor any less worthy than mental work?
Is it easy to stay trapped like a worm struggling in deep mud?
Why should the one who produced all the food
wear himself to the bone just for salt and lentils?
No one has the time to even think about this.
There is no moisture in the earth to sustain a living.
What is the farmer's suffering?
We have come to tell that truth.
What is the farmer's suffering?
We have come to tell that truth.
He ploughed and ploughed, the farmer ploughed the land.
What did he leave behind, and for whom?
Ah, what did he leave behind, and for whom?
For his wife, his son, and his son's son,
he left behind only debt!
He left behind nothing but debt!
To speak of the hardships these voiceless people face,
there are no words.
Art and literature have never
spoken of our suffering.
To speak of the hardships these voiceless people face,
there are no words.
Art and literature have never
spoken of our suffering.
Cinema and plays reached up to the streets,
but never stepped inside our homes.
Cinema and plays reached up to the streets,
but never stepped inside our homes.
We wanted to speak out,
and now we have learned how to speak.
We have become bold, ready for whatever happens.
What is a farmer's life really like?
What if the one who ploughs speaks of it himself?
What is a farmer's life really like?
What if the one who ploughs speaks of it himself?
He ploughed and ploughed, the farmer ploughed the land.
What did he leave behind, and for whom?
Ah, what did he leave behind, and for whom?
For his wife, his son, and his son's son,
he left behind only debt!
He left behind nothing but debt!
Is this a life of wearing clean white dhotis and feasting lavishly?
Even his wife feels heartache seeing her husband covered in dust.
Is this a life of wearing clean white dhotis and feasting lavishly?
Even his wife feels heartache seeing her husband covered in dust.
Watery buttermilk for the heat, an onion with grain porridge—
there is no other joy in his life.
Watery buttermilk for the heat, an onion with grain porridge—
there is no other joy in his life.
After toiling endlessly, there is barely any life left in him.
Until the day he dies, there is no decent future in sight.
Let the people who held the plough now raise a flag!
Let the people who held the plough raise the green flag!
He ploughed and ploughed, the farmer ploughed the land.
What did he leave behind, and for whom?
Ah, what did he leave behind, and for whom?
For his wife, his son, and his son's son,
he left behind only debt!
He left behind nothing but debt!
Ploughing the soil, driving the plough, sowing seeds, and raising crops,
he was beaten down by hardship and shed tears.
Those who came to wipe his tears
only tried to make money from them.
Everyone spoke about the suffering,
but what is the way to wipe it away?
Everyone spoke about the suffering,
but what is the way to wipe it away?
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Yer Munai' is a poignant, socio-political critique penned by lyricist Vairamuthu depicting the chronic plight and intergenerational debt cycle of Tamil farmers. It contrasts physical manual labor with intellectual labor, pointing out how the actual food producers are exploited by middlemen, neglected by mainstream media, and ignored by popular art and literature. Despite feeding the nation, the farmer leaves behind nothing but debt for generations to come. In its final movement, the song transforms from a tale of lamentation into a call for social revolution and self-advocacy. It urges the farming community—the 'hands that hold the plough'—to rise, find their collective voice, and 'raise the flag' of empowerment and resistance against exploitation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uwamai)

Saeththukulla puzhuvaa sikki kidappathu elithaa

Compares the agrarian physical struggle of working in wet fields to being trapped as a worm in mud.

Metaphor / Symbolism (Uruwagamm)

Yaeru pidichcha inam ini kodi pidikattumae

Uses the transition from holding the plough (yaeru) to holding the flag (kodi) as a symbol of shifting from oppression to political awakening and empowerment.

Rhetorical Question

Moolai uzhaippukku udal uzhaippenna kuraivaa

Questions the societal hierarchy that undervalues hard physical farming labor compared to intellectual office work.

Assonance / Internal Rhyme (Iyaibu / Monai)

Uzhuthittu yaer vittu vidhaiyittu payirittu

Repeated verbal participle endings (-ittu) creating rhythmic momentum that reflects sequential farming tasks.

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Trivia

Written by lyricist Vairamuthu, this song uses classical Tamil folk rhythms modeled after street theatre (Therukoothu) and protest songs. It reflects rural themes prevalent in 1990s Tamil parallel cinema and grassroots farmer movements in Tamil Nadu.

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