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Isaimozhi
Velaikkaran album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Vaa Velaikkara

From Velaikkaran · 2017

Lyricist
Vivek
Singers
Shakthisree Gopalan, Bjorn Surrao
Music director
Anirudh Ravichander
Movie name
Velaikkaran
Movie release year
2017
Lyrics added on
21 Oct 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Un kai naalai uyaraadho..
Uyaraadho.. uyaraadho..
Vervai un per yezhudhaadho..
Yezhudhaadho.. yezhudhaadho..
Ennai thookkida un thozhilae
Vaa velaikkara..
Theivamae nee seithidum pallaakkilae
Vaa velaikkara..
May madhamae
Un maadhama yaar sonnadhu
Vaa velaikkara..
Ennaalumae un vervaiyai kondaadidum
Vaa velaikkara..
Unadhu kai viral..
Uzhigal aagudhae
Ulagai seigiraai velaikkara
Valigal thaangi nee..
Vazhigal seigiraai
Thalaivan neeyada velaikkara..
Velaikaara….velaikkara.. velaikkara..
Kan thoongi viduma..
Kandathillai thuliyum oiivu
Ododi uzhaiththum nagaraamal nirkkum
Avanin vaazhvu..
Thannaasaiyil man veesiyae
Nam aasaiyai kodiyetrinaan..
Edhirkaalamae namadhaagavae
Pudhu boomiyil kudiyetrinaan..
Unadhu kai viral..
Uzhigal aagudhae
Ulagai seigiraai velaikkara
Valigal thaangi nee..
Vazhigal seigiraai
Thalaivan neeyada velaikkara..
Velaikaara….velaikkara.. velaikkara..
Unadhu kai viral..
Uzhigal aagudhae
Ulagai seigiraai velaikkara
Valigal thaangi nee..
Vazhigal seigiraai
Thalaivan neeyada velaikkara..
Velaikaara….velaikkara.. velaikkara..
Won't your hand rise high tomorrow?
Won't it rise? Won't it rise?
Won't sweat write your name?
Won't it write? Won't it write?
To lift me up onto your shoulders,
Come, oh worker!
In the palanquin you craft, oh living god,
Come, oh worker!
Is May alone
your only month? Who said so?
Come, oh worker!
Every single day will celebrate your sweat,
Come, oh worker!
Your fingers...
shape entire eras,
You build the world, oh worker!
Bearing all the pain,
you make the way forward,
You are the true leader, oh worker!
Worker... Worker... Worker...
Can his eyes ever sleep?
They have never known even a drop of rest.
Though he runs and toils endlessly, it stands still—
his life...
Burying his own desires in the dust,
he raised the flag of our dreams.
So that the future would belong to us,
he settled us into a new world.
Your fingers...
shape entire eras,
You build the world, oh worker!
Bearing all the pain,
you make the way forward,
You are the true leader, oh worker!
Worker... Worker... Worker...
Your fingers...
shape entire eras,
You build the world, oh worker!
Bearing all the pain,
you make the way forward,
You are the true leader, oh worker!
Worker... Worker... Worker...
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Female
Female
Chorus
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This anthem from the movie Velaikkaran pays a powerful tribute to the working class. It praises the unseen, tireless toil of workers who build society, elevate human lives, and sacrifice their own dreams so that others may thrive. The lyrics elevate the laborer to the status of a divine creator and true leader of the world. The song challenges the notion that Labor Day in May is the only day to honor workers, arguing that every day should celebrate their sweat and dedication. Through vivid imagery of endless labor and sacrifice, the lyricist calls for unity, dignity, and recognition for the working force.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Valigal thaangi nee.. / Vazhigal seigiraai

Matching second consonants across consecutive lines, creating a rhythmic harmony in Tamil poetry (Valigal / Vazhigal).

Metaphor

Theivamae nee seithidum pallaakkilae

Elevating the laborer to divinity ('Theivamae') to highlight the sacred nature of creative manual labor.

Rhetorical Question

Un maadhama yaar sonnadhu

Asking 'Who said May is your only month?' to emphasize that workers deserve respect every day, not just May Day.

Hyperbole

Unadhu kai viral.. Uzhigal aagudhae

Exaggerating fingers transforming into entire epochs ('Uzhigal') to illustrate the vast historical impact of human labor.

Keep listening

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