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Lyrics & meaning

Vazhga Kaigal Irandum

From Kanavan Manaivi · 1976

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
V. Kumar
Details
Kanavan Manaivi1976

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
…………………....
Male
Vaazhga kaigal irandumLong live both hands,
Vaazhvil vettrigal kanduFinding victories in life,
Vaazhga thozhargalaeLong live, my comrades!
Vervai nadhiyil vilaiyum selvangalRiches that blossom from the river of sweat,
Kaalam namakkaagavaeTime is truly for us,
Nam kaigal adha kaakkavaeLet our hands protect it.
Male
Hae vaazhga kaigal irandumHey, long live both hands,
Vaazhvil vettrigal kanduFinding victories in life,
Vaazhga thozhargalaeLong live, my comrades!
Vervai nadhiyil vilaiyum selvangalRiches that blossom from the river of sweat,
Kaalam namakkaagavaeTime is truly for us,
Nam kaigal adha kaakkavaeLet our hands protect it.
Male
Nanayaththil irandu pakkamA coin has two sides,
Oru pakkam melaagumaaCan one side be superior to the other?
Chorus :Hae hae haeChorus: Hae hae hae
Male
Nadagaththil irandu mugamA drama has two faces,
Oru mugam melaagumaaCan one face be superior?
Vanaththin melum nam kaal pattathuOur feet have touched above the skies,
Boomiyin keezhum nam kaipattathuOur hands have worked beneath the earth,
Male
Vizhigal irandu orae kaatchiyaeThough there are two eyes, the vision is one,
Naam vendraalum thottaraalum orae kaatchiyaeWhether we win or lose, the perspective remains the same.
Male
Hae vaazhga kaigal irandumHey, long live both hands,
Vaazhvil vettrigal kanduFinding victories in life,
Vaazhga thozhargalaeLong live, my comrades!
Vervai nadhiyil vilaiyum selvangalRiches that blossom from the river of sweat,
Kaalam namakkaagavaeTime is truly for us,
Nam kaigal adha kaakkavaeLet our hands protect it.
Male
Iraivan avan padaippinileIn God's creation,
Ellaamum podhu udamaiEverything is common property,
Chorus :Hae hae haeChorus: Hae hae hae
Male :Manaivi makkal uravu mattumMale: Only the bond of wife and children
Ellorakkum thani udamaiIs personal property for everyone.
Male
Nattinai naadi nee thottraal ennaWhat if you lose while striving for the nation?
Nanmaiyum naadi namvendraal ennaWhat if we win while seeking goodness?
Inainthae irunthae kondaaduvomLet us remain united and celebrate,
Naam ellaarkkum ellaamum undaakkuvomWe shall create everything for everyone.
Male
Vaazhga kaigal irandumLong live both hands,
Vaazhvil vettrigal kanduFinding victories in life,
Vaazhga thozhargalaeLong live, my comrades!
Vervai nadhiyil vilaiyum selvangalRiches that blossom from the river of sweat,
Kaalam namakkaagavaeTime is truly for us,
Nam kaigal adha kaakkavaeLet our hands protect it.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Vaazhga Kaigal Irandum is an uplifting socialist anthem celebrating hard labor, unity, and brotherhood. Sung dynamically by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam for the film Kanavan Manaivi (1976), the song praises the working class whose sweat produces prosperity. It uses simple yet powerful imagery—like the two sides of a coin and two eyes viewing a single vision—to advocate for absolute equality among people regardless of triumph or defeat. Kannadasan's lyrics express profound philosophical and socialistic values, asserting that nature and wealth belong to everyone in common, with family bonds being the only personal dynamic. The anthem serves as a call to action for collective effort, optimism, and building a world where everyone shares in abundance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uruvam (Metaphor)

Vervai nadhiyil vilaiyum selvangal

Sweat is poetically metaphorized as a flowing river ('Vervai nadhi') from which true wealth yields.

Etugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Vaazhga kaigal irandum / Vaazhvil vettrigal kandu

Rhyming of the second letter 'zh' across consecutive lines ('Vaazhga' and 'Vaazhvil').

Uvamai / Analogy

Nanayaththil irandu pakkam Oru pakkam melaagumaa / Vizhigal irandu orae kaatchiyae

Compares human equality to two sides of a coin or two eyes yielding one shared vision.

Antithesis (Eradhirunilai)

Naam vendraalum thottaraalum orae kaatchiyae

Juxtaposition of opposites like winning and losing ('vendraalum thottaraalum') to highlight equanimity.

Did you know?

Trivia

Kanavan Manaivi (1976) was directed by A. Bhimsingh and starred R. Muthuraman alongside Jayalalithaa. Music director V. Kumar composed this energetic worker's anthem, which stands out as one of Kannadasan's finest lyricistic takes on egalitarianism and dignity of labor.

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