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IsaimozhiLyrics · Translation · Meaning

Lyrics & meaning

Veettukku Oru

From Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu · 1979

Lyricist: Panchu Arunachalam
Singer: Ilayaraja
Music director: Ilayaraja
Movie name: Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu
Movie release year: 1979
Lyrics added on: 18 Apr 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics

↻ English translation

Veettukku oru magana pola

Perumpaadu patta usura

Veettukku oru magana pola

Perumpaadu patta usura

Kaattukkae anuppi vittaan

Kadangaaran payal oruthan

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Annan eppa saavaan

Thinnai eppa kedaikkum

Ennugira indha kaalathilae

Anbodu vaazhndha oru jeevan

Unnai vittu ponadhaen

Manushan udalil mirugam

Andha mirugam kaiyilil ulagam

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Vaeli onnu pottu

Kaathu vandha podhum

Pogum vidhi vandhaa pogumadaa

Thavikkaadhae thambhi thudikkaadhae

Nee thaembhi azhaadhae

Panathil suthudhu bhoomi

Idha purinji kollada saami

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Maattu pongal naala

Mannukkulla kaala

Maayamadaa vaazhkka bhoomiyilae

Avan podum kanakku puriyaadhu

Thuyar kaettu varadhu

Poruppil ulladhu yerappu

Ingu unakkum vanthidum azhaippu

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Kannung kalangudhu paathu

Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu

Like a son of the household,

A soul that toiled and suffered so much,

Like a son of the household,

A soul that toiled and suffered so much,

Has been driven away into the wild

By a ruthless, wretched man.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

"When will the mother die,

So we can grab the front porch?"

In these selfish times when people think like this,

A gentle soul that lived with pure love—

Why did it leave you and go?

A wild beast lives inside the human frame,

And the whole world is in that beast's grip.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

Even if you put up a fence

And protect it with all your care,

When fate arrives, life must depart, my brother.

Do not agonize, little brother, do not writhe in pain;

Do not break down and sob.

The world revolves only around money;

Understand this reality, my dear boy.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

On the day of Mattu Pongal (cattle festival),

The bull lies buried in the earth.

Life on this earth is an illusion;

Can't you see the reckoning that God keeps?

Sorrow never asks permission before it comes,

Death strikes without any rhyme or reason,

And the call will come for you too one day.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

My eyes well up with tears seeing this,

And my heart boils over hearing about it.

Male

Male

Male

Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a deeply emotional lamentation reflecting on betrayal, cruelty, and the harsh, impermanent nature of life. The narrator mourns a beloved life—often depicted as a faithful bull or companion treated like a family member—that was discarded due to human greed and heartlessness. The lyrics critique human selfishness, pointing out that people today care only about immediate personal gain and money, living like beasts beneath human skins. While offering consolation to a grieving younger brother, the song delves into philosophical truths about mortality and fate. It reminds us that death is inevitable for all living beings regardless of safety measures, and that worldliness is an illusion. It urges acceptance of divine play and the unavoidable cycle of life and death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uwamai)

“Veettukku oru magana pola”

Compares the beloved livestock/companion to a raised son of the house using 'pola'.

Proverb / Folk Idiom (Pazhamozhi)

“Annan eppa saavaan / Thinnai eppa kedaikkum”

Uses a traditional Tamil proverb reflecting opportunism and greed over someone's impending death.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Manushan udalil mirugam”

Metaphorically describes human cruelty as a wild beast residing inside the human frame.

Alliteration (Monai)

“Thavikkaadhae thambhi thudikkaadhae”

Repetition of the 'Th' sound at the beginning of words for rhythmic emphasis.

Refrain (Pallavi Repeat)

“Kannung kalangudhu paathu / Indha nenjam kodhithidum kaettu”

Repeated couplet reinforcing the primary emotion of deep sorrow and outrage.

Did you know?

Trivia

Though the context lists the artist details as unknown, *Ponnu Oorukku Pudhusu* (1979) was directed by R. Selvaraj and featured music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. The album is famous for bringing authentic Tamil rural folk tunes and Oppari (elegy) sensibilities to mainstream Tamil cinema audio tracks.

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From the same album

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