- Lyricist
- Na. Muthu Kumar
- Singer
- Gangai Amaran
- Music director
- Gopi Sundar
- Movie name
- Anjala
- Movie release year
- 2016
- Lyrics added on
- 27 Nov 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song serves as a melancholic yet hopeful reflection on loss, time, and endurance. Set in the context of the film 'Anjala', which centers on a historic 100-year-old tea shop that has been the soul of a community, the lyrics personify the space/narrator as an enduring witness to generations of human joy, sorrow, and fellowship. The narrator laments how time treats human lives and heritage like pawns in a game of chance ('thaayam'), leaving something once revered by the entire town standing isolated and neglected. Despite the prevailing sadness and sense of injustice, the emotional arc shifts toward quiet resilience. Using vivid imagery—such as fog clearing from eyelashes or flowers blooming improbably amidst harsh railway tracks—the lyricist conveys an unshakable hope. The song concludes with a quiet declaration of patience: as long as life remains, the hope for restoration and justice will never fade.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Mazhaiyae / Pizhaiyae”
The second consonant sound 'zhai' (ழை) in 'Mazhaiyae' (Line 5) and 'Pizhaiyae' (Line 7) rhymes, creating a traditional Tamil melodic flow.
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Ooru / Nooru”
The second letter sound 'ru' (ரு) matches between 'Ooru' (Line 32) and 'Nooru' (Line 36).
Metaphor
“Kaalam ennai thaayamaaduthu”
Time is metaphorically framed as a player rolling dice ('thaayam'), turning human lives and places into helpless pieces in a game of chance.
Metaphor
“Ooru koodiyae izhuththa thaer idhu”
The iconic shop/space is compared to a grand temple chariot ('thaer') once revered and pulled together by the entire village community.
Imagery / Symbol of Hope
“Thandavaalam naduvil Mottu vidum Sediyil Nichchayam pookkal valarnthidumae”
Presents a striking image of life and beauty thriving in hostile environments (flowers blooming on plants between iron railway tracks) as a metaphor for resilience.
Iyaipu (End Rhyming)
“Yaarai ketpathu yaarai novathu”
The rhyming end suffixes 'ketpathu' and 'novathu' establish a rhythmic cadence reflecting grief.
Did you know?
Trivia
In the movie 'Anjala', the titular 'Anjala' is actually a century-old roadside tea shop that has stood as a silent witness to generations of lives, loves, and village history. The veteran singer and composer Gangai Amaren delivered a deeply soulful performance for this song, capturing the rustic grief of an aging landmark facing demolition. The lyrics were penned by late National Award-winning poet Na. Muthu Kumar, known for his ability to find profound poetic beauty and metaphors in ordinary everyday objects.
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