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Lyrics & meaning

Yaezhaikal Vaazhvai Maaligai

From Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam · 1960

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singers
Jikki, Chorus
Music director
S. Dakshinamurthi
Details
Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Yeazhaigal vaazhvai maaligai melaeThe lives of the poor—those living up in mansions
Iruppavar ellaarumaeEveryone who stays up there
Enni paarkkanumMust pause and think about it
Oo….inbam searkkanumOo... and bring happiness to them
Chorus
Yeazhaigal vaazhvai maaligai melaeThe lives of the poor—those living up in mansions
Iruppavar ellaarumaeEveryone who stays up there
Enni paarkkanumMust pause and think about it
Oo….inbam searkkanumOo... and bring happiness to them
Chorus
……………….
Female
Oo…oo….ooh…aazhkkadal naduvae sendruOo... oo... ooh... Diving into the middle of the deep sea
Adhan adiyinil mugaththai kanduSeeing the seabed at its bottom
Chorus : aazhkkadal naduvae sendruChorus: Diving into the middle of the deep sea
Adhan adiyinil mugaththai kanduSeeing the seabed at its bottom
Female
Oo…oo…oh….Adhai segaram seithae konduOo... oo... oh... Collecting those treasures and returning,
Varum eena piravigal indruYet these wretched souls today,
Dhinam koozhukkaagavae kudisai veettilaeDaily, just for a bowl of porridge, inside their humble huts
Kunthi azhukkiraangaSit and weep in distress
Chorus
Dhinam koozhukkaagavae kudisai veettilaeDaily, just for a bowl of porridge, inside their humble huts
Kunthi azhukkiraangaSit and weep in distress
Female
Kodumai idharkae mudivae varaathaaWill there be no end to this cruelty?
Chorus
Yeazhaigal vaazhvai maaligai melaeThe lives of the poor—those living up in mansions
Iruppavar ellaarumaeEveryone who stays up there
Enni paarkkanumMust pause and think about it
Oo….inbam searkkanumOo... and bring happiness to them
Chorus
……………….
Female
Ooo…oo….oo…ooh…Ooo... oo... oo... ooh...
Vervaiyum aaraai paayaWith sweat flowing like a river,
Than maeniyum oodaai thaeyaAnd their body wearing thin like a stream,
Chorus
Vervaiyum aaraai paayaWith sweat flowing like a river,
Than maeniyum oodaai thaeyaAnd their body wearing thin like a stream,
Female
Ooo….dhinam yaerai pidippavan veettilOoo... in the home of the farmer who holds the plow daily,
Varumai irukkalaamo intha naattilShould poverty exist in this land?
Unnum soru thanthavanThe one who provided the food we eat,
Soru soru ena thudiththu vaadalaamaaShould he wither away, crying out in hunger for food?
Chorus
Unnum soru thanthavanThe one who provided the food we eat,
Soru soru ena thudiththu vaadalaamaaShould he wither away, crying out in hunger for food?
Female
Thuyaram idharkae mudivae varaathaaWill there be no end to this sorrow?
Chorus
Yeazhaigal vaazhvai maaligai melaeThe lives of the poor—those living up in mansions
Iruppavar ellaarumaeEveryone who stays up there
Enni paarkkanumMust pause and think about it
Oo….inbam searkkanumOo... and bring happiness to them

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a poignant social commentary addressing class division, social inequality, and economic injustice. It directly addresses the wealthy elites residing in grand mansions, urging them to open their eyes and hearts to the suffering of laborers and working-class families. The lyrics highlight the harsh realities faced by deep-sea divers who risk their lives for meager wages and farmers who feed the entire nation yet starve in poverty. Through emotionally charged rhetoric and vivid imagery of physical toil, the song questions whether such suffering will ever end. The thematic arc transitions from a general plea for empathy to specific examples of exploitation, concluding with a powerful plea to restore dignity and happiness to the working class.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Vervaiyum aaraai paaya / Than maeniyum oodaai thaeya

The line endings 'paaya' (flow) and 'thaeya' (wear down) rhyme, producing a rhythmic musicality.

Simile (Uvamai)

Vervaiyum aaraai paaya / Than maeniyum oodaai thaeya

Sweat is compared to a flowing river ('aaraai'), and the body wearing down is compared to a thinning stream ('oodaai').

Rhetorical Question

Varumai irukkalaamo intha naattil

Asking whether poverty should exist in a land fed by hardworking farmers emphasizes social injustice.

Anaphora / Repetition

Soru soru ena thudiththu vaadalaamaa

The repetition of 'Soru' (food/rice) underlines intense hunger and desperate longing.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyricist A. Maruthakasi was famed for embedding socialist ideals, agrarian themes, and reformist thought into Tamil cinema during the 1950s and 1960s. Sung by Jikki with music composed by S. Dakshinamurthi for the 1960 film 'Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam', the song highlights classic Dravidian cinema themes of economic equality and sympathy for the working class.

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