Yenda Dei
From Kattila Thottila · 1973
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- V. Kumar
- Details
- Kattila Thottila1973
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa | Hey man, can a single tree become a grove? |
| Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa | Hey man, can a single tree become a grove? |
| Thani manithan oru samuthayamodaa | Can a single individual form a whole society? |
| Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa | Can a river flow touching only one bank? |
| Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa | Can a river flow touching only one bank? |
| Oru kaithatti osai varumodaa | Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand? |
| Male | |
| Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa | Hey man, can a single tree become a grove? |
| Male | |
| Pennoruththi edhukkaaga | Why does a woman |
| Pottu vaikkiraal | put on a bindi/vermilion mark? |
| Purushanai adhilaethaan | To bind her husband |
| Katti vaikkiraal | right within that sacred mark! |
| Male | |
| Kondavan edhukkaaga | Why does the husband who married her |
| Thaali kattukiraan | tie the sacred wedding thread (thaali)? |
| Avan kudumpaththa kattikkaakka | To protect and defend his family, |
| Veli katturaan | he builds a protective fence around it. |
| Male | |
| Adimattam kattupattu oththupoguthu | The lower class stays disciplined and gets along, |
| Nadumattam kuttupattu ottikkolluthu | The middle class endures struggles and sticks together, |
| Maelmattam onnu mattum naaripoguthu | Only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption! |
| Ada chae maelmattam onnu mattum naaripoguthu | Oh sigh, only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption! |
| Adha oorulagam paaththu paaththu kaari thupputhu | Looking at that, the entire world spits in disgust! |
| Male | |
| Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa | Hey man, can a single tree become a grove? |
| Thani manithan oru samuthayamodaa | Can a single individual form a whole society? |
| Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa | Can a river flow touching only one bank? |
| Oru kaithatti osai varumodaa | Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand? |
| Osai varumodaa osai varumodaa | Will sound come? Will sound come? |
ஏன்டா டேய் தனிமரம் தோப்பாகுமோடா
ஏன்டா டேய் தனிமரம் தோப்பாகுமோடா
தனி மனிதன் ஒரு சமுதாயமோடா
ஒரு கரைத் தொட்டு நதியோடுமோடா
ஒரு கரைத் தொட்டு நதியோடுமோடா
ஒரு கைத்தட்டி ஓசை வருமோடா
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Can a single individual form a whole society?
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand?
ஏன்டா டேய் தனிமரம் தோப்பாகுமோடா
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
பெண்ணொருத்தி எதுக்காக
பொட்டு வைக்கிறாள்
புருஷனை அதிலேதான்
கட்டி வைக்கிறாள்
Why does a woman
put on a bindi/vermilion mark?
To bind her husband
right within that sacred mark!
கொண்டவன் எதுக்காக
தாலிக் கட்டுகிறான்
அவன் குடும்பத்தக் கட்டிக்காக்க
வேலி கட்டுறான்.....
Why does the husband who married her
tie the sacred wedding thread (thaali)?
To protect and defend his family,
he builds a protective fence around it.
அடிமட்டம் கட்டுப்பட்டு ஒத்துப்போகுது
நடுமட்டம் குட்டுப்பட்டு ஒட்டிக்கொள்ளுது
மேல்மட்டம் ஒன்னு மட்டும் நாறிப்போகுது
அட ச்சே மேல்மட்டம் ஒன்னு மட்டும் நாறிப்போகுது
அத ஊருலகம் பாத்து பாத்து காறித் துப்புது....
The lower class stays disciplined and gets along,
The middle class endures struggles and sticks together,
Only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption!
Oh sigh, only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption!
Looking at that, the entire world spits in disgust!
ஏன்டா டேய் தனிமரம் தோப்பாகுமோடா
தனி மனிதன் ஒரு சமுதாயமோடா
ஒரு கரைத் தொட்டு நதியோடுமோடா
ஒரு கைத்தட்டி ஓசை வருமோடா
ஓசை வருமோடா ஓசை வருமோடா
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Can a single individual form a whole society?
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand?
Will sound come? Will sound come?
Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Thani manithan oru samuthayamodaa
Can a single individual form a whole society?
Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Oru kaithatti osai varumodaa
Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand?
Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Pennoruththi edhukkaaga
Why does a woman
Pottu vaikkiraal
put on a bindi/vermilion mark?
Purushanai adhilaethaan
To bind her husband
Katti vaikkiraal
right within that sacred mark!
Kondavan edhukkaaga
Why does the husband who married her
Thaali kattukiraan
tie the sacred wedding thread (thaali)?
Avan kudumpaththa kattikkaakka
To protect and defend his family,
Veli katturaan
he builds a protective fence around it.
Adimattam kattupattu oththupoguthu
The lower class stays disciplined and gets along,
Nadumattam kuttupattu ottikkolluthu
The middle class endures struggles and sticks together,
Maelmattam onnu mattum naaripoguthu
Only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption!
Ada chae maelmattam onnu mattum naaripoguthu
Oh sigh, only the upper class decays and stinks with corruption!
Adha oorulagam paaththu paaththu kaari thupputhu
Looking at that, the entire world spits in disgust!
Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa
Hey man, can a single tree become a grove?
Thani manithan oru samuthayamodaa
Can a single individual form a whole society?
Oru karai thottu nadhiyodumodaa
Can a river flow touching only one bank?
Oru kaithatti osai varumodaa
Can a sound be produced by clapping with just one hand?
Osai varumodaa osai varumodaa
Will sound come? Will sound come?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This philosophical commentary song from 'Kattila Thottila' (1973) emphasizes the absolute necessity of unity, human interdependence, and social responsibility. Using timeless Tamil proverbs and metaphors—such as a single tree unable to make a grove, a river requiring two banks to flow, and a single hand unable to produce a clap—the song delivers the message that an individual cannot exist in isolation without society and family bonds.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)
“Yaenda dei thanimaram thoppaagumodaa”
The lyricist uses rhetorical questions ending in '-modaa' (can it become...?) throughout the refrain to lead the listener to an obvious negative conclusion, driving home the theme of interdependence.
Proverb / Cultural Metaphor (Pazhamozhi)
“Oru kaithatti osai varumodaa”
Translates the well-known Tamil idiom 'Oru kai thattinaal osai varaadhu' (You cannot clap with one hand), symbolizing that relationships and society require effort from both sides.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Adimattam kattupattu oththupoguthu / Nadumattam kuttupattu ottikkolluthu”
The second letters 'di' in Adimattam and 'du' in Nadumattam (or 'tti'/'ttu' in kattupattu/kuttupattu) create a rhythmic Tamil poetic meter.
Antithesis / Parallelism
“Adimattam... / Nadumattam... / Maelmattam...”
Contrasts the lower, middle, and upper strata of society in sequential lines to highlight social irony and moral comparison.
Did you know?
Trivia
This song ingeniously weaves popular Tamil oral proverbs ('Thanimaram thoppaagadhu', 'Oru kai thattinaal osai varaadhu') into a structured movie track. Seerkazhi Govindarajan's iconic high-pitched, resonant vocal delivery was especially famous in 1960s and 70s Tamil cinema for rendering moral advice and philosophical songs.
Keep listening
More from Kattila Thottila
Kattila Thottila
Kattila Thottila
Kattila Thottila
Kattila Thottila