[Uttama Villain] Saagaavaram poal soagam uNdoa?

Ever wondered what the #Saagavaram song from #UttamaVillain meant? very powerful verses penned by #Kamal indeed! Wonderfully describes the essence of death! Apparently this poem follows the Andhadhi form of poetry where the ending word of each verse became the first word of the next verse

Thanks to Ram for the suggestion!

Movie: Uttama Villain
Poet: Kamal Hassan
Singers: Kamal Hassan, Yazin Nizar, Ranjith Iyappan, Ghibran
Music Director: M. Ghibran

சாகாவரம் போல் சோகம் உண்டோ? கேளாய் மன்னா!
தீரா கதையை கேட்பாருண்டோ? கேளாய் மன்னா!

saagaavaram poal soagam uNdoa? kaeLaay mannaa!
theeraa kadhaiyai kaetpaaruNdoa? kaeLaay mannaa!

Is there a tragedy like that of having the gift of immortality? Hear me out, Oh King!
is there anyone who would be willing to listen to a never ending story? Hear me out, Oh king!

கணியர் கணித்த கணக்குபடி நாம் காணுமுலகிது வட்டப்பந்தாம்!
வட்டப்பந்தை வட்டமடிக்கும் மற்றப்ப்பந்தும் போகும் மாண்டே!

kaNiyar kaNitha kaNakgubadi naam kaaNumulagidhu vatdapbandhdhaam!
vatdapbandhdhai vatdamadikgum matRappbandhdhum poagum maaNdae!

According the calculations of the oracles (mathematicians/scholars), this world that we see is a spherical ball!
The other spherical balls that revolve around our’s, will perish (eventually)!
(there was a notion that the earth was the centre of the universe- Geocentric model)

மாளா ஒளியாம் ஞாயிறும் கூட மற்றோர் யுகத்தில் போகும் கரிந்தே!
கரிந்து எரிந்தும் வெடித்த பின்னும் உதிக்கும் குழம்பில் உயிர்கள் முளைக்கும்!

maaLaa oLiyaam nYaayiRum kooda maRRoar yugathil poagum karindhdhae!!
karindhdhu erindhdhum veditha pinnum udhikgum kuzhambil uyirgaL muLaikgum!

Even the sun which is the source of perpetual light, will burn out in another millennia,
However, even after it chars, exhausts and explodes, life will germinate from the ensuing debris.

முளைத்து முறிந்தும் துளிர்க்கும் வாழை தன் மரணுத்துள்ளே வைத்தது விதையை, கேளாய் மன்னா!
விதைத்திடும் உன் மெய் போல் உயிரை உயிர்த்து விளங்கும் என் கவிதை விளங்கும்!

muLaithu muRindhdhum thuLirkgum vaazhai than maraNuthuLLae vaithadhu vidhaiyai, gaeLaay mannaa!
vidhaithidum un mei poal uyirai uyirthu viLanggum en kavidhai viLanggum!

Even after its lifetime, A plantain always sprouts back! since it embedded the seed of life in its death! Hear me out, Oh King!
Sow a life just like yourself (which imbibes your principles and truths), it will live to speak (your legacy), you will then understand my poem!

விளங்கி துலங்கிடும் வம்சம் வாழ, வாழும் நாளில் கடமை செய்ய,
செய்யுள் போல் ஒரு காதல் வேண்டும்

viLanggi thulanggidum vamsam vaazha, vaazhum naaLil kadamai seyya,
seyyuL poal oru kaadhal vaeNdum

for the future generations to live well and be prosperous, and to perform our duties during our lifetimes,
we need love that is like succinct (but powerful) poetry!

வேண்டியதெல்லாம் வாய்த்த ஒருவன்
சாவையும் வேண்டி செத்த கதைகள் ஆயிரம் உண்டு
கேளாய் மன்னா

vaeNdiyadhellaam vaaytha oruvan
saavaiyum vaeNdi setha kadhaigaL aayiram uNdu
kaeLaay mannaa

there are thousands of folklore where even those who succeeded in achieving everything that they ever desired,
prayed for death!
Hear me, Oh king!

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Kishore Krishnamoorthy

Kishore Krishnamoorthy

Thank you so much for this awesome song translation. You have done a brilliant job. Special mention about the second stanza, I mean, I had a pretty good idea about the meaning of those lines, but how you co related it with how earth was considered as geo centre of the universe in earlier days and give a wholesome understanding with the context is ultimate.

Keep up the good work.

Kudos 🙂

lyricaldelights

lyricaldelights

Thanks a lot Kishore. Your comment made our day!

Sriram

Sriram

Great translation guys! Thanks a lot!