“Yaezhaikal Vaazhvai Maaligai” by Jikki and a chorus is a song from the album Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam. Lyricist A. Maruthakasi and composer S. Dakshinamurthi created the track. It opens with a direct command for those in mansions to look upon the lives of the poor.
Yaezhaikal Vaazhvai Maaligai
Chorus | Jikki • From “Irumanam Kalanthal Thirumanam”
The verses describe the difficult conditions of laborers, such as divers who face death for meager rewards. A central question asks how the person who provides food for all can be left to suffer for it himself. This points to a fundamental imbalance within the society the song observes.
Eazhaigal Vazhvai Maligai MeleFrom your mansions high above
Iruppavar EllarumeAll of you who live there
Enni ParkkanumMust look upon the lives of the poor
Oo Inbam SerkkanumOh, and bring them some happiness
Eazhaigal Vazhvai Maligai MeleFrom your mansions high above
Iruppavar EllarumeAll of you who live there
Enni ParkkanumMust look upon the lives of the poor
Oo Inbam SerkkanumOh, and bring them some happiness
Azhkadal Naduve SendruThey go to the heart of the deep sea
Adhan Adiyinil Mugathai KanduAnd see death’s face in the depths below
Azhkadal Naduve SendruVenturing into the vast, deep ocean
Adhan Adiyinil Mugathai KanduConfronting the darkness at its very core
Adhai Segaram Seithe KonduAfter gathering all they can find
Varum Eena Piravigal IndruThese souls, born to a humble fate, return
Dhinam Koozhukkagave Kudisai VeettileJust for a bowl of porridge in their little huts
Kunthi AzhugirangaThey crouch down and weep each day
Dhinam Koozhukkagave Kudisai VeettileDaily, for just a meager bowl of gruel
Kunthi AzhugirangaThey sit huddled in their shacks and cry
Kodumai Idharke Mudive VarathaWill this cruelty ever come to an end?
Eazhaigal Vazhvai Maligai MeleFrom your mansions high above
Iruppavar EllarumeAll of you who live there
Enni ParkkanumMust look upon the lives of the poor
Oo Inbam SerkkanumOh, and bring them some happiness
Vervaiyum Arai PayaWith their sweat soaking half the mat
Than Meniyum Oodai TheyaAnd their bodies wearing down to bone
Vervaiyum Arai PayaWhile their sweat stains the mats they lie on
Than Meniyum Oodai TheyaAnd their very selves erode from toil
Dhinam Yerai Pidippavan VeettilIn the home of the fisherman who toils each day
Varumai Irukkalamo Intha NattilHow can such poverty exist in this nation?
Unnum Soru ThanthavanThe very man who provides the food you eat
Soru Soru Ena Thudithu VadalamaShould he be left to suffer, crying out for rice?
Unnum Soru ThanthavanThe one whose hands gave you your daily meal
Soru Soru Ena Thudithu VadalamaIs it right that he withers, pleading for a morsel?
Thuyaram Idharke Mudive VarathaWill this sorrow ever have an end?
Eazhaigal Vazhvai Maligai MeleFrom your mansions high above
Iruppavar EllarumeAll of you who live there
Enni ParkkanumMust look upon the lives of the poor
Oo Inbam SerkkanumOh, and bring them some happiness
The track is built around a recurring chorus that functions as a persistent demand. Each verse builds on this call to action by detailing specific examples of hardship. This structure presents a direct challenge to the listener about systemic injustice.
