Billy Joel - We Didn't Start the Fire (Official Video)

We Didn't Start The Fire! and usage of Causal Verbs.


Sanskrit has many words to denote START.

Ranging from आरम्भ (Arambha) to उद्भ्राम्यति (udbhrAmyati)

But what is the word we use to denote starting a fire?

Well..the word is ज्वलति (jvalati ) ...to ignite.

ज्वलति (jvalati ) is a verb.

So how do we translate the sentence "We Didn't Start The Fire"?

Well..in this song, Billy Joel is singing about various political scenarios where unrest is seen but no one wants to claim responsibility to what they started hence "We Didn't Start The Fire".

So which word would be appropriate here?

Since there is a element where no one wants to take the blame of being  the causative factor hence the preferred choice of word would be a causal verb ज्वालयति (jvAlayati)
 and since there is usage of past tense..the causal verb in past tense (plural) would be ज्वालयन्तः (jvAlayantaH)

So the translation for the title of this song "We Didn't Start The Fire" would be 

वयम् अग्नीं न ज्वालयन्तः
vayam agnIM na jvAlayantaH