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Vellai Yaanai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Aara Thedum

From Vellai Yaanai · 2020

Lyricist
Rajumurugan
Singer
Santhosh Narayanan
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Movie name
Vellai Yaanai
Movie release year
2020
Lyrics added on
29 Dec 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aalam pondhu thavittu kunju
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Chorus :Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Mottapana munisaami
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Chorus :Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Lorry yethum aathu mannu
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Chorus :Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Soru pootha yeru kalappa
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Oh oh…oh oh…
Sanamae en sanamae
Onna thaedum
Kaathu ninna saami ellaam
Kanna moodum
Kanna moodum
Veppa mara kaathellaam
Veppa mara kaathellaam
Vedha potta kaiya thaedum
Kudi vandha kuruvi ellaam
Uzhundha mannu puzhu thaedum
Poosaram pootha paththayam
Pudhu nellu vaasam thaedum
Muppoga boomi ellaam
Veedaaga vela thaedum
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Sanamae en sanamae
Onna thaedum
Kaathu ninna saami ellaam
Kanna moodum
Kanna moodum
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
Aara thaedum aara thaedum
The fledgling chick in the banyan tree hollow
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Chorus: Searches for the river, searches for the river
Munisami (guardian deity) on the barren palm tree
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Chorus: Searches for the river, searches for the river
The river sand loaded onto trucks
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Chorus: Searches for the river, searches for the river
The plough that gave us our daily food
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Oh... oh...
O my people, my dear people
It searches for you
All the gods who stood guarding us
Close their eyes
Close their eyes
The breeze from the neem tree
The breeze from the neem tree
Searches for the hands that sowed the seeds
All the birds that settled here
Search for worms in the ploughed soil
The mold-covered grain bin
Longs for the smell of fresh harvest
All the land that yielded three crops a year
Now looks for fences to turn into housing plots
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Searches for the river, searches for the river
O my people, my dear people
It searches for you
All the gods who stood guarding us
Close their eyes
Close their eyes
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Searches for the river, searches for the river
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant song from the film 'Vellai Yaanai' expresses the profound grief and longing felt by the natural elements, village land, and deity spirits when farmers abandon agriculture and migrate away. Written by Raju Murugan, the lyricist paints a picture of a deserted village where nature itself yearns for human labor and care. From the birds in banyan trees and river sand to the neem breeze and empty granaries, every element is personified as endlessly searching for the hardworking hands of the farmer. The song concludes with a tragic reflection that when the people leave their roots, even the local guardian gods shut their eyes in silent mourning over the loss of agrarian life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Anaphora / Repetition

Aara thaedum aara thaedum

The phrase 'Aara thaedum' is repeated continuously as a rhetorical question to emphasize the deep yearning of nature.

Personification

Veppa mara kaathellaam Vedha potta kaiya thaedum

The breeze from the neem trees is given the human emotion and intent of searching for the sower's hand.

Imagery

Poosaram pootha paththayam Pudhu nellu vaasam thaedum

Evokes vivid rural sights like the granary blooming like flowers and smelling of fresh paddy.

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming in Tamil)

Vedha potta kaiya thaedum / Uzhundha mannu puzhu thaedum

The second consonant 'dha' rhymes in 'Vedha' and 'Uzhundha', giving rhythmic flow to the Tamil verse.

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Trivia

'Vellai Yaanai' is a Tamil social drama directed by Subramaniam Siva and starring Samuthirakani. Composed by Santhosh Narayanan, the movie's soundtrack captures rural distress and issues surrounding agrarian land exploitation. Raju Murugan's lyrics extensively use authentic Tamil agricultural vocabulary.

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