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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aarambam Aavadhu

From Thanga Padhumai · 1959

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singers
C. S. Jayaraman, Padmini
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Thanga Padhumai1959

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Athaan neengal kolaikaranaa?Husband, are you a murderer?
Kotravanai kondreergalaa?Did you kill the king?
Koorungal athaan koorungalTell me, husband, tell me!
Male
Eedattra pathiniyin inbathaiThe happiness of an peerless, chaste wife—
Kondravan naanI am the one who killed it.
Aval Idhayathil kondhalithaThe thoughts that surged in her heart—
Ennangalai kondravan naanI am the one who killed them.
Male
Vaazha thagunthavalaiA woman worthy of a good life,
Vaazhaamal vaithu vittuLeaving her unable to live,
Paazhum parathaiyinaal panbuthanaiBecause of a ruinous courtesan, my own character—
Kondravan naanI am the one who killed it.
Andha kolaigalukkae aalaaga irundhu vittenI have become the cause of those murders;
Ini endha kolai seidhaalumNo matter what murder I commit now...
Ennadi en gyaana pennaeWhat is it, my wise woman?
Ennadi en gyaana pennaeWhat is it, my wise woman?
Ennadi en gyaana pennaeWhat is it, my wise woman?
Male
Aarambam aavadhu pennukullaeMan's beginning takes place within a woman;
Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullaeHis dancing ends inside the earth.
Manidhan aarambam aavadhu pennukullaeMan's beginning takes place within a woman;
Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullaeHis dancing ends inside the earth.
Male
Aaraaindhu paar mana kannukkullaeExamine deeply with the eyes of your mind;
Aathirang kolladhae nenjukkullaeDo not let anger consume your heart.
Aaraaindhu paar mana kannukkullaeExamine deeply with the eyes of your mind;
Aathirang kolladhae nenjukkullaeDo not let anger consume your heart.
Male
Aarambam aavadhuIt begins...
Manidhan aarambam aavadhu pennukullaeMan's beginning takes place within a woman;
Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullaeHis dancing ends inside the earth.
Female
Athaan athaan ungal meedhu kodum pazhiHusband, husband, a cruel blame
Vandhirukkiradhae athaan en meedhu unmaiyaaghahas come upon you, husband! If truly
Anbirundhaal anjaamal unmaiyai sollungalyou have love for me, speak the truth fearlessly!
Yaarukkum anjaamal unmaiyai sollungalFearing no one, speak the truth!
Male
Anbai keduthu nal aasaiyai kondravanHaving ruined love and killed pure desires,
Anji nadappena gyaana pennaeWould I walk in fear, my wise woman?
Anbai keduthu nal aasaiyai kondravanHaving ruined love and killed pure desires,
Anji nadappena gyaana pennaeWould I walk in fear, my wise woman?
Thunbathai katti sumakka thunindhavanOne who dared to bind and carry sorrow—
Sonnalum kaetpaanoo gyaana pennaeWould he listen even if told, my wise woman?
Sonnalum kaetpaanoo gyaana pennaeWould he listen even if told, my wise woman?
Male
Aarambam aavadhuIt begins...
Manidhan aarambam aavadhu pennukullaeMan's beginning takes place within a woman;
Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullaeHis dancing ends inside the earth.
Female
Athaan unmaiyai koora mudiyathapadiHusband, what terrible mistake did you commit
Avvalavu thavaru enna seidhu vitteergal?that prevents you from speaking the truth?
Male
Thavarukkum thavaraana thavarai purindhu vittuHaving committed a mistake worse than mistakes,
Thanipattu ponavan gyaana pennae..yeI am a man isolated and lost, my wise woman...
Thavarukkum thavaraana thavarai purindhu vittuHaving committed a mistake worse than mistakes,
Thanipattu ponavan gyaana pennae..I am a man isolated and lost, my wise woman...
Thanipattu ponavan gyaana pennae..I am a man isolated and lost, my wise woman...
Padhari padhari nindru ..kadhari kadhari pulambinaalumEven if standing anxious and weeping in distress,
Payanpattu varuvaanoo gyaana pennae..Will I ever be of any use again, my wise woman?
Payanpattu varuvaanoo gyaana pennae..Will I ever be of any use again, my wise woman?
Male
Aarambam aavadhuIt begins...
Manidhan aarambam aavadhu pennukullaeMan's beginning takes place within a woman;
Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullaeHis dancing ends inside the earth.
Aaraaindhu paar mana kannukkullaeExamine deeply with the eyes of your mind;
Aathirang kolladhae nenjukkullaeDo not let anger consume your heart.
Female
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...
Athaan …athaanHusband... husband...
Idhu enn athaan …idhu enna…What is this, husband... what is this...
Ungal kangal engae athaanWhere are your eyes, husband?
Ungal kangal engae athaanWhere are your eyes, husband?
Ungal kangal engaeWhere are your eyes,
AthaanHusband?
Male
KoduthavanaeThe One who gave me vision,
Parithu kondaanadiplucked it back away, my deer-like girl!
Maanae valarthavanae veruthu vittandiThe One who nurtured me has forsaken me!
Kannai koduthavanaeThe One who gave me eyes,
Parithu kondaanadiplucked them back away, my deer-like girl!
Maanae valarthavanae veruthu vittandiThe One who nurtured me has forsaken me!
Male
Poruthamaana thunai irundhumDespite having a suitable companion,
Pongi varum azhagirundhumand despite her overflowing beauty,
Pona pakkam poga vitten paarvaiyaiI allowed my gaze to wander wherever it pleased.
Avan poruthirundhaeHe waited patiently
Purindhu kondaan velaiyaiand accomplished his work!
Male
Poruthamaana thunai irundhumDespite having a suitable companion,
Pongi varum azhagirundhumand despite her overflowing beauty,
Pona pakkam poga vitten paarvaiyaiI allowed my gaze to wander wherever it pleased.
Avan poruthirundhaeHe waited patiently
Purindhu kondaan velaiyaiand accomplished his work!
Male
Kannai koduthavanaeThe One who gave me eyes,
Parithu kondaanadiplucked them back away, my deer-like girl!
Maanae valarthavanae veruthu vittandiThe One who nurtured me has forsaken me!
Female
Karunaiyae vadivamaana deivamaDid God, the very embodiment of mercy,
Ungal kangalai parithu kondathusnatch away your eyes?
Male
Edhiri vandhu kedukkavillaiAn enemy did not come and ruin me;
Idhayam idam kodukkavillaimy own heart gave no room to temptation.
Edhiri vandhu kedukkavillaiAn enemy did not come and ruin me;
Idhayam idam kodukkavillaimy own heart gave no room to temptation.
Engirundho yevi vittaan kiliyaiFrom somewhere, He set loose a parrot;
Adhu en thalaiyil pottadhadi pazhiyaiand it cast the blame right on my head!
Kannai koduthavanaeThe One who gave me eyes,
Parithu kondaanadiplucked them back away, my deer-like girl!
Maanae valarthavanae veruthu vittandiThe One who nurtured me has forsaken me!
Female
Needhi nilaipera enSo that justice prevails and the vermilion on my forehead shines,
Nettriyil kungumam thigazhaspeak the truth!
Unmaiyai koorungalYour wife is asking you;
Ungal manaivi ketkkiraalmy marital symbols—turmeric and vermilion—
En manjalum kungumamumare asking you, husband!
Ketkkiradhu athaanFor a sinner who lost his virtue lured by beauty and landed in prison,
Male
Singaaram kettu siraipatta paavikkuwhy does he need a family life, my dear? Why family life?
Samsaaram yedhukkadi thangam samsaaram yedhukkadiFor a sinner who lost his virtue lured by beauty and landed in prison,
Singaaram kettu siraipatta paavikkuwhy does he need a family life, my dear? Why family life?
Samsaaram yedhukkadi thangam samsaaram yedhukkadiFor a sinner who lost his virtue lured by beauty and landed in prison,
Singaaram kettu siraipatta paavikkuwhy does he need a family life, my dear? Why family life?
Samsaaram yedhukkadi thangam samsaaram yedhukkadiFor one who wandered forgetting his wife and child,
Male
Mainiviyai kuzhandhaiyai marandhu thirindhavanaiit is wrong to bless him!
Vaazhthuvadhu aagathadhadiFor one who wandered forgetting his wife and child,
Mainiviyai kuzhandhaiyai marandhu thirindhavanaiit is wrong to bless him; he should not be forgiven!
Vaazhthuvadhu aagathadhadi mannikka koodathadiFor a sinner who lost his virtue lured by beauty and landed in prison,
Singaaram kettu siraipatta paavikkuwhy does he need a family life, my dear? Why family life?
Samsaaram yedhukkadi thangam samsaaram yedhukkadi

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant musical dialogue from Thanga Padhumai captures a tragic confrontation between a guilt-ridden husband (played by Sivaji Ganesan, voiced/sung by C. S. Jayaraman) and his devoted wife (played by Padmini). The husband laments how his moral straying and infatuation with a courtesan destroyed his wife's happiness and ruined his character. He views his physical blindness and imprisonment as divine punishment for straying from his righteous path and abandoning his marital duties.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Aarambam aavadhu pennukullae / Avan aadi adanguvadhu mannukkullae

Life and birth are portrayed as beginning in a woman and ending in the soil ('aarambam aavadhu pennukullae... adanguvadhu mannukkullae').

Emoni / Monai (Alliteration)

Aaraaindhu paar mana kannukkullae / Aathirang kolladhae nenjukkullae

Repetition of initial phonetic sounds across lines ('Aarambam', 'Aadi', 'Aaraaindhu', 'Aathirang').

Rhyme (Edhugai)

Poruthamaana thunai irundhum / Pongi varum azhagirundhum

Second letter rhyming in Tamil poetic structure ('Kannai' and 'Parithu' / 'Poruthamaana' and 'Pongi').

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Trivia

This track is one of the classic philosophical dialogues set to song written by revolutionary poet Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram. Delivered in C. S. Jayaraman's uniquely expressive voice, the song highlights the moral ethos prevalent in classic 1950s Tamil cinema.

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