Aathoram Vedha
From Thunaivi · 1981
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- L. R. Eswari
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Details
- Thunaivi1981
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi | Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily... |
| Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi | Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily... |
| Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa | She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake... |
| Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa | She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma! |
| Ava kaavalukku oru niyaayamillai | There was no justice for her protection... |
| Verum kanneerthaan michcham aachchu chinnammaa | Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma! |
| Male | |
| Sevalukkum kozhikkumthaan sonthamillae | Is there no bond between the rooster and the hen? |
| Kozhi peththa kunjukkumaa banthamilae | Is there no connection even with the chicks the hen gave birth to? |
| Naalu kunjum naalu vazhi ponapinnae | Once the four chicks went four different ways... |
| Ada yaarai nambi vaazhuvathu kooru kannae | Tell me, my dear, relying on whom should one live? |
| Male | |
| Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi | Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily... |
| Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa | She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake... |
| Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa | She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma! |
| Male | |
| Thaai nenachcha nenappilae oru nokkam undu | There is a noble purpose in what a mother thinks and hopes... |
| Thattu ketta pillaikellaam enna undu | But what value is there in children who lose their moral path? |
| Kandathellaam kaatchi aachchu ulagaththilae | Everything witnessed has turned into a mere theatrical show in this world... |
| Ada kattupaadu udainju pochchu idhayaththilae | Alas, moral restraint and discipline have shattered within the heart! |
| Male | |
| Maanam kettu sela vaangi kattanumaa | Should one buy and wear a saree at the cost of self-respect? |
| Madhiyum kettu soru vaangi unnanumaa | Should one lose wisdom and sanity just to earn food to eat? |
| Naanam kettu bhoomiyilae nadakkanumaa | Should one walk on this earth having lost all sense of shame? |
| Ada naalum kettu uyirai vachchu vaazhanumaa | Alas, should one hold onto life even when all days have turned sour? |
| Male | |
| Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi | Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily... |
| Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa | She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake... |
| Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa | She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma! |
| Ava kaavalukku oru niyaayamillai | There was no justice for her protection... |
| Verum kanneerthaan michcham aachchu chinnammaa | Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma! |
ஆத்தோரம் வெத வெதச்சு அன்றாடம் நீர் எறச்சி
ஆத்தோரம் வெத வெதச்சு அன்றாடம் நீர் எறச்சி
அவ காத்திருந்தா அவ கண் விழிச்சா
அவ காலமெல்லாம் கனவு கண்டா கண்ணம்மா
அவ காவலுக்கு ஒரு நியாயமில்லை
வெறும் கண்ணீர்தான் மிச்சம் ஆச்சு சின்னம்மா
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
There was no justice for her protection...
Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma!
சேவலுக்கும் கோழிக்கும்தான் சொந்தமில்லே
கோழி பெத்த குஞ்சுக்குமா பந்தமில்லே
நாலு குஞ்சும் நாலு வழி போனபின்னே
அட யாரை நம்பி வாழுவது கூறு கண்ணே
Is there no bond between the rooster and the hen?
Is there no connection even with the chicks the hen gave birth to?
Once the four chicks went four different ways...
Tell me, my dear, relying on whom should one live?
ஆத்தோரம் வெத வெதச்சு அன்றாடம் நீர் எறச்சி
அவ காத்திருந்தா அவ கண் விழிச்சா
அவ காலமெல்லாம் கனவு கண்டா கண்ணம்மா
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
தாய் நெனச்ச நெனப்பிலே ஒரு நோக்கம் உண்டு
தட்டுக் கெட்ட பிள்ளைக்கெல்லாம் என்ன உண்டு
கண்டதெல்லாம் காட்சி ஆச்சு உலகத்திலே
அட கட்டுப்பாடு உடைஞ்சு போச்சு இதயத்திலே...
There is a noble purpose in what a mother thinks and hopes...
But what value is there in children who lose their moral path?
Everything witnessed has turned into a mere theatrical show in this world...
Alas, moral restraint and discipline have shattered within the heart!
மானம் கெட்டு சேல வாங்கி கட்டணுமா
மதியும் கெட்டு சோறு வாங்கி உண்ணனுமா
நாணம் கெட்டு பூமியிலே நடக்கணுமா
அட நாலும் கெட்டு உயிரை வச்சு வாழணுமா
Should one buy and wear a saree at the cost of self-respect?
Should one lose wisdom and sanity just to earn food to eat?
Should one walk on this earth having lost all sense of shame?
Alas, should one hold onto life even when all days have turned sour?
ஆத்தோரம் வெத வெதச்சு அன்றாடம் நீர் எறச்சி
அவ காத்திருந்தா அவ கண் விழிச்சா
அவ காலமெல்லாம் கனவு கண்டா கண்ணம்மா
அவ காவலுக்கு ஒரு நியாயமில்லை
வெறும் கண்ணீர்தான் மிச்சம் ஆச்சு சின்னம்மா
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
There was no justice for her protection...
Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma!
Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
Ava kaavalukku oru niyaayamillai
There was no justice for her protection...
Verum kanneerthaan michcham aachchu chinnammaa
Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma!
Sevalukkum kozhikkumthaan sonthamillae
Is there no bond between the rooster and the hen?
Kozhi peththa kunjukkumaa banthamilae
Is there no connection even with the chicks the hen gave birth to?
Naalu kunjum naalu vazhi ponapinnae
Once the four chicks went four different ways...
Ada yaarai nambi vaazhuvathu kooru kannae
Tell me, my dear, relying on whom should one live?
Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
Thaai nenachcha nenappilae oru nokkam undu
There is a noble purpose in what a mother thinks and hopes...
Thattu ketta pillaikellaam enna undu
But what value is there in children who lose their moral path?
Kandathellaam kaatchi aachchu ulagaththilae
Everything witnessed has turned into a mere theatrical show in this world...
Ada kattupaadu udainju pochchu idhayaththilae
Alas, moral restraint and discipline have shattered within the heart!
Maanam kettu sela vaangi kattanumaa
Should one buy and wear a saree at the cost of self-respect?
Madhiyum kettu soru vaangi unnanumaa
Should one lose wisdom and sanity just to earn food to eat?
Naanam kettu bhoomiyilae nadakkanumaa
Should one walk on this earth having lost all sense of shame?
Ada naalum kettu uyirai vachchu vaazhanumaa
Alas, should one hold onto life even when all days have turned sour?
Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi
Sowing seeds by the riverbank and drawing water daily...
Ava kaaththirunthaa ava kan vizhichchaa
She waited patiently, she stayed wide awake...
Ava kaalamellaam kanavu kandaa kannammaa
She dreamed all her life, oh Kannamma!
Ava kaavalukku oru niyaayamillai
There was no justice for her protection...
Verum kanneerthaan michcham aachchu chinnammaa
Only tears remained in the end, oh Chinnamma!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant track expresses a mother's deep agony and existential grief after dedicating her lifetime to raising her children, only to find herself abandoned and uncared for in old age. Kannadasan uses folk-inspired agrarian metaphors, comparing motherly nurturance to laboriously sowing seeds and drawing river water daily, only for the crop to go unharvested.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (உருவகம் - Uruvagam)
“Aaththoram vedha vedhachchu andraadadam neer erachchi”
Compares nurturing children to the laborious task of sowing seeds by the river and irrigating them every day.
Analogy (உவமை - Uvamai)
“Kozhi peththa kunjukkumaa banthamilae / Naalu kunjum naalu vazhi ponapinnae”
Uses the image of a hen raising chicks that scatter in four directions to illustrate children growing up and abandoning their mother.
Second-letter Rhyme (எதுகை - Edhugai)
“Maanam kettu... / Madhiyum kettu... / Naanam kettu... / Naalum kettu...”
Consonant agreement on the second letter ('-na-') across four sequential rhetorical questions emphasizing loss of character.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan, 'Thunaivi' (1981) features a rare reflective folk-style melody rendered by L. R. Eswari, highlighting thematic themes of maternal sacrifice and social morality.
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