- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singers
- Haricharan, Bela Shende
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Kaaviya Thalaivan
- Movie release year
- 2014
- Lyrics added on
- 12 Sept 2017
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{Vandhanam vandhanam
Vandhanam vandhanam
Ellorukkum
Thandhanam thandhanam} (2)
Kundhanam kundhanam
Kundhanam kundhanam
Idam pidikka
Mundhanum mundhanum
Yaadhavanaam andha madhavanum
Avan machunanaam andha arjunanum
Yaathirai varugayilae
Theerththa yaathirai varugaiyilae
Naadu kadandhu kaadu kadandhu
Madhuraikku vaaaraaga
Then madhuraikku vaaraaga
Angu nadappadhu alli raajiyam
Aththanai aangalum sutha poojiyam
Alliyo pudhu rosa
Paarthaar arjuna maharaasaa
Alli malarula kallu vazhiyudhu
Arjunan mugathula jollu vazhiyudhu
Aarambam aagudhu naadaga kaadhalu…uu….
Aanukkum pennum nadakkura modhalu…
Alli varugiraal alli varugiraal
Azhagi aval perazhagi
Alli varugiraal alli varugiraal
Azhagi aval perazhagi
Mugathazhagi aamaa mugathazhagi
Maruthaani poosiya negathazhagi
Kovil thoon pola thodaiyazhagi
Komberi moookkan pola sadaiyazhagi
Ava nadakkura nadaya paarthu
Chorus :Thendral kaaththu
Adha paaththu
Udal verthhu udal thorthu
Alli varugiraalae
Alli varugiraal alli varugiraal
Azhagi aval perazhagi
Alli varugiraal alli varugiraal
Azhagi aval perazhagi
Piriyasagiyae piriyasagiyae
Mazhai naalaa…idhu mazhai naalaa
Mayilinam thogai virippadhenna
Adhu mohana naadagam nadippadhenna
Mohana naadagam nadippadhenna
Piriyasagiyae piriyasagiyae
Mazhai naalaa…idhu mazhai naalaa
Mayilinam thogai virippadhenna
Adhu mohana naadagam nadippadhenna
Nalla sagunam
Idhu nalla sagunam
Oru naayagam vara koodum
Unga vaai velukka
Iru vizhi sivakka
Kaadhal noi thannai tharakkoodum
Aaa….aaaa….aaa…..
Yaaradi avan yaaradi
Veeraadhi veeranoo kooradi
Sooraadhi soorano kooradi
Indha alliyayai …jaadhi malliyai
Inba valliyayai…. uyir kolliyayai
Vella thagunthavanoo
Ezhu vannam migundhavanoo
Yaaradi …. yaaradi
Avaiyilirukkum aththanai perukkum
Vanakkam vanakkam vanakkam
En vanakkathilae than
Thamizh manakkum
Panja paandavar anju pergalilae
Naduvinil naan pirandhen
Arjunan enbadhu en peyaru
Aththinapuri thaan en ooru
Kannaa kannaa
Yen azhaithaai
Ennai yen azhaithai
Arjunanae en aaruyir thozha..
Madhuraiyayai aalgira alli
En manadhai eduthaalae kalli
En ullathathai ottiya palli
Avala odukkanum padukkayil thulli
Indha samyathil
Nee udhavanum kannaa
Engala serthu nee vaikanum onnaa
Naan bamaavukkuthaanda maama
Adha nee marakathae aamaa
Unnai vittal ennakku yaaru
Udhavi seivaar kooru
Naan maargangal solven kelu
Mana maalaiyai thaangum un tholu
Naan annathooviyil ayandhirukka
En manikazhuthil thaali
Kattalamaa kattalamaa
{En mela kuththam illa
Unna kanda muthala
En nenju suthamilla} (2)
Nee potathu ethanai vedamadaa
Kundhi puthiranaai vandhu moodumada
Veeran endraal nee villedu
Indha poovaiyin melae porthodu
Aaaaa…..aaaa….aaa…aaaa….
Aaaa….aaaa….
Nenju porukkuthillaiyae
Nenju porukkuthillaiyae
Naam thaayaal pirandhom
Chorus :Pirandhom
Male :Thamizhaal valarndhoam
Chorus :Valarndhom
Thayum tamizhum pendhanae
Irandum irandu kandhaanae
Chorus :Thayum tamizhum pendhanae
Irandum irandu kandhaanae
Parangiyarku
Bharatha thaaithaan adimaiyaavadha
Aval kaivilangalum kaal vilangaalum
Naalum novadhaa…
Viduthalai velviyil koduthalai
Vellaiyan seivano suduthalai
Makkalukku illai soodu
Ithu maaperum maanakkedu
Engae pogum naadu
Ithu yaam irukkum thaai veedu
Male :Nenju porukkuthillaiyae
Nenju porukku….thillaiyae…
Greetings, greetings!
Greetings, greetings!
To everyone here,
Humble bows and salutations!
To sit down, to sit down,
To sit down, to sit down,
To grab a seat,
You must hurry, you must rush!
That Madhava (Lord Krishna) of the Yadava clan,
And his brother-in-law, Arjuna,
While travelling on a pilgrimage,
While on a holy pilgrimage,
Crossing lands and crossing forests,
They are arriving in Madurai,
They are arriving in southern Madurai!
Queen Alli rules that land,
Where all men count for zero!
Alli is like a fresh rose,
And King Arjuna caught sight of her!
Intoxicating honey drips from the Alli flower,
And Arjuna drools in excitement looking at her!
Thus begins this dramatic romance...
The clash between man and woman begins...
Here comes Alli! Here comes Alli!
A beauty, an extraordinary beauty!
Here comes Alli! Here comes Alli!
A beauty, an extraordinary beauty!
A lovely face, yes, a lovely face,
With pretty nails stained in henna,
Shapely thighs sculpted like temple pillars,
A long braid swaying like a tree snake,
Seeing the graceful way she walks,
The southern breeze,
Watching her walk by,
Sweats in fatigue and admits defeat!
Here comes Alli!
Here comes Alli! Here comes Alli!
A beauty, an extraordinary beauty!
Here comes Alli! Here comes Alli!
A beauty, an extraordinary beauty!
Dearest friend, dearest friend,
Is this a rainy day? Is it a rainy day?
Why are the peacocks spreading their feathers?
Why are they staging this enchanting dance?
Why are they staging this enchanting dance?
Dearest friend, dearest friend,
Is this a rainy day? Is it a rainy day?
Why are the peacocks spreading their feathers?
Why are they staging this enchanting dance?
It is a good omen,
This is a good omen!
A noble lord might arrive,
Making your lips turn pale,
Making both your eyes blush red,
He might bring with him the sweet sickness of love!
Aah... aah...
Tell me, friend, who is he?
Tell me, is he the greatest of heroes?
Tell me, is he the bravest of the brave?
To conquer this Alli... this royal jasmine,
This joyful woman... this heart-stealer,
Is he worthy enough to defeat me?
Does he shine with all seven colors of the rainbow?
Who is he... who is he?
To everyone gathered in this assembly,
Greetings, greetings, greetings!
In my very greeting,
The sweet fragrance of Tamil blooms!
Among the five Pandava brothers,
I was born right in the middle!
Arjuna is my name,
Hastinapuram is my homeland!
Krishna, O Krishna!
Why did you call me?
Why did you call for me?
Arjuna, my dearest friend...
Alli, who rules over Madurai,
That thief of a girl stole my heart!
She clings to my heart like a lizard to a wall,
I must leap and tame her in bed!
At this crucial time,
You must help me, Krishna!
You must bring the two of us together!
Hey, I answer only to Satyabhama, my friend!
Yes, do not ever forget that!
Who else do I have besides you?
Tell me, who will help me?
Listen, I will show you a way,
Your shoulders will soon wear the wedding garland!
While I was fast asleep on a bed of swan feathers,
Around my delicate neck, the thaali (sacred wedding thread)...
How dare you tie it, how dare you!
It was not my fault at all,
From the moment I saw you,
My heart lost all control!
How many disguises have you put on, you rogue?
Drop your disguise and face me as Kunti's son!
If you are a true warrior, pick up your bow,
And wage war against this woman!
Aaaa... aaaa... aah... aaaa...
Aaaa... aaaa...
My heart cannot bear this!
My heart cannot bear this!
We were born of our mothers,
Born we were!
We were nurtured by Tamil,
Nurtured we were!
Mother and Tamil are both feminine,
Are they not like our two eyes?
Mother and Tamil are both feminine,
Both are like our two eyes!
To foreign rulers,
Should Mother India remain a slave?
With chains on her hands and shackles on her feet,
Should she suffer every single day?
When we offer our lives in the sacred fire of freedom,
Will the white colonizer just shoot us down?
Our people feel no fire in their veins,
This is a massive disgrace!
Where is our country heading?
This is the motherland where we live!
My heart cannot bear this!
My heart simply cannot bear this!
Male
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Chorus
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
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Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
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Male
Chorus
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This compilation of lyrics represents a theatrical musical sequence from the movie Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014), capturing the rich tradition of early 20th-century Tamil folk theater (Therukoothu and drama troupes). The song transitions through multiple classic stage tropes: starting with ritualistic greetings and folk rhythms, moving to the mythical drama of Alli Arasani where Arjuna falls in love with Queen Alli of Madurai, continuing with romantic comedic exchanges between Arjuna and Krishna, and finally shifting dramatically into an impassioned patriotic drama performance based on Mahakavi Subramania Bharati's anti-colonial poem 'Nenju Porukkuthillaiye'.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Kovil thoon pola thodaiyazhagi”
Compares physical attributes using explicit folk imagery, such as thighs to temple pillars and hair to a bronzeback tree snake.
Rhyme & Alliteration (Edhugai / Monai)
“Vandhanam vandhanam”
Rhythmic repetition characteristic of street theater performance to engage audience attention.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Indha alliyayai …jaadhi malliyai”
Refers to the woman metaphorically as a jasmine flower ('jaadhi malliyai') and a sweet killer of life ('uyir kolliyayai').
Personification & Allegory
“Thayum tamizhum pendhanae”
Personifies Mother India in shackles under foreign rule and equates mother and Tamil language to divine female entities.
Did you know?
Trivia
Kaaviya Thalaivan (2014), directed by Vasanthabalan with music composed by A. R. Rahman, revolves around 1920s drama troupe artists in Tamil Nadu. The movie features authentic stage musical renditions, blending traditional Therukoothu folk drama with Indian freedom struggle patriotic plays.
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