Amma Badhil
From Porantha Veeda Puguntha Veeda · 1993
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama | Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow? |
| Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama | Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman? |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Female | |
| Vaasanai panneeril nithamae neeraadi | Bathing daily in fragrant rose water, |
| Velaikkoru alangaaram kaanbathenna | Why display new decorations for every occasion? |
| Vedhanai kanneeril ennai nee neeratti | Instead, bathing me in the tears of agony, |
| Dhooram nindru vaai moodi paarpadhenna | Why do you stand at a distance and watch silently? |
| Female | |
| Thiruvadiyil saranam saranam | Surrender at your sacred feet, surrender, |
| Ena thudhi puriyum pozhuthu | As I offer my praises and prayers, |
| Alai alaiyaa thuyaram peruga | Causing waves upon waves of grief to swell up, |
| Ena vadhaippadho azhagu | Is it beautiful to torment me like this? |
| Vidhi vinaiyaa unai kaetten thaaye | Is this fate or past karma? I ask you, Mother! |
| Female | |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama | Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow? |
| Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama | Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman? |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Female | |
| Deviyae nee kooda thakshanin magalaaga | O Goddess, even you, as the daughter of Daksha, |
| Maalaiyitta sivanodu vaazhnthirundhaai | Lived with Shiva, to whom you were wedded. |
| Thaayena unai kaatha | Seeking the home of your father who nurtured you like a mother, |
| Thanhaiyin mania thaedi | Seeking your father's abode, |
| Naayagan sol kaelaamal odi vandhaai | You ran back without listening to your husband's words. |
| Female | |
| Puguntha idam nalamum valamum pera | So that the home I entered in marriage gains wealth and well-being, |
| Anudhinamum uzhaitahen | I worked tirelessly every single day. |
| Pirantha idam thavikkum tharunam | Yet at the moment my birth home suffered, |
| Konda udan pirappai anaitahen | I embraced and helped my own siblings. |
| Sariyo thavaro unai kaetten thaaye | Was that right or wrong? I ask you, Mother! |
| Female | |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
| Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama | Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow? |
| Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama | Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman? |
| Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi | Mother, answer me, stand right before me here. |
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
தீராத துயர் கொண்ட பெண் ஜென்மமா
பெண் என்று பிறந்தாலே பெரும் பாவமா
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி...
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
வாசனை பன்னீரில் நித்தமே நீராடி
வேளைக்கொரு அலங்காரம் காண்பதென்ன
வேதனை கண்ணீரில் என்னை நீ நீராட்டி
தூரம் நின்று வாய் மூடி பார்ப்பதென்ன
Bathing daily in fragrant rose water,
Why display new decorations for every occasion?
Instead, bathing me in the tears of agony,
Why do you stand at a distance and watch silently?
திருவடியில் சரணம் சரணம்
என துதி புரியும் பொழுது
அலை அலையா துயரம் பெருக
என வதைப்பதுவோ அழகு
விதியா வினையா உனைக் கேட்டேன் தாயே
Surrender at your sacred feet, surrender,
As I offer my praises and prayers,
Causing waves upon waves of grief to swell up,
Is it beautiful to torment me like this?
Is this fate or past karma? I ask you, Mother!
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
தீராத துயர் கொண்ட பெண் ஜென்மமா
பெண் என்று பிறந்தாலே பெரும் பாவமா
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
தேவியே நீ கூட தக்ஷனின் மகளாக
மாலையிட்ட சிவனோடு வாழ்ந்திருந்தாய்
தாயென உனைக் காத்த
தந்தையின் மனைத் தேடி
நாயகன் சொல் கேளாமல் ஓடி வந்தாய்
O Goddess, even you, as the daughter of Daksha,
Lived with Shiva, to whom you were wedded.
Seeking the home of your father who nurtured you like a mother,
Seeking your father's abode,
You ran back without listening to your husband's words.
புகுந்த இடம் நலமும் வளமும் பெற
அனுதினமும் உழைத்தேன்
பிறந்த இடம் தவிக்கும் தருணம்
கொண்ட உடன் பிறப்பை அணைத்தேன்
சரியோ தவறோ உனைக் கேட்டேன் தாயே
So that the home I entered in marriage gains wealth and well-being,
I worked tirelessly every single day.
Yet at the moment my birth home suffered,
I embraced and helped my own siblings.
Was that right or wrong? I ask you, Mother!
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
தீராத துயர் கொண்ட பெண் ஜென்மமா
பெண் என்று பிறந்தாலே பெரும் பாவமா
அம்மா பதில் சொல்லடி இங்கே எதிர் நில்லடி
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Vaasanai panneeril nithamae neeraadi
Bathing daily in fragrant rose water,
Velaikkoru alangaaram kaanbathenna
Why display new decorations for every occasion?
Vedhanai kanneeril ennai nee neeratti
Instead, bathing me in the tears of agony,
Dhooram nindru vaai moodi paarpadhenna
Why do you stand at a distance and watch silently?
Thiruvadiyil saranam saranam
Surrender at your sacred feet, surrender,
Ena thudhi puriyum pozhuthu
As I offer my praises and prayers,
Alai alaiyaa thuyaram peruga
Causing waves upon waves of grief to swell up,
Ena vadhaippadho azhagu
Is it beautiful to torment me like this?
Vidhi vinaiyaa unai kaetten thaaye
Is this fate or past karma? I ask you, Mother!
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Deviyae nee kooda thakshanin magalaaga
O Goddess, even you, as the daughter of Daksha,
Maalaiyitta sivanodu vaazhnthirundhaai
Lived with Shiva, to whom you were wedded.
Thaayena unai kaatha
Seeking the home of your father who nurtured you like a mother,
Thanhaiyin mania thaedi
Seeking your father's abode,
Naayagan sol kaelaamal odi vandhaai
You ran back without listening to your husband's words.
Puguntha idam nalamum valamum pera
So that the home I entered in marriage gains wealth and well-being,
Anudhinamum uzhaitahen
I worked tirelessly every single day.
Pirantha idam thavikkum tharunam
Yet at the moment my birth home suffered,
Konda udan pirappai anaitahen
I embraced and helped my own siblings.
Sariyo thavaro unai kaetten thaaye
Was that right or wrong? I ask you, Mother!
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Theeraadha thuyar konda penn jenmama
Is a woman's life destined only for endless sorrow?
Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama
Is it such a great sin to be born as a woman?
Amma badhil solladi ingae edhir nilladi
Mother, answer me, stand right before me here.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant track from 'Porantha Veeda Puguntha Veeda' (1993) captures the emotional torment of a woman caught between her duties to her marital home and her devotion to her birth family. Addressing the Divine Goddess, the protagonist questions why society and fate subject women to unending suffering, regardless of how selflessly they perform their marital duties.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)
“Penn endru pirandhaale perum paavama”
The speaker challenges the Goddess with existential questions like whether being born female is a major sin, emphasizing helplessness.
Mythological Allusion (Puraana Kurippu)
“Deviyae nee kooda thakshanin magalaaga”
Lyricist Vaali references Goddess Sati (Daksha's daughter) who went to her father Daksha's yagna against Lord Shiva's warning, drawing a parallel to a daughter's unbreakable bond with her birth home.
Ethukai (Second-letter Assonance)
“Puguntha idam nalamum valamum pera / Pirantha idam thavikkum tharunam”
Rhyming of the second consonant sound across corresponding lines ('saa' in Vaasanai and 'dha' in Vedhanai / 'gu' in Puguntha and 'ra' in Pirantha).
Contrast (Antithesis)
“Vaasanai panneeril nithamae neeraadi / Vedhanai kanneeril ennai nee neeratti”
Juxtaposes 'Vaasanai panneer' (fragrant rosewater symbolizing happiness) with 'Vedhanai kanneer' (tears of agony).
Did you know?
Trivia
The song's core theme directly mirrors the movie's title and plot, exploring the classic Indian family drama theme of balancing obligations to 'Porantha Veeda' (birth place) and 'Puguntha Veeda' (marital home). Vaali's use of Daksha's daughter's mythological reference elevates the heroine's personal grievance to a divine, universal dilemma.
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