Anba Sumanthu
From Ponnumani · 1993
- Lyricist
- R. V. Udhaya Kumar
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Ponnumani1993
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Anba sumanthu sumanthu | Carrying love endlessly, |
| Allum pagalum ninainthu | Thinking of you day and night, |
| Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa | Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy, |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa | Is it fair to leave me suffering? |
| Male | |
| Anba sumanthu sumanthu | Carrying love endlessly, |
| Allum pagalum ninainthu | Thinking of you day and night, |
| Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa | Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy, |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa | Is it fair to leave me suffering? |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa.. | Is it fair to leave me suffering?.. |
| Male | |
| Vaanmazhaiyil | In the rain falling from the sky, |
| Thaan nanainthaal | If it gets drenched, |
| Paal nilavum karainthidumaa | Will the milky moon dissolve away? |
| Theeyinilae nee irunthaal | If you are standing amidst fire, |
| Nilavolithaan sugam tharumaa | Can the moonlight give comfort? |
| Male | |
| Marakkilaiyil oru kuruvi | On a tree branch, a small bird, |
| Koodu katti vaazhnthathae.. | Built a nest and lived.. |
| Andharathil aada vittu | Leaving it dangling in mid-air, |
| Aala maram saainthathae | The grand banyan tree collapsed. |
| Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa | Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy, |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa | Is it fair to leave me suffering? |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa.. | Is it fair to leave me suffering?.. |
| Male | |
| Nee arachcha sandhanamae | The sandalwood paste you ground, |
| Vaasanathaan maaralaiyae | Its fragrance has not yet faded. |
| Nesamennum kottaiyilae | Inside this fortress called affection, |
| Kaavalinnum theeralaiyae | The protective guard has not ended. |
| Male | |
| Pesaamal ponathenna | Why did you go silent, |
| Paasa puraa vinnilae | Like a dove of love in the sky? |
| Veesaamal veesum ingae | Blowing silently yet powerfully here, |
| Paasa puyal mannilae | Is a storm of love upon this earth. |
| Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa | Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy, |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa.. | Is it fair to leave me suffering?.. |
| Male | |
| Anba sumanthu sumanthu | Carrying love endlessly, |
| Allum pagalum ninainthu | Thinking of you day and night, |
| Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa | Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy, |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa | Is it fair to leave me suffering? |
| Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa.. | Is it fair to leave me suffering?.. |
| Anba sumanthu sumanthu.. | Carrying love endlessly.. |
அன்ப சுமந்து
சுமந்து அல்லும் பகலும்
நினைந்து இன்பம் சுமக்க
வைத்த மாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா
Carrying love endlessly,
Thinking of you day and night,
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
அன்ப சுமந்து
சுமந்து அல்லும் பகலும்
நினைந்து இன்பம் சுமக்க
வைத்த மாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா
Carrying love endlessly,
Thinking of you day and night,
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
வான் மழையில்
தான் நனைந்தால் பால்
நிலவும் கரைந்திடுமா
தீயினிலே நீயிருந்தால்
நிலவொளி தான் சுகம்
தருமா
In the rain falling from the sky,
If it gets drenched,
Will the milky moon dissolve away?
If you are standing amidst fire,
Can the moonlight give comfort?
மரக்கிளையில்
ஒரு குருவி கூடுக்கட்டி
வாழ்ந்ததே அந்தரத்தில்
ஆடவிட்டு ஆலமரம்
சாய்ந்ததே இன்பம் சுமக்க
வைத்த மாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா
On a tree branch, a small bird,
Built a nest and lived..
Leaving it dangling in mid-air,
The grand banyan tree collapsed.
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
நீ அரைச்ச
சந்தனமே வாசனை
தான் மாறலையே
நேசமென்னும்
கோட்டையிலே
காவல் இன்னும்
தீரலையே
The sandalwood paste you ground,
Its fragrance has not yet faded.
Inside this fortress called affection,
The protective guard has not ended.
பேசாமல்
போனதென்ன பாச
புறா விண்ணிலே
வீசாமல் வீசும் இங்கே
பாசப்புயல் மண்ணிலே
இன்பம் சுமக்க வைத்த
மாமா என்னை தவிக்க
விடலாமா
Why did you go silent,
Like a dove of love in the sky?
Blowing silently yet powerfully here,
Is a storm of love upon this earth.
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
அன்ப சுமந்து
சுமந்து அல்லும் பகலும்
நினைந்து இன்பம் சுமக்க
வைத்த மாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா என்னை
தவிக்க விடலாமா அன்பை
சுமந்து சுமந்து
Carrying love endlessly,
Thinking of you day and night,
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
Carrying love endlessly..
Anba sumanthu sumanthu
Carrying love endlessly,
Allum pagalum ninainthu
Thinking of you day and night,
Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Anba sumanthu sumanthu
Carrying love endlessly,
Allum pagalum ninainthu
Thinking of you day and night,
Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa..
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
Vaanmazhaiyil
In the rain falling from the sky,
Thaan nanainthaal
If it gets drenched,
Paal nilavum karainthidumaa
Will the milky moon dissolve away?
Theeyinilae nee irunthaal
If you are standing amidst fire,
Nilavolithaan sugam tharumaa
Can the moonlight give comfort?
Marakkilaiyil oru kuruvi
On a tree branch, a small bird,
Koodu katti vaazhnthathae..
Built a nest and lived..
Andharathil aada vittu
Leaving it dangling in mid-air,
Aala maram saainthathae
The grand banyan tree collapsed.
Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa..
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
Nee arachcha sandhanamae
The sandalwood paste you ground,
Vaasanathaan maaralaiyae
Its fragrance has not yet faded.
Nesamennum kottaiyilae
Inside this fortress called affection,
Kaavalinnum theeralaiyae
The protective guard has not ended.
Pesaamal ponathenna
Why did you go silent,
Paasa puraa vinnilae
Like a dove of love in the sky?
Veesaamal veesum ingae
Blowing silently yet powerfully here,
Paasa puyal mannilae
Is a storm of love upon this earth.
Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa..
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
Anba sumanthu sumanthu
Carrying love endlessly,
Allum pagalum ninainthu
Thinking of you day and night,
Inbam sumakka vaitha maamaa
Oh beloved uncle, who filled me with joy,
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa
Is it fair to leave me suffering?
Ennai thavikka vidalaamaa..
Is it fair to leave me suffering?..
Anba sumanthu sumanthu..
Carrying love endlessly..
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Anba Sumanthu Sumanthu' from the film Ponnumani (1993) is a deeply emotional song expressing the grief, longing, and helpless plight of a lover separated from her partner. She reflects on how he brought immense happiness into her life and questions how he could now leave her in such emotional torment. Through vivid imagery—such as a small bird stranded after its protective banyan tree falls, or the enduring scent of sandalwood paste—the lyrics highlight the everlasting nature of their bond amidst heartbreaking circumstances.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukkuthodar (Anaphora / Repetition)
“Anba sumanthu sumanthu”
The word 'Sumanthu' is repeated back-to-back ('Sumanthu sumanthu') to emphasize the continuous weight of love being carried.
Metaphor (Uvamai / Tharkurippu)
“Andharathil aada vittu / Aala maram saainthathae”
The protective lover is compared to a 'banyan tree' ('Aala maram') that collapsed, leaving the vulnerable bird ('kuruvi') helpless in mid-air.
Metaphor (Roobagam)
“Nesamennum kottaiyilae”
'Nesamennum kottaiyilae' translates to 'In the fortress called affection', metaphorically representing their relationship as a protective castle.
Oxymoron / Paradox
“Veesaamal veesum ingae”
'Veesaamal veesum' ('Blowing without blowing') expresses an invisible yet intensely felt emotional storm.
Did you know?
Trivia
Though listed as 'Unknown' in the prompt, the soundtrack for Ponnumani was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, with director R.V. Udhaya Kumar writing the lyrics himself. The song beautifully showcases emotional themes central to village-based romantic dramas of early 1990s Tamil cinema.
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