Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Antha Vanatha Pola

From Chinna Gounder · 1992

Lyricist
R. V. Udhaya Kumar
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Chinna Gounder1992

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Andha vaanathapolaLike that sky,
Manam padacha mannavanae…Oh king who possesses a heart as vast...
Pani thuliyapolaLike a dewdrop,
Gunam padacha thennavanae…Oh southern lord blessed with a pure character...
Male
Manjalilae oru nooleduthuTaking a thread dyed with turmeric,
Vinnukkum mannukkumBetween the sky and the earth,
Sambandham undunnuThat a sacred connection exists,
Sonnadhu yaaruWho was it that declared so?
Adhu mannavan peru…..It is the king's name...
Male
Andha vaanathapolaLike that sky,
Manam padacha mannavanae…Oh king who possesses a heart as vast...
Pani thuliyapolaLike a dewdrop,
Gunam padacha thennavanae…Oh southern lord blessed with a pure character...
Male
Maari pona podhumEven though times have changed,
Idhu thaeru pogum veedhiThis is the street where the grand chariot glides,
Vaari vaari thootrumPeople will cast slander repeatedly,
Ini yaaru unakku naadhiWho is left to stand by you now?
Male
Paasam vaitha thaalaeOut of sheer love and affection,
Nee payirai kaatha veyliYou were the protective fence guarding the crop,
Payirai kaatha podhumThough you guarded the crop,
Veen pazhiyai sumandha needhiJustice itself had to bear a false accusation,
Male
Saami vandhu kettidumaaWill God come down to question this?
Veen pazhiyai theerthidumaaWill He absolve this baseless blame?
Male
Vinnukkum mannukkumBetween the sky and the earth,
Sambandham undunnuThat a sacred connection exists,
Sonnadhu yaaruWho was it that declared so?
Adhu mannavan peru…..It is the king's name...
Male
Andha vaanathapolaLike that sky,
Manam padacha mannavanae…Oh king who possesses a heart as vast...
Pani thuliyapolaLike a dewdrop,
Gunam padacha thennavanae…Oh southern lord blessed with a pure character...
Male
Nenjam ennum kooduIn the nest that is the human heart,
Adhil neruppu vaithathaaruWho was it that set fire to it?
Thunbam vandha podhumWhen sorrow strikes,
Adhai thudaipathingu yaaruWho is here to wipe away those tears?
Male
Kalangumbothu cheruWhen stirred up, it turns to mud,
Athu theliyum bothu neeruWhen allowed to settle, it becomes clear water,
Kadavul potta koduThe fate line drawn by God,
Adhai thirutha povadhaaruWho is ever going to alter or rewrite it?
Male
Vendha punnum aaridumaaWill a burnt wound ever heal?
Vedhanai thaan theernthidumaaWill this agonizing pain ever end?
Male
Vinnukkum mannukkumBetween the sky and the earth,
Sambandham undunnuThat a sacred connection exists,
Sonnadhu yaaruWho was it that declared so?
Adhu mannavan peru…..It is the king's name...
Male
Andha vaanathapolaLike that sky,
Manam padacha mannavanae…Oh king who possesses a heart as vast...
Pani thuliyapolaLike a dewdrop,
Gunam padacha thennavanae…Oh southern lord blessed with a pure character...
Male
Manjalilae oru nooleduthuTaking a thread dyed with turmeric,
Vinnukkum mannukkumBetween the sky and the earth,
Sambandham undunnuThat a sacred connection exists,
Sonnadhu yaaruWho was it that declared so?
Adhu mannavan peru…..It is the king's name...
Male
Andha vaanathapolaLike that sky,
Manam padacha mannavanae…Oh king who possesses a heart as vast...
Pani thuliyapolaLike a dewdrop,
Gunam padacha thennavanae…Oh southern lord blessed with a pure character...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Andha Vaanathapola' from Chinna Gounder is a deeply moving emotional reflection on a noble, righteous village chieftain. His expansive heart is likened to the endless sky and his gentle purity to a delicate dewdrop. The song laments how a benevolent leader—who acted as a protective barrier for his village—is cruelly slandered and blamed due to unfortunate twists of fate. Through metaphors of nature, destiny, and human suffering, the lyrics question whether divine justice will ever intervene to clear his name and heal the agony inflicted upon his pure soul. It emphasizes that while human perception gets clouded like disturbed mud, truth eventually settles into clarity like pure water.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Andha vaanathapola / Manam padacha mannavanae…

Compares the protagonist's expansive heart to the open sky ('Vaanathapola') and his gentle nature to a drop of dew ('Pani thuliyapola').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Nenjam ennum koodu / Adhil neruppu vaithathaaru

Compares the human heart to a bird's nest ('Nenjam ennum koodu') that has been set on fire by grief and tragedy.

Rhyme & Assonance (Etukai & Monai)

Vinnukkum mannukkum

Uses matching second-consonant sounds ('Vin' and 'Man') to create a rhythmic harmony between sky and earth.

Allegory / Proverbial Imagery

Kalangumbothu cheru / Athu theliyum bothu neeru

Uses the imagery of disturbed muddy water settling into clear water as an allegory for human misunderstanding eventually giving way to truth.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by director R.V. Udhaya Kumar, 'Andha Vaanathapola' is an iconic rural song from the 1992 blockbuster 'Chinna Gounder' starring Vijayakanth and Sukanya. The song's melody and poignant lyrics made it one of the most memorable tracks of 90s Tamil cinema, perfectly capturing the noble persona of the film's title character.

Keep listening

More from Chinna Gounder