Chetavadam
From Veyyil · 2006
- Lyricist
- Na. Muthu Kumar
- Singer
- Manikka Vinayagam
- Music director
- G. V. Prakash Kumar
- Details
- Veyyil2006
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Seththa vadam seththu ponen | I died like a withered stalk |
| Sondham sonna vartha | Because of the words spoken by my kin |
| Yathae yathae | Oh mother, oh mother! |
| Male | |
| Paththu thalai nagam pola | Like a ten-headed cobra |
| Koththudhada indha vaazhkai | This life bites and strikes me |
| Male | |
| Thekka poradhaa illa | Whether it is heading South |
| Vadakka poradhaa | Or heading North |
| Dhesa onnum teriyalayae | I do not know the direction anymore |
| Male | |
| Kola kaara paya makka | You murderous people, |
| Enna konnu thaan podungalae | Just kill me once and for all! |
| Male | |
| oo…oo…oo…… | Oh... oh... oh... |
செத்தவடம் செத்து போனேன்
சொந்தம் சொன்ன வார்த்த
யாத்தே யாத்தே
I died like a withered stalk
Because of the words spoken by my kin
Oh mother, oh mother!
பத்து தல நாகம் போல
கொத்துதடா இந்த வாழ்க்கை
Like a ten-headed cobra
This life bites and strikes me
தெக்க போறதா இல்ல
வடக்க போறதா
தெச ஒண்ணும் தெரியலயே
Whether it is heading South
Or heading North
I do not know the direction anymore
கொல கார பயமக்கா
என்ன கொண்ணுதான் போடுங்களே
You murderous people,
Just kill me once and for all!
ஓ ஓ ஓ
Oh... oh... oh...
Seththa vadam seththu ponen
I died like a withered stalk
Sondham sonna vartha
Because of the words spoken by my kin
Yathae yathae
Oh mother, oh mother!
Paththu thalai nagam pola
Like a ten-headed cobra
Koththudhada indha vaazhkai
This life bites and strikes me
Thekka poradhaa illa
Whether it is heading South
Vadakka poradhaa
Or heading North
Dhesa onnum teriyalayae
I do not know the direction anymore
Kola kaara paya makka
You murderous people,
Enna konnu thaan podungalae
Just kill me once and for all!
oo…oo…oo……
Oh... oh... oh...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant snippet expresses deep distress, heartbreak, and despair caused by betrayal from one's own relatives. The protagonist feels completely crushed by the harsh words of kin, comparing life's brutal punishment to being repeatedly bitten by a ten-headed cobra. Feeling lost and disoriented without any clear sense of direction, the speaker desperately calls out to his mother and begs the hostile world to simply end his painful existence.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uvamaani)
“Paththu thalai nagam pola”
Compares the relentless agony inflicted by life to the venomous strike of a ten-headed cobra.
Metaphor
“Seththa vadam seththu ponen”
Equates emotional death to becoming completely withered and dried out.
Directional Contrast
“Thekka poradhaa illa / Vadakka poradhaa”
Uses the opposing cardinal directions South and North to illustrate a total lack of guidance and disorientation.
Did you know?
Trivia
Veyyil (2006) was the debut film of music director G. V. Prakash Kumar at age 19. Directed by Vasanthabalan and produced by Director Shankar, the film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and was screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
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