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Neela Kadal Orathile album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Dhagathukku Thanni Kudichen

From Neela Kadal Orathile · 1979

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
M. S. Vishwanathan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Neela Kadal Orathile
Movie release year
1979
Lyrics added on
27 May 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagatha naan maathikkittendaa
Ippo paavathula maattikkittendaa
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagatha naan maathikkittendaa
Ippo paavathula maattikkittendaa
Madhiyum pochudaa
Nimadhiyum pochudaa
Madhiyum pochudaa
Nimadhiyum pochudaa
Paazhum madhuva kudicha mayakkathilae
Mirugam aachudaa
Manasu mirugam aachudaaa
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagatha naan maathikkittendaa
Ippo paavathula maattikkittendaa
Kalla kudichavan kanna izhappaan
Thanni adichavan thannai azhippaan
…………………………..
Kalla kudichavan kanna izhappaan
Thanni adichavan thannai azhippaan
Sathiyam sonnenada verum
Thathuvam illaiyada
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagatha naan maathikkittendaa
Ippo paavathula maattikkittendaa
Ada naan kudikkala madhuva
Adhu ennai kudikuthadaa
Naan nadakkum bothu ennai paarthu
Naai sirikkuthada
Theru naai sirikkuthadaa
Padichu padichu gaandhi sonnar
Paasathodu annaa sonnaar
En thalaivan kudiyai thadukka
Sattam pottum puriyala
Ippo kudal karugi nadakka kooda mudiyala
Thaagathukku thanni kudichen
Paavathukku thanni adichen
Thaagatha naan maathikkittendaa
Ippo paavathula maattikkittendaa
Paavathilae maattikkittendaa
Paavathilae maattikkittendaa
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I changed what I thirsted for, my friend,
And now I am trapped in sin, my friend.
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I changed what I thirsted for, my friend,
And now I am trapped in sin, my friend.
My good sense is gone,
My peace of mind is gone too.
My good sense is gone,
My peace of mind is gone too.
In the stupor of drinking this cursed liquor,
It turned into a beast,
My heart turned into a wild beast!
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I changed what I thirsted for, my friend,
And now I am trapped in sin, my friend.
Whoever drinks toddy will lose his sight,
Whoever drinks liquor will destroy himself.
...
Whoever drinks toddy will lose his sight,
Whoever drinks liquor will destroy himself.
I am telling you the honest truth, my friend,
This is not just empty philosophy!
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I changed what I thirsted for, my friend,
And now I am trapped in sin, my friend.
Oh, I am not the one drinking this liquor,
It is drinking me alive, my friend!
When I stagger down the street,
The dogs laugh at me,
Even the stray dogs laugh at me!
Gandhi warned us again and again,
Anna (Tamil leader C.N. Annadurai) told us with deep affection,
Even when my leader passed laws to stop drinking,
I failed to listen and understand.
Now my insides are burned out and I cannot even walk.
I once drank water for my thirst,
To my ruin, I took to the bottle.
I changed what I thirsted for, my friend,
And now I am trapped in sin, my friend.
Trapped in this miserable sin!
Trapped in this miserable sin!
Male
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant track from the film Neela Kadal Orathile (1979) serves as a dramatic, philosophical anti-alcoholism sermon sung and composed by M. S. Vishwanathan. The speaker reflects on how a simple desire to quench physical thirst morphed into a destructive habit of drinking alcohol ('thanni'). The song details the tragic physical, mental, and social decay caused by alcoholism, including the loss of intellect, peace, self-respect, and bodily health.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Pun / Double Entendre

“Thaagathukku thanni kudichen / Paavathukku thanni adichen”

The word 'Thanni' is cleverly used in both its literal sense (water) and colloquially as slang for alcohol, contrasting healthy drinking with destructive addiction.

Personification / Paradox

“Ada naan kudikkala madhuva / Adhu ennai kudikuthadaa”

Alcohol is personified as the consumer, inverting the action to show how addiction controls the victim.

Historical Allusion

“Padichu padichu gaandhi sonnar / Paasathodu annaa sonnaar”

Refers directly to Mahatma Gandhi and C. N. Annadurai (Anna) who championed prohibition in Tamil Nadu.

Monorhyme / Second-letter Rhyme (Edukku)

“Madhiyum pochudaa / Nimadhiyum pochudaa”

Repetition of sound structures in adjacent lines ('Madhiyum' / 'Nimadhiyum') creating a rhythmic poetic effect.

Did you know?

Trivia

This song was composed and sung by music legend M. S. Vishwanathan himself. Known for his expressive voice, MSV delivered several moral and philosophical songs in Tamil cinema that focused on social issues like prohibition and self-reform.

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