Elay Sevathavane
From Rail · 2024
- Lyricist
- Ramesh Vaidya
- Singer
- S. J. Jananiy
- Music director
- S. J. Jananiy
- Details
- Rail2024
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Ele sevaththavane | Hey fair-complexioned one, |
| Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo | Where have you ended up lying? |
| Paale vaththalaye | The mother's milk hasn't even dried up, |
| Pachchamanna thinguriyo | Are you eating raw mud? |
| Female | |
| Paathi vazhi pogaiyile | While going halfway on your journey, |
| Padalu vandhu marachirucho | Did a screen come and obscure your path? |
| Oodhi vacha moochu kaaththu | Did the breath that was blown into you, |
| Odala vittu poyirucho | Leave your body and go away? |
| Female | |
| Bethiyila pona vidhi | Did fate, which lost its sanity, |
| Pedani kidda sirichirucho | Laugh behind your back? |
| Veedhiyila pona pulla | Did the child who walked along the street, |
| Veraku katta aayirucho | Turn into a log of firewood? |
| Female | |
| Ele sevaththavane | Hey fair-complexioned one, |
| Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo | Where have you ended up lying? |
| Paale vaththalaye | The mother's milk hasn't even dried up, |
| Pachchamanna thinguriyo | Are you eating raw mud? |
| Female | |
| Pesagaana saamiyappo | Did the silent god back then, |
| Peya vittu adichchirukkum | Send a ghost to strike you down? |
| Asaluurla kaaththirukkum | Waiting in your native town, |
| Aaththaalukku thudichchirukkum | Did your mother's heart throb in pain? |
| Female | |
| Pponamaana pokkisame | Oh precious treasure that has become a corpse, |
| Pozhudhu kettu thaai paakkum | The mother looks out as time passes; |
| Kanavoda sedhi vandhu | When news comes through bad dreams, |
| Garba paiyi kalangirukkum | Her womb churns with deep grief. |
| Female | |
| Ele sevaththavane | Hey fair-complexioned one, |
| Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo | Where have you ended up lying? |
| Paale vaththalaye | The mother's milk hasn't even dried up, |
| Pachchamanna thinguriyo | Are you eating raw mud? |
| Female | |
| Kadakkaalu natta kambom | Even the pillar planted for foundation, |
| Karuvazhichu paaththiruche | Has been uprooted and destroyed; |
| Kodakkooli vaangamunna | Before receiving the daily wages, |
| Kottai idi vizhundhuruche | Lightning struck down the fort! |
| Female | |
| Podakkaali kenaththu kuzhi | The pit of the unused well, |
| Pongi muzhugadichchiruchche | Overflowed and drowned everything. |
| Vadakkaa on vayakkaatla | Up north in your field, |
| Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche | Has the rice for the last rites grown? |
| Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche | Has the rice for the last rites grown? |
| Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche | Has the rice for the last rites grown? |
| Female | |
| Ele sevaththavane | Hey fair-complexioned one, |
| Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo | Where have you ended up lying? |
| Paale vaththalaye | The mother's milk hasn't even dried up, |
| Pachchamanna thinguriyo | Are you eating raw mud? |
பாடல் ஆசிரியர் : ரமேஷ்வைத்யா
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Where have you ended up lying?
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Are you eating raw mud?
ஏலே செவத்தவனே எங்க வந்து கெடக்குரியோ
பாலே வேதாளையோ
பச்சமண்ணு திங்குறியோ
While going halfway on your journey,
Did a screen come and obscure your path?
Did the breath that was blown into you,
Leave your body and go away?
பாதி வழி போகையிலே
பாடலு வந்து மறச்சிடுச்சோ
ஊதி வெச்ச மூச்சு காத்து
ஓடல விட்டு போயிடுச்சோவ்வ்வ்
Did fate, which lost its sanity,
Laugh behind your back?
Did the child who walked along the street,
Turn into a log of firewood?
பேதியில போன விதி
பெடணி கிட்ட சிரிச்சிடுச்சோ
வீதியில போன புள்ள
விறகு கட்ட ஆயிருச்சோவ்
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Where have you ended up lying?
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Are you eating raw mud?
ஏலே செவத்தவனே எங்க வந்து கெடக்குரியோ
பாலே வேதாளையோ
பச்சமண்ணு திங்குறியோ
Did the silent god back then,
Send a ghost to strike you down?
Waiting in your native town,
Did your mother's heart throb in pain?
சாமியப்போ பெசக்கான
பேயவிட்டு அடிச்சிருச்சோ
அசலூர்ல காத்துஇருக்கும்
ஆத்தாளுக்கு துடிச்சிருக்கும்
Oh precious treasure that has become a corpse,
The mother looks out as time passes;
When news comes through bad dreams,
Her womb churns with deep grief.
பொனமான பொக்கிஷமே
பொழுது கெட்டு தாய் பார்க்கும்
கனவோடு சேதி வந்து
கர்பப்பை கலங்கி இருக்கும்
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Where have you ended up lying?
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Are you eating raw mud?
ஏலே செவத்தவனே
எங்க வந்து கெடக்குரியோ
பாலே வேதாளையோ
பச்சமண்ணு திங்குறியோ
Even the pillar planted for foundation,
Has been uprooted and destroyed;
Before receiving the daily wages,
Lightning struck down the fort!
கடக்காலு நட்டகம்பும்
கருவழிச்சி பார்துருச்சே
கொடக்கூலி வாங்கணும்ன்னா
கோட்டை இடி விழுந்துடுச்சே
The pit of the unused well,
Overflowed and drowned everything.
Up north in your field,
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
பொடக்காலி கெணத்து குழி
பொங்கி முழுகடிச்சிருச்சே
வடக்கா ஓன் வயக்காட்ல
வாய்க்கரிசி வெளஞ்சிருச்சே
வாய்க்கரிசி வெளஞ்சிருச்சே
வாய்க்கரிசி வெளஞ்சிருச்சே
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Where have you ended up lying?
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Are you eating raw mud?
ஏலே செவத்தவனே
எங்க வந்து கெடக்குரியோ
பாலே வேதாளையோ
பச்சமண்ணு திங்குறியோ
Ele sevaththavane
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo
Where have you ended up lying?
Paale vaththalaye
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Pachchamanna thinguriyo
Are you eating raw mud?
Paathi vazhi pogaiyile
While going halfway on your journey,
Padalu vandhu marachirucho
Did a screen come and obscure your path?
Oodhi vacha moochu kaaththu
Did the breath that was blown into you,
Odala vittu poyirucho
Leave your body and go away?
Bethiyila pona vidhi
Did fate, which lost its sanity,
Pedani kidda sirichirucho
Laugh behind your back?
Veedhiyila pona pulla
Did the child who walked along the street,
Veraku katta aayirucho
Turn into a log of firewood?
Ele sevaththavane
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo
Where have you ended up lying?
Paale vaththalaye
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Pachchamanna thinguriyo
Are you eating raw mud?
Pesagaana saamiyappo
Did the silent god back then,
Peya vittu adichchirukkum
Send a ghost to strike you down?
Asaluurla kaaththirukkum
Waiting in your native town,
Aaththaalukku thudichchirukkum
Did your mother's heart throb in pain?
Pponamaana pokkisame
Oh precious treasure that has become a corpse,
Pozhudhu kettu thaai paakkum
The mother looks out as time passes;
Kanavoda sedhi vandhu
When news comes through bad dreams,
Garba paiyi kalangirukkum
Her womb churns with deep grief.
Ele sevaththavane
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo
Where have you ended up lying?
Paale vaththalaye
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Pachchamanna thinguriyo
Are you eating raw mud?
Kadakkaalu natta kambom
Even the pillar planted for foundation,
Karuvazhichu paaththiruche
Has been uprooted and destroyed;
Kodakkooli vaangamunna
Before receiving the daily wages,
Kottai idi vizhundhuruche
Lightning struck down the fort!
Podakkaali kenaththu kuzhi
The pit of the unused well,
Pongi muzhugadichchiruchche
Overflowed and drowned everything.
Vadakkaa on vayakkaatla
Up north in your field,
Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche
Has the rice for the last rites grown?
Ele sevaththavane
Hey fair-complexioned one,
Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo
Where have you ended up lying?
Paale vaththalaye
The mother's milk hasn't even dried up,
Pachchamanna thinguriyo
Are you eating raw mud?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Ele Sevaththavane is a deeply tragic lamentation (Oppari) from the movie Rail (2024), composed and sung by S. J. Jananiy with lyrics penned by Ramesh Vaidya. The song encapsulates the heart-wrenching anguish of a mother grieving the sudden, untimely death of her young son who migrated far away for work. She expresses her agony by questioning cruel destiny, describing her child as an innocent treasure whose life was cut short before he could even bloom or enjoy his youth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Veraku katta aayirucho”
Compares the lifeless young body of the deceased child directly to an inanimate piece of firewood.
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Paale vaththalaye / Pachchamanna thinguriyo”
Repetition of the initial sound 'Pa' across consecutive words in the line for rhythmic grief.
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)
“Enga vandhu kedakkuriyo”
The mother continuously questions where her son is lying and why breath left his body, emphasizing her helplessness and shock.
Cultural Imagery / Symbolism
“Vadakkaa on vayakkaatla / Vaaikkarisi velanchiruchche”
Uses 'Vaaikkarisi' (rice placed on the lips of the deceased during final funeral rites) as a tragic symbol replacing a life of harvest and prosperity.
Did you know?
Trivia
The movie Rail (2024), directed by Bhaskar Sakthi, delves into the social issues and harsh realities surrounding migrant workers. Composer and singer S. J. Jananiy infused raw, authentic folk-lament arrangements into this song to capture the authentic tone of rural Tamil mourning traditions (Oppari).
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