En Annai Seidha Paavam
From Sumai Thangi · 1962
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Sumai Thangi1962
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Aaaaa….aaa….aaa….aaa | [Vocalizing] |
| Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaa….. | [Vocalizing] |
| Female | |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed, |
| Naan mannil vandhadhu | resulted in my birth on this earth. |
| En azhagu seidha paavam | The sin committed by my beauty, |
| Nee ennai kandathu | was that you laid eyes on me. |
| Female | |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed, |
| Naan mannil vandhadhu | resulted in my birth on this earth. |
| En azhagu seidha paavam | The sin committed by my beauty, |
| Nee ennai kandathu | was that you laid eyes on me. |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed... |
| Female | |
| Namm kangal seidha paavam | The sin committed by our eyes, |
| Naam kaadhal kondathu | was that we fell in love with each other. |
| Ithil kadavul seitha | And the remedy that God ordained for this, |
| Parigaaram pirivu enbathu | is separation. |
| Pirivu enbathu | It is separation. |
| Female | |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed, |
| Naan mannil vandhadhu | resulted in my birth on this earth. |
| En azhagu seidha paavam | The sin committed by my beauty, |
| Nee ennai kandathu | was that you laid eyes on me. |
| Female | |
| Iravenavum pagalenavum | Dividing time into night and day, |
| Irandu veiththaanae | He made two distinct entities; |
| Andha iraivan avan manadhai mattum | Yet that Almighty God gave human mind |
| Ondru veiththaanae | only a single direction. |
| Female | |
| Oru manadhil oru vilakai | Inside that single heart, |
| Yetri vaiththaanae | He lit a lamp of hope, |
| Adhil ozhi irukka vazhiyai mattum | but the pathway for that light to shine forth, |
| Moodi vitaanae moodi vitaanae | He closed it forever, He closed it! |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed... |
| Female | |
| Uravinaraam paravaigalai | The birds called relatives, |
| Nee valarthaayae | you nurtured and raised. |
| Adhil oru paravai naanum endrae | Thinking that I too was one of those birds, |
| Ninaithirunthenae | I spent my life in hope. |
| Female | |
| Siriya koondu enakku mattum | Yet the small cage, for me alone, |
| Thirakka villayae | was never unlocked. |
| Adhu thirantha podhu en siragu | And when it finally opened, my wings |
| Parakkavillayae | were no longer able to fly! |
| Female | |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed, |
| Naan mannil vandhadhu | resulted in my birth on this earth. |
| En azhagu seidha paavam | The sin committed by my beauty, |
| Nee ennai kandathu | was that you laid eyes on me. |
| En annai seidha paavam | The sin my mother committed... |
ஆஆ.....ஆஅ.....ஆஅ......
ஆஆஆ.....ஆஆ.....ஆஅ.......
[Vocalizing]
[Vocalizing]
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
நான் மண்ணில் வந்தது
என் அழகு செய்த பாவம்
நீ என்னை கண்டது
The sin my mother committed,
resulted in my birth on this earth.
The sin committed by my beauty,
was that you laid eyes on me.
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
நான் மண்ணில் வந்தது
என் அழகு செய்த பாவம்
நீ என்னை கண்டது
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
The sin my mother committed,
resulted in my birth on this earth.
The sin committed by my beauty,
was that you laid eyes on me.
The sin my mother committed...
நம் கண்கள் செய்த பாவம்
நாம் காதல் கொண்டது
இதில் கடவுள் செய்த பரிகாரம்
பிரிவு என்பது பிரிவு என்பது
The sin committed by our eyes,
was that we fell in love with each other.
And the remedy that God ordained for this,
is separation.
It is separation.
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
நான் மண்ணில் வந்தது
என் அழகு செய்த பாவம்
நீ என்னை கண்டது
The sin my mother committed,
resulted in my birth on this earth.
The sin committed by my beauty,
was that you laid eyes on me.
இரவெனவும் பகலெனவும்
இரண்டு வைத்தானே
அந்த இறைவன் அவன் மனதை மட்டும்
ஒன்று வைத்தானே
Dividing time into night and day,
He made two distinct entities;
Yet that Almighty God gave human mind
only a single direction.
ஒரு மனதில் ஒரு விளக்கை
ஏற்றி வைத்தானே
அதில் ஒளியிருக்க வழியை மட்டும்
மூடிவிட்டானே
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
Inside that single heart,
He lit a lamp of hope,
but the pathway for that light to shine forth,
He closed it forever, He closed it!
The sin my mother committed...
உறவினராம் பறவைகளை
நீ வளர்த்தாயே
அதில் ஒரு பறவை நானும் என்றே
நினைத்திருந்தேனே
The birds called relatives,
you nurtured and raised.
Thinking that I too was one of those birds,
I spent my life in hope.
சிறிய கூண்டு எனக்கு மட்டும்
திறக்கவில்லையே
அது திறந்த போது என் சிறகு
பறக்கவில்லையே
Yet the small cage, for me alone,
was never unlocked.
And when it finally opened, my wings
were no longer able to fly!
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
நான் மண்ணில் வந்தது
என் அழகு செய்த பாவம்
நீ என்னை கண்டது
என் அன்னை செய்த பாவம்
The sin my mother committed,
resulted in my birth on this earth.
The sin committed by my beauty,
was that you laid eyes on me.
The sin my mother committed...
Aaaaa….aaa….aaa….aaa
[Vocalizing]
Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaa…..
[Vocalizing]
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed,
Naan mannil vandhadhu
resulted in my birth on this earth.
En azhagu seidha paavam
The sin committed by my beauty,
Nee ennai kandathu
was that you laid eyes on me.
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed,
Naan mannil vandhadhu
resulted in my birth on this earth.
En azhagu seidha paavam
The sin committed by my beauty,
Nee ennai kandathu
was that you laid eyes on me.
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed...
Namm kangal seidha paavam
The sin committed by our eyes,
Naam kaadhal kondathu
was that we fell in love with each other.
Ithil kadavul seitha
And the remedy that God ordained for this,
Parigaaram pirivu enbathu
is separation.
Pirivu enbathu
It is separation.
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed,
Naan mannil vandhadhu
resulted in my birth on this earth.
En azhagu seidha paavam
The sin committed by my beauty,
Nee ennai kandathu
was that you laid eyes on me.
Iravenavum pagalenavum
Dividing time into night and day,
Irandu veiththaanae
He made two distinct entities;
Andha iraivan avan manadhai mattum
Yet that Almighty God gave human mind
Ondru veiththaanae
only a single direction.
Oru manadhil oru vilakai
Inside that single heart,
Yetri vaiththaanae
He lit a lamp of hope,
Adhil ozhi irukka vazhiyai mattum
but the pathway for that light to shine forth,
Moodi vitaanae moodi vitaanae
He closed it forever, He closed it!
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed...
Uravinaraam paravaigalai
The birds called relatives,
Nee valarthaayae
you nurtured and raised.
Adhil oru paravai naanum endrae
Thinking that I too was one of those birds,
Ninaithirunthenae
I spent my life in hope.
Siriya koondu enakku mattum
Yet the small cage, for me alone,
Thirakka villayae
was never unlocked.
Adhu thirantha podhu en siragu
And when it finally opened, my wings
Parakkavillayae
were no longer able to fly!
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed,
Naan mannil vandhadhu
resulted in my birth on this earth.
En azhagu seidha paavam
The sin committed by my beauty,
Nee ennai kandathu
was that you laid eyes on me.
En annai seidha paavam
The sin my mother committed...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song expresses profound grief and tragic resignation regarding unfulfilled love and existential sorrow. The protagonist laments her existence, tracing her sorrow back to her birth, her beauty, and the fateful moment her lover saw her. She feels that love was a trap engineered by destiny, where God lit a lamp of hope inside her heart only to seal off its radiance. In the final stanza, she uses the metaphor of birds in a cage: while others were nurtured and freed, her cage opened too late—when her wings were already broken and unable to fly.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition (Iratturudhal)
“En annai seidha paavam”
The refrain 'En annai seidha paavam' recurs throughout the song, emphasizing destiny and tragic causation as the central motif.
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Uravinaraam paravaigalai”
Relatives are poetically compared to birds ('Uravinaraam paravaigalai') raised together, and hope is compared to a lamp lit inside a heart ('Oru manadhil oru vilakai').
Irony / Antithesis
“Iravenavum pagalenavum / Irandu veiththaanae”
Contrast between God creating options like night and day, yet restricting the heart to one immovable feeling.
Edhugai (Second-letter rhyme)
“Iravenavum pagalenavum / Irandu veiththaanae”
Rhyming of the second consonant sound 'ra' across adjacent lines ('Iravenavum' and 'Irandu').
Did you know?
Trivia
Sumai Thangi (1962) was directed by C. V. Sridhar and features legendary music composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, with lyricist Kannadasan weaving deep philosophical melancholy into the narrative. This song, sung by S. Janaki, is widely considered one of the most emotionally heartbreaking compositions in classic Tamil cinema.
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