En Mudhal Naayagan
From DON · 2022
- Lyricist
- Vivek
- Singer
- Ananthakrrishnan
- Music director
- Anirudh Ravichander
- Details
- DON2022
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| En mudhal naayagan nee | You are my first hero |
| Endhan kaavalan nee | You are my protector |
| En uyir aarambam nee | You are the beginning of my life |
| Nenjin aasaium nee | You are the desire of my heart |
| Male | |
| Thottilaai ennai thookki | Lifting me up like a cradle |
| Aadum tholgal vendumae | I yearn for those swaying shoulders again |
| Muththamaai ennai kuththum | Pricking me affectionately with kisses |
| Meesai vendum meendumae | I want that mustache back once more |
| Kanavena nambi ezhuvenae | Believing it was a dream, I will wake up |
| Nee kanmun thondra vendumae | You must appear right before my eyes |
| Kadavulai pola engeyum | Omnipresent everywhere like God |
| Enai vittu pona vaanamae | Oh sky that left me behind |
| Uyirena unnai kaanamal | Without seeing you as my life force |
| En ulagam nindru pogumae | My entire world will come to a standstill |
| Oru murai ennai kai thookki | Just lift me up with your hands once |
| Pin ponaal kooda podhumae | Even if you depart after that, it is enough |
| Male | |
| En mudhal naayagan nee | You are my first hero |
| Endhan kaavalan nee | You are my protector |
| En uyir aarambam nee | You are the beginning of my life |
| Nenjin aasaium nee | You are the desire of my heart |
| Male | |
| Vervaiyil pulli vaithu | By placing dots with your sweat |
| Ennai kolam aakkinaai | You drew me into a complete kolam pattern |
| Mel vizhum baaram ellaam | All the heavy burdens falling upon us |
| Neeye nindru thaanginaai | You stood up and endured them all yourself |
| Nadai vandiyaagum viral engae | Where is that finger that served as my walking wagon? |
| En vazhi thunaiyaaga vendumae | It must accompany me as my guide along the path |
| Aravanaippaagum kural engae | Where is that comforting, embrace-like voice? |
| Adhai meendum ketka thondrumae | I long to hear it once again |
| Pagai ena unnai paarthenae | I viewed you as my enemy |
| Un paasam paarkkavillaiyae | I failed to see the warmth of your love |
| Sidhaiyinil veezhum parai naanum | I am a stone falling into the funeral pyre |
| Un nizhalil vaazhum pillaiyae | Yet I remain the child living under your shadow |
என் முதல் நாயகன் நீ
எந்தன் காவலன் நீ
என் உயிர் ஆரம்பம் நீ
நெஞ்சின் ஆசையும் நீ
You are my first hero
You are my protector
You are the beginning of my life
You are the desire of my heart
தொட்டிலாய் என்னை தூக்கி ஆடும்
தோள்கள் வேண்டுமே
முத்தமாய் என்னை குத்தும் மீசை
வேண்டும் மீண்டுமே
கனவென நம்பி எழுவேனே
நீ கண்முன் தோன்ற வேண்டுமே
கடவுளை போல எங்கேயும்
எனை விட்டு போன வானமே
உயிரென உன்னை காணாமல்
என் உலகம் நின்று போகுமே
ஒரு முறை என்னை கை தூக்கி
பின் போனால் கூட போதுமே
Lifting me up like a cradle
I yearn for those swaying shoulders again
Pricking me affectionately with kisses
I want that mustache back once more
Believing it was a dream, I will wake up
You must appear right before my eyes
Omnipresent everywhere like God
Oh sky that left me behind
Without seeing you as my life force
My entire world will come to a standstill
Just lift me up with your hands once
Even if you depart after that, it is enough
என் முதல் நாயகன் நீ
வாழ்வின் காவலன் நீ
என் முதல் காதலும் நீ
எந்தன் தேடலும் நீ
You are my first hero
You are my protector
You are the beginning of my life
You are the desire of my heart
வேர்வையில் புள்ளி வைத்து
என்னை கோலம் ஆக்கினாய்
மேல் விழும் பாரம் எல்லாம்
நீயே நின்று தாங்கினாய்
நடை வண்டியாகும் விரல் எங்கே
என் வழி துணையாக வேண்டுமே
அரவணைப்பாகும் குரல் எங்கே
அதை மீண்டும் கேட்க தோன்றுமே
பகை என உன்னை பார்த்தேனே
உன் பாசம் பார்க்கவில்லையே
சிதையினில் வீழும் பறை நானும்
உன் நிழலில் வாழும் பிள்ளையே
By placing dots with your sweat
You drew me into a complete kolam pattern
All the heavy burdens falling upon us
You stood up and endured them all yourself
Where is that finger that served as my walking wagon?
It must accompany me as my guide along the path
Where is that comforting, embrace-like voice?
I long to hear it once again
I viewed you as my enemy
I failed to see the warmth of your love
I am a stone falling into the funeral pyre
Yet I remain the child living under your shadow
En mudhal naayagan nee
You are my first hero
Endhan kaavalan nee
You are my protector
En uyir aarambam nee
You are the beginning of my life
Nenjin aasaium nee
You are the desire of my heart
Thottilaai ennai thookki
Lifting me up like a cradle
Aadum tholgal vendumae
I yearn for those swaying shoulders again
Muththamaai ennai kuththum
Pricking me affectionately with kisses
Meesai vendum meendumae
I want that mustache back once more
Kanavena nambi ezhuvenae
Believing it was a dream, I will wake up
Nee kanmun thondra vendumae
You must appear right before my eyes
Kadavulai pola engeyum
Omnipresent everywhere like God
Enai vittu pona vaanamae
Oh sky that left me behind
Uyirena unnai kaanamal
Without seeing you as my life force
En ulagam nindru pogumae
My entire world will come to a standstill
Oru murai ennai kai thookki
Just lift me up with your hands once
Pin ponaal kooda podhumae
Even if you depart after that, it is enough
En mudhal naayagan nee
You are my first hero
Endhan kaavalan nee
You are my protector
En uyir aarambam nee
You are the beginning of my life
Nenjin aasaium nee
You are the desire of my heart
Vervaiyil pulli vaithu
By placing dots with your sweat
Ennai kolam aakkinaai
You drew me into a complete kolam pattern
Mel vizhum baaram ellaam
All the heavy burdens falling upon us
Neeye nindru thaanginaai
You stood up and endured them all yourself
Nadai vandiyaagum viral engae
Where is that finger that served as my walking wagon?
En vazhi thunaiyaaga vendumae
It must accompany me as my guide along the path
Aravanaippaagum kural engae
Where is that comforting, embrace-like voice?
Adhai meendum ketka thondrumae
I long to hear it once again
Pagai ena unnai paarthenae
I viewed you as my enemy
Un paasam paarkkavillaiyae
I failed to see the warmth of your love
Sidhaiyinil veezhum parai naanum
I am a stone falling into the funeral pyre
Un nizhalil vaazhum pillaiyae
Yet I remain the child living under your shadow
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song from the movie 'Don' (2022) expresses a son's overwhelming grief, gratitude, and realization of his father's silent sacrifices. Throughout his upbringing, the protagonist mistook his father's strict demeanor and toughness for hostility, only to realize later that every hardship was borne quietly by his father to build a secure future for him. The lyrics reminisce fondly about childhood moments—holding a father's finger to learn to walk, feeling the prickle of his mustache during a kiss, and riding on his shoulders. The protagonist pleads for just one more moment to be held by his father and expresses deep remorse for failing to recognize the immense love hidden behind his father's stern exterior.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamaai)
“Vervaiyil pulli vaithu / Ennai kolam aakkinaai”
The lyricist compares drops of the father's sweat to dots (pulli) drawn on the floor, which form a beautiful Kolam pattern representing the child's crafted life.
Tactile & Visual Imagery
“Muththamaai ennai kuththum meesai vendum meendumae”
Evokes a nostalgic physical memory of childhood where a father's mustache pricks the child's cheek during an affectionate kiss, and a finger acts as a walker wagon ('Nadai vandi').
Anaphora (Monnai / End Repetition)
“En mudhal naayagan nee / Endhan kaavalan nee / En uyir aarambam nee”
The rhythmic repetition of 'nee' at the end of successive lines creates an emphatic focus on the father as the singular entity of significance.
Apostrophe / Personification
“Enai vittu pona vaanamae”
Directly addressing the absent father as the expansive sky ('vaanamae') that protected him from above but has now disappeared.
Did you know?
Trivia
In the film 'Don', starring Sivakarthikeyan and Samuthirakani, this song serves as the central emotional climax. Lyricist Vivek penned the lyrics to reflect the universal dynamic of Indian fathers who rarely express their love verbally, while Anirudh Ravichander kept the music minimal and acoustic to prioritize the emotional weight of the vocals and words.
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