Endha Paavi Kannu
From Thirunelveli · 2000
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Entha paavi kannu pattu aalamaram vaaduthu | Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither? |
| Entha ooru kaaththu patu kudumbam rendu aanathu | Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two? |
| Soththukkala paagam pottu pangu vechchaa podhumaa | Is it enough to divide the properties and share the assets? |
| Peththavalin paasaththiyae pangu vekka mudiyumaa | Can anyone ever divide the deep love of the mother who gave birth? |
| Female | |
| Entha paavi kannu pattu aalamaram vaaduthu | Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither? |
| Entha ooru kaaththu patu kudumbam rendu aanathu | Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two? |
| Female | |
| Malliga poo sethariruchchu maalaiyaaga maarumaa | The jasmine flowers have scattered; can they ever become a garland again? |
| Manasu unma maranthuthunnaa manusa jenmam thaerumaa | If the heart forgets the truth, will human life ever be redeemed? |
| Maththellaam paththikkittaa thanneeraala anaikkanum | If anything else catches fire, it must be extinguished with water. |
| Saththiyamae paththikkittaa kanneeraala anaikkanum | If truth itself catches fire, it can only be extinguished with tears. |
| Female | |
| Peththa pothu paal kodukka ooraara kettaalaa | Did she ask the townspeople for permission before nursing her newborn child? |
| Piriyum pothu koduththathellaam thiruppi ava ketpaalaa | When parting ways, will she ever ask back for everything she gave? |
| Peththavala maranthavano poranthathuthaan paavam | For the one who forgets his mother, his very birth is a sin. |
| Paavaththaiyum pillaiyinnu somaththavathaan deivam | The one who bore even that sin thinking of him as her child is truly a deity. |
எந்தப் பாவி கண்ணு பட்டு ஆலமரம் வாடுது
எந்த ஊரு காத்து பட்டு குடும்பம் ரெண்டு ஆனது
சொத்துகள பாகம் போட்டு பங்கு வெச்சா போதுமா
பெத்தவளின் பாசத்தியே பங்கு வெக்க முடியுமா.....
Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither?
Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two?
Is it enough to divide the properties and share the assets?
Can anyone ever divide the deep love of the mother who gave birth?
எந்தப் பாவி கண்ணு பட்டு ஆலமரம் வாடுது
எந்த ஊரு காத்து பட்டு குடும்பம் ரெண்டு ஆனது
Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither?
Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two?
மல்லிகப் பூ செதறிருச்சு மாலையாக மாறுமா
மனசு உண்ம மறந்ததுன்னா மனுச ஜென்மம் தேறுமா
மத்ததெல்லாம் பத்திக்கிட்டா தண்ணீரால அணைக்கணும்
சத்தியமே பத்திக்கிட்டா கண்ணீரால அணைக்கணும்
The jasmine flowers have scattered; can they ever become a garland again?
If the heart forgets the truth, will human life ever be redeemed?
If anything else catches fire, it must be extinguished with water.
If truth itself catches fire, it can only be extinguished with tears.
பெத்த போது பால் கொடுக்க ஊரார கேட்டாளா
பிரியும் போது கொடுத்ததெல்லாம் திருப்பி அவ கேட்பாளா
பெத்தவள மறந்தவனோ பொறந்தது தான் பாவம்
பாவத்தையும் பிள்ளையின்னு சொமந்தவ தான் தெய்வம்
Did she ask the townspeople for permission before nursing her newborn child?
When parting ways, will she ever ask back for everything she gave?
For the one who forgets his mother, his very birth is a sin.
The one who bore even that sin thinking of him as her child is truly a deity.
Entha paavi kannu pattu aalamaram vaaduthu
Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither?
Entha ooru kaaththu patu kudumbam rendu aanathu
Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two?
Soththukkala paagam pottu pangu vechchaa podhumaa
Is it enough to divide the properties and share the assets?
Peththavalin paasaththiyae pangu vekka mudiyumaa
Can anyone ever divide the deep love of the mother who gave birth?
Entha paavi kannu pattu aalamaram vaaduthu
Which sinner's evil eye fell upon it, causing the banyan tree to wither?
Entha ooru kaaththu patu kudumbam rendu aanathu
Which town's wind blew upon it, splitting the family into two?
Malliga poo sethariruchchu maalaiyaaga maarumaa
The jasmine flowers have scattered; can they ever become a garland again?
Manasu unma maranthuthunnaa manusa jenmam thaerumaa
If the heart forgets the truth, will human life ever be redeemed?
Maththellaam paththikkittaa thanneeraala anaikkanum
If anything else catches fire, it must be extinguished with water.
Saththiyamae paththikkittaa kanneeraala anaikkanum
If truth itself catches fire, it can only be extinguished with tears.
Peththa pothu paal kodukka ooraara kettaalaa
Did she ask the townspeople for permission before nursing her newborn child?
Piriyum pothu koduththathellaam thiruppi ava ketpaalaa
When parting ways, will she ever ask back for everything she gave?
Peththavala maranthavano poranthathuthaan paavam
For the one who forgets his mother, his very birth is a sin.
Paavaththaiyum pillaiyinnu somaththavathaan deivam
The one who bore even that sin thinking of him as her child is truly a deity.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song is a poignant lamentation on the breakdown of family unity and the incomparable, sacred nature of a mother's affection. Using the metaphor of a grand banyan tree withered by bad omens, the lyrics express deep anguish over how a once-united household has fractured into two over property and squabbles. It highlights that while material wealth can be divided, maternal love remains undivided and priceless. The song further delves into themes of truth, karma, and maternal divinity. It questions whether fractured relationships can ever be restored, comparing scattered jasmine flowers that cannot be re-strung into a garland. Ultimately, it elevates the mother to the status of a divine being who selflessly forgives even an ungrateful child, showing that while forgetting one's mother is a terrible sin, a mother's heart generously endures even that pain out of unconditional love.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Entha paavi kannu pattu aalamaram vaaduthu”
The family is metaphorically represented as a grand 'aalamaram' (banyan tree) that provides shade and shelter, now tragically withering due to misfortune.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Soththukkala paagam pottu pangu vechchaa podhumaa / Peththavalin paasaththiyae pangu vekka mudiyumaa”
The second consonant 'th' ('த்') rhymes across both lines ('Soththukkala' and 'Peththavalin').
Rhetorical Question
“Malliga poo sethariruchchu maalaiyaaga maarumaa”
Asking if scattered jasmine flowers can become a garland again is a rhetorical device emphasizing that ruined relationships cannot easily be restored.
Contrast / Antithesis (Muran)
“Maththellaam paththikkittaa thanneeraala anaikkanum / Saththiyamae paththikkittaa kanneeraala anaikkanum”
Contrasts extinguishing physical fire using water with extinguishing the agony of burning truth using tears.
Did you know?
Trivia
This emotional track is from the 2000 Tamil village-drama film 'Thirunelveli', starring Prabhu, Karan, and Roja. Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Su. Ashok, the song plays at a critical turning point in the movie's narrative where family bonds break down, highlighting the timeless theme of motherly love prevalent in rural Tamil cinema.
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