Illatha Pillaikku
From Appa Tata · 1972
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Music director
- V. Kumar
- Details
- Appa Tata1972
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Piththaagi thottil ondrai | Out of sheer longing, a cradle |
| Vilai koduththu vaangi vanthaen | I bought by paying a price |
| Vaiththaatta pillai illai | There is no child to put inside and rock it |
| Villaikku virkka yaarumillai | And no one to buy it back from me |
| Female | |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
| Eththanaiyo peyar irunthum | Though there are so many names |
| Entha peyar naan sootta | Which name shall I bestow? |
| Female | |
| Illaathathondrum illai | There is nothing lacking in my life |
| Irunthum oru pillai illai | Yet, there is no child |
| Pollaatha deivangal | Cruel gods |
| En pulampalaiyum ketkkavillai | Did not even listen to my lamentations |
| Female | |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
| Female | |
| Karikaraikkum thengaaiyai | To hold out hands for the coconut offered during prayer |
| Kaiyentha pillaiyillai | There is no child |
| Nirai kudaththu thanneerai | To spill water from a filled pot |
| Eeandralaiya pillaiyillai | There is no child wandering around |
| Female | |
| Mazhai peithor vaasalilae | In the doorway after rain |
| Mann alaiya pillaiyillai | There is no child playing in the mud |
| Maakkolam thanai azhikka | To erase the rice-flour rangoli pattern |
| Magan ondru enakkillai | I have no son |
| Female | |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
| Female | |
| Vaazhai maram kulau thalli | A plantain tree yields a bunch of fruit |
| Vaazhntha payan thaan adaiyum…aa… | And achieves the true purpose of its life |
| Kozhiyinam petra payan | The reward of a hen's life |
| Kunjugalaaithaan theriyum….aa…. | Is seen in its chirping chicks |
| Female | |
| Paazhum maladi endra pattam pettrathandri | Apart from earning the cursed title of a barren woman |
| Yaezhai naan enna pettraen | What else did poor me gain? |
| Irul niraintha vaazhkkai ini | Life hereafter is full of darkness |
| Female | |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
| Eththanaiyo peyar irunthum | Though there are so many names |
| Entha peyar naan sootta | Which name shall I bestow? |
| Female | |
| Illaatha pillaikku | For a child that does not exist |
| Naan enna solli thaalaatta | What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep? |
பித்தாகி தொட்டில் ஒன்றை
விலை கொடுத்து வாங்கி வந்தேன்
வைத்தாட்ட பிள்ளை இல்லை
விலைக்கு விற்க யாருமில்லை........
Out of sheer longing, a cradle
I bought by paying a price
There is no child to put inside and rock it
And no one to buy it back from me
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
எத்தனையோ பெயர் இருந்தும்
எந்த பெயர் நான் சூட்ட
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Though there are so many names
Which name shall I bestow?
இல்லாததொன்றுமில்லை
இருந்தும் ஒரு பிள்ளை இல்லை
பொல்லாத தெய்வங்கள்
என் புலம்பலையும் கேட்கவில்லை.....
There is nothing lacking in my life
Yet, there is no child
Cruel gods
Did not even listen to my lamentations
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
கறிகரைக்கும் தேங்காயை
கையேந்த பிள்ளையில்லை
நிறைக் குடத்து தண்ணீரை
ஈன்றலைய பிள்ளையில்லை
To hold out hands for the coconut offered during prayer
There is no child
To spill water from a filled pot
There is no child wandering around
மழை பெய்தோர் வாசலிலே
மண் அலைய பிள்ளையில்லை
மாக்கோலம் தனை அழிக்க
மகன் ஒன்று எனக்கில்லை........
In the doorway after rain
There is no child playing in the mud
To erase the rice-flour rangoli pattern
I have no son
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
எத்தனையோ பெயர் இருந்தும்
எந்த பெயர் நான் சூட்ட
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
A plantain tree yields a bunch of fruit
And achieves the true purpose of its life
The reward of a hen's life
Is seen in its chirping chicks
வாழை மரம் குலைத் தள்ளி
வாழ்ந்த பயன் தான் அடையும்.....ஆ....
கோழியினம் பெற்ற பயன்
குஞ்சுகளாய்தான் திரியும்.....ஆ.....
Apart from earning the cursed title of a barren woman
What else did poor me gain?
Life hereafter is full of darkness
பாழும் மலடி என்ற பட்டம் பெற்றதன்றி
ஏழை நான் என்ன பெற்றேன்
இருள் நிறைந்த வாழ்க்கை இனி
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Though there are so many names
Which name shall I bestow?
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
எத்தனையோ பெயர் இருந்தும்
எந்த பெயர் நான் சூட்ட
For a child that does not exist
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
இல்லாத பிள்ளைக்கு
நான் என்ன சொல்லி தாலாட்ட
Piththaagi thottil ondrai
Out of sheer longing, a cradle
Vilai koduththu vaangi vanthaen
I bought by paying a price
Vaiththaatta pillai illai
There is no child to put inside and rock it
Villaikku virkka yaarumillai
And no one to buy it back from me
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Eththanaiyo peyar irunthum
Though there are so many names
Entha peyar naan sootta
Which name shall I bestow?
Illaathathondrum illai
There is nothing lacking in my life
Irunthum oru pillai illai
Yet, there is no child
Pollaatha deivangal
Cruel gods
En pulampalaiyum ketkkavillai
Did not even listen to my lamentations
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Karikaraikkum thengaaiyai
To hold out hands for the coconut offered during prayer
Kaiyentha pillaiyillai
There is no child
Nirai kudaththu thanneerai
To spill water from a filled pot
Eeandralaiya pillaiyillai
There is no child wandering around
Mazhai peithor vaasalilae
In the doorway after rain
Mann alaiya pillaiyillai
There is no child playing in the mud
Maakkolam thanai azhikka
To erase the rice-flour rangoli pattern
Magan ondru enakkillai
I have no son
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Vaazhai maram kulau thalli
A plantain tree yields a bunch of fruit
Vaazhntha payan thaan adaiyum…aa…
And achieves the true purpose of its life
Kozhiyinam petra payan
The reward of a hen's life
Kunjugalaaithaan theriyum….aa….
Is seen in its chirping chicks
Paazhum maladi endra pattam pettrathandri
Apart from earning the cursed title of a barren woman
Yaezhai naan enna pettraen
What else did poor me gain?
Irul niraintha vaazhkkai ini
Life hereafter is full of darkness
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Eththanaiyo peyar irunthum
Though there are so many names
Entha peyar naan sootta
Which name shall I bestow?
Illaatha pillaikku
For a child that does not exist
Naan enna solli thaalaatta
What lullaby words shall I sing to rock them to sleep?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Illaatha Pillaikku is a heart-wrenching lament of a woman expressing the profound grief and social stigma associated with childlessness. Driven by extreme maternal longing, she purchases a baby cradle only to realize there is no child to place inside it, nor anyone willing to buy it back. She mourns missing out on everyday childhood joys, such as a child messing up rice-flour rangoli designs, playing in rainwater mud, or begging for coconut offerings. Kannadasan contrasts her plight with nature: a banana tree achieves its life's purpose by bearing fruit, and a hen by hatching chicks, whereas she has gained nothing except the painful label of 'maladi' (barren woman). Set to poignant music by V. Kumar and sung with intense emotional weight by Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi, the song captures raw vulnerability, societal pain, and existential despair.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Nature Analogy / Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Vaazhai maram kulau thalli... Kozhiyinam petra payan Kunjugalaaithaan theriyum”
Compares the natural biological fulfillment of a banana tree producing fruit and a hen producing chicks to human motherhood.
Initial Letter Rhyme (Monai)
“Pollaatha deivangal En pulampalaiyum ketkkavillai”
Matching starting letters across adjacent words or poetic feet, such as 'Pollaatha' and 'Pulampalaiyum'.
Second Letter Rhyme (Edhugai)
“Vaazhai maram kulau thalli ... Kozhiyinam petra payan”
Rhyming second letters in adjacent couplets, such as 'Vaazhai' (zh) and 'Kozhi' (zh).
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)
“Naan enna solli thaalaatta / Yaezhai naan enna pettraen”
Asking questions that emphasize painful impossibility rather than seeking answers.
Did you know?
Trivia
Featured in the 1972 Tamil film Appa Tata, this song stands out as one of Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi's most evocative solo playback performances. Lyricist Kannadasan wrote these lines reflecting traditional Indian societal expectations surrounding motherhood, creating a tragic classic on emotional longing and infertility.
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