Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iruppathai Yen Maranthu

From Dharma Seelan · 1993

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
Mano
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Dharma Seelan1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Iruppathai yen maraithuWhy did you hide what was present,
Veithaai aandavaaOh God?
Male
Iruppathai yen maraithuWhy did you hide what was present,
Veithaai aandavaaOh God?
Maraithathai yenWhy did you reveal
Theriya veithaai aandavaaWhat was hidden, Oh God?
Male
Enna undhan kanakkuWhat is your calculation?
Innum sondham enna enakkuWhat relation do I still have left?
Manam pol nadathu nadathuConduct things as per your will.
Male
Iruppathai yen maraithuWhy did you hide what was present,
Veithaai aandavaaOh God?
Maraithathai yenWhy did you reveal
Theriya veithaai aandavaaWhat was hidden, Oh God?
Male
Annai oru dheivam endruSaying that a mother is a deity,
Ooru sollum thaaiyaeThe town speaks, Oh mother;
Unmai illai sonnadhendruThat what they said was untrue,
Aakalaamoo neeyaeCould you make it so yourself?
Male
Vennilaavai kaati veithuShowing the white moon,
Sooru thanthathundaaDid you ever feed me rice?
Tholil oru thooli ittuPutting up a hammock on your shoulder,
Paattu sonnathundaaDid you ever sing a lullaby?
Male
Aiirandu maathathoduWith ten months of pregnancy,
Undhan baaram pochuYour burden was gone.
Endhan aavi kooda endrumEven my very soul forever
Jenma baaram aachuHas become a burden for a lifetime.
Male
Indha sogamum..This sorrow..
Thunba raagamum..And this tune of suffering..
Aatridavum thaetridavumTo heal and to comfort,
Yaaro yaaro en kangalil neeroWho is there? Who is there? Are these tears in my eyes?
Male
Iruppathai yen maraithuWhy did you hide what was present,
Veithaai aandavaaOh God?
Maraithathai yenWhy did you reveal
Theriya veithaai aandavaaWhat was hidden, Oh God?
Male
Enna undhan kanakkuWhat is your calculation?
Innum sondham enna enakkuWhat relation do I still have left?
Manam pol nadathu nadathuConduct things as per your will.
Male
Iruppathai yen maraithuWhy did you hide what was present,
Veithaai aandavaa…aa…Oh God?
Maraithathai yenWhy did you reveal
Theriya veithaai aandavaa..aaa…What was hidden, Oh God?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

In this emotional song from the movie Dharma Seelan, the protagonist pours out his grief to God (Aandavan), questioning the cruel games of fate. He laments why crucial truths about his life were hidden from him for so long, only to be revealed later to cause him profound pain. He questions the divine calculation behind his suffering and feels completely abandoned without any meaningful relationships left to hold onto. He directly addresses a mother figure who failed to fulfill her maternal role, pointing out that while society idealizes mothers as divine beings, she turned that belief into a lie. She never showed him the moon to feed him or sang him lullabies. While her physical burden ended after ten months of pregnancy, his emotional burden has become a lifelong weight. Resigned to his destiny, he leaves his life in God's hands.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Muran (Anthesis / Contrast)

Iruppathai yen maraithu... Maraithathai yen theriya veithaai

Contrasting 'hiding what exists' with 'revealing what was hidden' creates a powerful paradoxical argument against divine destiny.

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)

Vennilaavai kaati veithu Sooru thanthathundaa

Using questions that do not seek an answer, but rather convey pain, betrayal, and helplessness.

Ethirai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Undhan baaram pochu / Endhan aavi kooda endrum Jenma baaram aachu

Rhyming of the second syllable in consecutive lines (baaram / baaram, undhan / endhan) enhancing the lyrical cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

Dharma Seelan (1993) stars Prabhu and Khushbu. Although listed as unknown in the prompt context, the film's soundtrack was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by veteran poet Pulamaipithan, known for his deep philosophical and emotionally charged Tamil poetry.

Keep listening

More from Dharma Seelan

Song1993
Aiya

Dharma Seelan