Kanavanukkaaga
From Thodarum · 1999
- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Thodarum1999
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Kanavanukkaaga | For the sake of her husband, |
| Edhaiyum seivaal pathini | A virtuous wife will do anything; |
| Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal | She will even give her life, |
| Andha uththami | That noble woman. |
| Boomi idhai penn endru | The world praises this Earth, |
| Pottrum ulagam ho | By calling it a woman, ho! |
| Boomiyinum melammaa | Greater than even Mother Earth, |
| Pennin idhayam | Is a woman's heart. |
| Anbai valarppaal thyaaga neruppil | She nurtures love, and in the fire of sacrifice, |
| Thannai erippaal | She burns herself. |
| Male | |
| Kanavanukkaaga | For the sake of her husband, |
| Edhaiyum seivaal pathini | A virtuous wife will do anything; |
| Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal | She will even give her life, |
| Andha uththami | That noble woman. |
| Male | |
| Dheiva veenai idhai ingu veedhiyinil | This divine veena—here on the street, |
| Pottadhu vidhi thaanaa | Is it fate that threw it down? |
| Thaedi vandha thunai veru maalai ida | The soulmate who came searching, putting a garland on someone else— |
| Seidhadhu vidhi thaanaa | Is that also the doing of fate? |
| Male | |
| Enna jenmamadi | What a birth this is, |
| Pennin jenmam idhu | This life of a woman, |
| Solladi sivasakthi | Tell me, O Sivasakthi! |
| Endha naaliladi | On which day, |
| Indha vedhanaigal | Will these agonies, |
| Theervadhu sivasakthi | Come to an end, O Sivasakthi? |
| Male | |
| Thodakkam edhu mudivum edhuvo | What is the beginning and what is the end, |
| Edhuvum ingu theriyaadhu | Nothing is known here. |
| Nadappadhenna kadhaiyaa kanavaa | Is what's happening a story or a dream? |
| Adhuvum ingu puriyaadhu | Even that is not understood here. |
| Maavilai thoranam aadudhu | Mango leaf festoons sway, |
| Angoru vaasalilae | At a doorway over there; |
| Mangaiyin aaruyir aadudhu | A woman's precious life sways, |
| Ingoru oosalilae…ae…… | In a dilemma here... |
| Male | |
| Kanavanukkaaga | For the sake of her husband, |
| Edhaiyum seivaal pathini | A virtuous wife will do anything; |
| Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal | She will even give her life, |
| Andha uththami | That noble woman. |
| Male | |
| Naayana osaiyil angae or | In the sound of Nadaswaram, over there, |
| Vaazhtholi kekkudhammaa | A voice of blessings is heard, mother. |
| Paedhaiyin paadhaiyil ingae or | On this simple girl's path, here, |
| Gaanam nerungudhammaa | A solemn song approaches, mother. |
| Male | |
| Agini saatchiyil or vaazhkkai | With the sacred fire as witness, a life, |
| Aarambam aagudhammaa | Begins, mother. |
| Andhima theeyinil or vaazhkkai | In the final pyre's fire, a life's, |
| Payanam oindhidumaa | Journey comes to rest. |
| Male | |
| Kanavanadhu vaazhvukkaaga | For the life of her husband, |
| Nondhu nondhu noolaanaal | She grieved continuously and grew thin as a thread; |
| Than thalaiyil theeyai thaangum | Bearing fire upon her own head, |
| Mezhuguvarthi pol aanaal | She became like a candle. |
| Vaazhkkaiyin kanakkinil | In the calculation of life, |
| Aandugal maadhangal aagudhammaa | Years become months, mother. |
| Male | |
| Maadhamum thaeindhoru | And months wear away to become, |
| Naal ena nodi ena pogudhammaa | Days and seconds as time passes, mother. |
| Vidhi idhuvaa avan ezhudhum | Is this fate? Is this the calculation, |
| Kanakkidhuvaa… | That He has written...? |
கணவனுக்காக
எதையும் செய்வாள் பத்தினி
உயிரையும் கூட தருவாள்
அந்த உத்தமி
பூமி இதைப் பெண் என்று
போற்றும் உலகம் ஹோ
பூமியினும் மேலம்மா
பெண்ணின் இதயம்
அன்பை வளர்ப்பாள்
தியாக நெருப்பில் தன்னை எரிப்பாள்
For the sake of her husband,
A virtuous wife will do anything;
She will even give her life,
That noble woman.
The world praises this Earth,
By calling it a woman, ho!
Greater than even Mother Earth,
Is a woman's heart.
She nurtures love, and in the fire of sacrifice,
She burns herself.
கணவனுக்காக
எதையும் செய்வாள் பத்தினி
உயிரையும் கூட தருவாள்
அந்த உத்தமி
For the sake of her husband,
A virtuous wife will do anything;
She will even give her life,
That noble woman.
தெய்வ வீணை இதை
இங்கு வீதியினில்
போட்டது விதிதானா
தேடி வந்த துணை வேறு மாலை இட
செய்தது விதி தானா
This divine veena—here on the street,
Is it fate that threw it down?
The soulmate who came searching, putting a garland on someone else—
Is that also the doing of fate?
என்ன ஜென்மமடி
பெண்ணின் ஜென்மம் இது
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி
எந்த நாளிலடி
இந்த வேதனைகள்
தீர்வது சிவசக்தி
What a birth this is,
This life of a woman,
Tell me, O Sivasakthi!
On which day,
Will these agonies,
Come to an end, O Sivasakthi?
தொடக்கம் எது முடிவும் எதுவோ
எதுவும் இங்கு தெரியாது
நடப்பதென்ன கதையா கனவா
அதுவும் இங்கு புரியாது
மாவிலைத் தோரணம் ஆடுது
அங்கொரு வாசலிலே
மங்கையினால் உயிர் ஆடுது
இங்கொரு ஊசலிலே.....ஏ......
What is the beginning and what is the end,
Nothing is known here.
Is what's happening a story or a dream?
Even that is not understood here.
Mango leaf festoons sway,
At a doorway over there;
A woman's precious life sways,
In a dilemma here...
கணவனுக்காக
எதையும் செய்வாள் பத்தினி
உயிரையும் கூட தருவாள்
அந்த உத்தமி
For the sake of her husband,
A virtuous wife will do anything;
She will even give her life,
That noble woman.
நாயன ஓசையில் அங்கே ஓர்
வாழ்த்தொலி கேக்குதம்மா
பேதையின் பாதையில் இங்கே ஓர்
கானம் நெருங்குதம்மா
In the sound of Nadaswaram, over there,
A voice of blessings is heard, mother.
On this simple girl's path, here,
A solemn song approaches, mother.
அக்கினி சாட்சியில் ஓர் வாழ்க்கை
ஆரம்பம் ஆகுதம்மா
அந்திமத் தீயினில் ஓர் வாழ்க்கை
பயணம் ஓய்ந்திடுமா
With the sacred fire as witness, a life,
Begins, mother.
In the final pyre's fire, a life's,
Journey comes to rest.
கணவனது வாழ்வுக்காக
நொந்து நொந்து நூலானாள்
தன் தலையில் தீயைத் தாங்கும்
மெழுகுவர்த்தி போல் ஆனாள்
வாழ்க்கையின் கணக்கினில்
ஆண்டுகள் மாதங்கள் ஆகுதம்மா
For the life of her husband,
She grieved continuously and grew thin as a thread;
Bearing fire upon her own head,
She became like a candle.
In the calculation of life,
Years become months, mother.
மாதமும் தேய்ந்தொரு
நாள் என நொடி எனப் போகுதம்மா
விதி இதுவா அவன் எழுதும்
கணக்கிதுவா........
And months wear away to become,
Days and seconds as time passes, mother.
Is this fate? Is this the calculation,
That He has written...?
Kanavanukkaaga
For the sake of her husband,
Edhaiyum seivaal pathini
A virtuous wife will do anything;
Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal
She will even give her life,
Andha uththami
That noble woman.
Boomi idhai penn endru
The world praises this Earth,
Pottrum ulagam ho
By calling it a woman, ho!
Boomiyinum melammaa
Greater than even Mother Earth,
Pennin idhayam
Is a woman's heart.
Anbai valarppaal thyaaga neruppil
She nurtures love, and in the fire of sacrifice,
Thannai erippaal
She burns herself.
Kanavanukkaaga
For the sake of her husband,
Edhaiyum seivaal pathini
A virtuous wife will do anything;
Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal
She will even give her life,
Andha uththami
That noble woman.
Dheiva veenai idhai ingu veedhiyinil
This divine veena—here on the street,
Pottadhu vidhi thaanaa
Is it fate that threw it down?
Thaedi vandha thunai veru maalai ida
The soulmate who came searching, putting a garland on someone else—
Seidhadhu vidhi thaanaa
Is that also the doing of fate?
Enna jenmamadi
What a birth this is,
Pennin jenmam idhu
This life of a woman,
Solladi sivasakthi
Tell me, O Sivasakthi!
Endha naaliladi
On which day,
Indha vedhanaigal
Will these agonies,
Theervadhu sivasakthi
Come to an end, O Sivasakthi?
Thodakkam edhu mudivum edhuvo
What is the beginning and what is the end,
Edhuvum ingu theriyaadhu
Nothing is known here.
Nadappadhenna kadhaiyaa kanavaa
Is what's happening a story or a dream?
Adhuvum ingu puriyaadhu
Even that is not understood here.
Maavilai thoranam aadudhu
Mango leaf festoons sway,
Angoru vaasalilae
At a doorway over there;
Mangaiyin aaruyir aadudhu
A woman's precious life sways,
Ingoru oosalilae…ae……
In a dilemma here...
Kanavanukkaaga
For the sake of her husband,
Edhaiyum seivaal pathini
A virtuous wife will do anything;
Uyiraiyum kooda tharuvaal
She will even give her life,
Andha uththami
That noble woman.
Naayana osaiyil angae or
In the sound of Nadaswaram, over there,
Vaazhtholi kekkudhammaa
A voice of blessings is heard, mother.
Paedhaiyin paadhaiyil ingae or
On this simple girl's path, here,
Gaanam nerungudhammaa
A solemn song approaches, mother.
Agini saatchiyil or vaazhkkai
With the sacred fire as witness, a life,
Aarambam aagudhammaa
Begins, mother.
Andhima theeyinil or vaazhkkai
In the final pyre's fire, a life's,
Payanam oindhidumaa
Journey comes to rest.
Kanavanadhu vaazhvukkaaga
For the life of her husband,
Nondhu nondhu noolaanaal
She grieved continuously and grew thin as a thread;
Than thalaiyil theeyai thaangum
Bearing fire upon her own head,
Mezhuguvarthi pol aanaal
She became like a candle.
Vaazhkkaiyin kanakkinil
In the calculation of life,
Aandugal maadhangal aagudhammaa
Years become months, mother.
Maadhamum thaeindhoru
And months wear away to become,
Naal ena nodi ena pogudhammaa
Days and seconds as time passes, mother.
Vidhi idhuvaa avan ezhudhum
Is this fate? Is this the calculation,
Kanakkidhuvaa…
That He has written...?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Kanavanukkaaga from the movie Thodarum (1999) is a deeply emotional song praising the selflessness, endurance, and ultimate sacrifice of a devoted wife. Lyricist Pulamaipithan exalts a woman's heart as greater than Mother Earth itself, emphasizing how she endures pain and consumes herself in sacrifice for her husband's life and well-being. The song reflects on fate, questioning why a noble life is subjected to immense suffering while wedding celebrations occur elsewhere. Through vivid imagery of candles and divine veenas, the song encapsulates grief, marital devotion, and helplessness against destiny.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Mezhuguvarthi pol aanaal”
Compares the self-sacrificing wife to a burning candle carrying fire on its head.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Dheiva veenai idhai ingu veedhiyinil”
Metaphorically refers to the innocent woman as a divine veena thrown into the street by fate.
Juxtaposition / Antithesis
“Maavilai thoranam aadudhu... Mangaiyin aaruyir aadudhu”
Contrasts the joyful auspicious sounds of a wedding at one entrance with the tragic uncertainty of a woman's life at another.
Did you know?
Trivia
Thodarum (1999) is a Tamil drama directed by Ramesh Khanna, starring Ajith Kumar, Devayani, and Heera Rajgopal. The film's soundtrack was composed by Deva, and this particular song highlights classic late-90s melodrama themes written by Pulamaipithan.
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