Keladi Keladi Thangachi
From Sivappu Nila · 1985
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Sivappu Nila1985
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Keladi keladi thangachi | Listen, O listen, my younger sister |
| Antha saamiyum illa en katchi | Even God above is not on my side |
| Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom | What can you and I possibly do? |
| Rendu perum pottachchi | Both of us are helpless women after all |
| Female | |
| Keladi keladi thangachi | Listen, O listen, my younger sister |
| Antha saamiyum illa en katchi | Even God above is not on my side |
| Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom | What can you and I possibly do? |
| Rendu perum pottachchi | Both of us are helpless women after all |
| Female | |
| Kooda porantha porappu ellaam paravai inangalaa | Are siblings born together like species of birds? |
| Intha veedu enna vanthu pogum vedanthaangalaa | Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go? |
| Kooda porantha porappu ellaam paravai inangalaa | Are siblings born together like species of birds? |
| Intha veedu enna vanthu pogum vedanthaangalaa | Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go? |
| Female | |
| Neerillaama kaanji poyi nikkuthu yaeri entha | The lake stands completely dried up without water |
| Neram paarththu vathava nee paiththiyakkaari | At what fateful hour did you come to wither away, you crazy girl? |
| Podi paithiyakkaari | Go away, you crazy girl! |
| Female | |
| Keladi keladi thangachi | Listen, O listen, my younger sister |
| Antha saamiyum illa en katchi | Even God above is not on my side |
| Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom | What can you and I possibly do? |
| Rendu perum pottachchi | Both of us are helpless women after all |
| Female | |
| Rendu veedu pombalaikku kadavul vachchaandi | God ordained two homes for a woman |
| Namma rendu kettaan jenmamaaga padaichchu vachchaandi | Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty |
| Rendu veedu pombalaikku kadavul vachchaandi | God ordained two homes for a woman |
| Namma rendu kettaan jenmamaaga padaichchu vachchaandi | Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty |
| Female | |
| Porantha veedu viratti vittaalae puguntha veeduthaan | If the home of birth drives one away, there is the marital home |
| Antha puguntha veedum veratti vittaal | If that marital home also drives one away |
| Periya paaduthaan amma….periyapaaduthaan | It becomes an immense ordeal, oh dear... an immense ordeal! |
| Female | |
| Keladi keladi thangachi | Listen, O listen, my younger sister |
| Antha saamiyum illa en katchi | Even God above is not on my side |
| Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom | What can you and I possibly do? |
| Rendu perum pottachchi | Both of us are helpless women after all |
| Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom | What can you and I possibly do? |
| Rendu perum pottachchi | Both of us are helpless women after all |
கேளடி கேளடி தங்கச்சி
அந்த சாமியும் இல்ல என் கட்சி
நீயும் நானும் என்னடி பண்ணுவோம்
ரெண்டு பேரும் பொட்டச்சி....
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Even God above is not on my side
What can you and I possibly do?
Both of us are helpless women after all
கேளடி கேளடி தங்கச்சி
அந்த சாமியும் இல்ல என் கட்சி
நீயும் நானும் என்னடி பண்ணுவோம்
ரெண்டு பேரும் பொட்டச்சி....
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Even God above is not on my side
What can you and I possibly do?
Both of us are helpless women after all
கூடப் பொறந்த பொறப்பு எல்லாம் பறவை இனங்களா
இந்த வீடு என்ன வந்து போகும் வேடந்தாங்கலா
கூடப் பொறந்த பொறப்பு எல்லாம் பறவை இனங்களா
இந்த வீடு என்ன வந்து போகும் வேடந்தாங்கலா
Are siblings born together like species of birds?
Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go?
Are siblings born together like species of birds?
Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go?
நீரில்லாம காஞ்சிப் போயி நிக்குது ஏரி எந்த
நேரம் பார்த்து வந்தவ நீ பைத்தியக்காரி
போடி பைத்தியக்காரி......
The lake stands completely dried up without water
At what fateful hour did you come to wither away, you crazy girl?
Go away, you crazy girl!
கேளடி கேளடி தங்கச்சி
அந்த சாமியும் இல்ல என் கட்சி
நீயும் நானும் என்னடி பண்ணுவோம்
ரெண்டு பேரும் பொட்டச்சி....
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Even God above is not on my side
What can you and I possibly do?
Both of us are helpless women after all
ரெண்டு வீடு பொம்பளைக்கு கடவுள் வச்சான்டி
நம்ம ரெண்டுங் கெட்டான் ஜென்மமாக படைச்சு வச்சான்டி
ரெண்டு வீடு பொம்பளைக்கு கடவுள் வச்சான்டி
நம்ம ரெண்டுங் கெட்டான் ஜென்மமாக படைச்சு வச்சான்டி
God ordained two homes for a woman
Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty
God ordained two homes for a woman
Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty
பொறந்த வீடு விரட்டி விட்டாலே புகுந்த வீடுதான்
அந்த புகுந்த வீடும் வெரட்டி விட்டால்
பெரியபாடுதான் அம்மா....பெரியபாடுதான்...
If the home of birth drives one away, there is the marital home
If that marital home also drives one away
It becomes an immense ordeal, oh dear... an immense ordeal!
கேளடி கேளடி தங்கச்சி
அந்த சாமியும் இல்ல என் கட்சி
நீயும் நானும் என்னடி பண்ணுவோம்
ரெண்டு பேரும் பொட்டச்சி....
நீயும் நானும் என்னடி பண்ணுவோம்
ரெண்டு பேரும் பொட்டச்சி....
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Even God above is not on my side
What can you and I possibly do?
Both of us are helpless women after all
What can you and I possibly do?
Both of us are helpless women after all
Keladi keladi thangachi
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Antha saamiyum illa en katchi
Even God above is not on my side
Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom
What can you and I possibly do?
Rendu perum pottachchi
Both of us are helpless women after all
Keladi keladi thangachi
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Antha saamiyum illa en katchi
Even God above is not on my side
Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom
What can you and I possibly do?
Rendu perum pottachchi
Both of us are helpless women after all
Kooda porantha porappu ellaam paravai inangalaa
Are siblings born together like species of birds?
Intha veedu enna vanthu pogum vedanthaangalaa
Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go?
Kooda porantha porappu ellaam paravai inangalaa
Are siblings born together like species of birds?
Intha veedu enna vanthu pogum vedanthaangalaa
Is this house a bird sanctuary like Vedanthangal where they just come and go?
Neerillaama kaanji poyi nikkuthu yaeri entha
The lake stands completely dried up without water
Neram paarththu vathava nee paiththiyakkaari
At what fateful hour did you come to wither away, you crazy girl?
Podi paithiyakkaari
Go away, you crazy girl!
Keladi keladi thangachi
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Antha saamiyum illa en katchi
Even God above is not on my side
Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom
What can you and I possibly do?
Rendu perum pottachchi
Both of us are helpless women after all
Rendu veedu pombalaikku kadavul vachchaandi
God ordained two homes for a woman
Namma rendu kettaan jenmamaaga padaichchu vachchaandi
Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty
Rendu veedu pombalaikku kadavul vachchaandi
God ordained two homes for a woman
Namma rendu kettaan jenmamaaga padaichchu vachchaandi
Yet he created us to live in plight and uncertainty
Porantha veedu viratti vittaalae puguntha veeduthaan
If the home of birth drives one away, there is the marital home
Antha puguntha veedum veratti vittaal
If that marital home also drives one away
Periya paaduthaan amma….periyapaaduthaan
It becomes an immense ordeal, oh dear... an immense ordeal!
Keladi keladi thangachi
Listen, O listen, my younger sister
Antha saamiyum illa en katchi
Even God above is not on my side
Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom
What can you and I possibly do?
Rendu perum pottachchi
Both of us are helpless women after all
Neeyum naanum ennadi pannuvom
What can you and I possibly do?
Rendu perum pottachchi
Both of us are helpless women after all
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This emotional song from 'Sivappu Nila' expresses the deep sorrow and shared vulnerability of two sisters navigating hardship and societal abandonment. The elder sister comforts her younger sibling while lamenting their powerlessness as women in a society that leaves them with no secure refuge. She questions why siblings grow up together only to scatter like birds leaving a sanctuary, comparing their dry, barren life to a dried-up lake. The lyrics poignantly critique the societal expectation that a woman belongs either to her parental home or her marital home. When both places reject or fail her, she is left completely destitute. Vaali's evocative words, delivered with deep pathos by P. Susheela, capture the plight of women trapped in helplessness, bound together by sisterly affection amidst unfair destiny.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukku Thodar (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Keladi keladi thangachi”
The word 'Keladi' is repeated back-to-back to convey urgency, intimacy, and distress while calling out to her sister.
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Intha veedu enna vanthu pogum vedanthaangalaa”
Compares the maternal home to Vedanthangal, a sanctuary where birds stay temporarily and migrate away, symbolizing how siblings leave their childhood home.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Keladi keladi thangachi / Antha saamiyum illa en katchi”
The lines end with rhyming words 'thangachi', 'katchi', and 'pottachchi', creating a rhythmic and mournful cadence.
Metaphor (Barren Lake Metaphor)
“Neerillaama kaanji poyi nikkuthu yaeri entha”
Compares a household drained of joy and support to a dried-up lake ('neerillaama kaanji poyi nikkuthu yaeri').
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by the veteran duo Shankar-Ganesh and sung by P. Susheela, this song stands out in 1980s Tamil cinema for its moving depiction of sisterhood and social vulnerability, with Vaali's lyrics famously capturing the existential plight of displaced women.
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