Kotravan Madhurai Moodhor
From Thanga Padhumai · 1959
- Lyricist
- Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
- Singer
- P. Leela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Thanga Padhumai1959
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Kottravan mathurai moothoor | Oh king's ancient city of Madurai, |
| Kothithezhundheritha thaayae | Mother who rose in rage and burned it down! |
| Kottravan mathurai moothoor | Oh king's ancient city of Madurai, |
| Kothithezhundheritha thaayae | Mother who rose in rage and burned it down! |
| Kuttramillatha indha kulamagal | Regarding the husband of this faultless noble woman, |
| Kozhunan thannai pattri | Cruel sinners have thrown him, |
| Vensiraiyil pottaar paadhagar | Into a harsh prison. |
| Kanavarkaaga uttrathor uthavi ketka | To seek crucial help for my husband, |
| Un munnam nirkindren yaan…aaa…aa…aa….aa…aa…aa… | I stand before you... ah... |
| Female | |
| Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal | Through form, thought, and spoken word, |
| Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal | Through form, thought, and spoken word, |
| Kanavar thiru adi thaazhndhu kaatha aramagalae | Oh virtuous lady who protected by bowing at her husband's holy feet! |
| Ae….ae……ae…… | Ae... ae... ae... |
| Kottravanin padiyaeri vazhakuraitha pathiniyae | Oh chaste wife who climbed the king's steps and pleaded her case! |
| Nin thooya madiyaeri kann parikkum | Who climbs onto your pure lap and catches the eye, |
| Kulamagalai mannippayae | Forgive this noble daughter! |
| Kulamagalai mannippayae | Forgive this noble daughter! |
| Kulamagalai mannippayae | Forgive this noble daughter! |
| Female | |
| Nin seyalgal ovvondrum kanavarkkae | If it is true that every single act of yours was for your husband, |
| Enbathellam unmaiyaanal | If all that is true, |
| En seyalum kanavarkkae | My act too is for my husband! |
| Ingu naan vanthathum kanavarukkae | My coming here is also for my husband! |
| Ingu naan vanthathum kanavarukkae | My coming here is also for my husband! |
| Ae…..ae…….. | Ae... ae... |
| Minnimaikkum nin thanga padhumaiyilae | In your glittering golden statue, |
| Un magal naan thunivu kondu | I, your daughter, taking courage, |
| Kannimaiyai nerungugindren | Approach your eyelids. |
| Mannithu kann koduthu kaappaaii | Forgive me, grant me vision, and protect me! |
| Kann koduthu kaappaaii | Grant me vision and protect me! |
| Kann koduthu kaappaaiii | Grant me vision and protect me! |
கொற்றவன் மதுரை மூதூர்
கொதித்தெழுந்தெரித்த தாயே
கொற்றவன் மதுரை மூதூர்
கொதித்தெழுந்தெரித்த தாயே
குற்றமில்லாத இந்தக் குலமகள்
கொழுநன் தன்னை பற்றி
வெஞ்சிறையில் போட்டார் பாதகர்
கணவர்க்காக உற்றதோர் உதவி கேட்க
உன் முனம் நிற்கின்றேன் யான்......
ஆஅ......ஆ......ஆ......ஆ.....ஆ.....ஆ......ஆ.....
Oh king's ancient city of Madurai,
Mother who rose in rage and burned it down!
Oh king's ancient city of Madurai,
Mother who rose in rage and burned it down!
Regarding the husband of this faultless noble woman,
Cruel sinners have thrown him,
Into a harsh prison.
To seek crucial help for my husband,
I stand before you... ah...
வடிவத்தால் சிந்தனையால் வாக்கினால்
வடிவத்தால் சிந்தனையால் வாக்கினால்
கணவர் திரு அடிதாழ்ந்து நெறி காத்த அறமகளே
ஏ......ஏ......ஏ......
கொற்றவனின் படியேறி வழக்குரைத்த பத்தினியே
நின் தூய மடியேறிக் கண்பறிக்கும்
குலமகளை மன்னிப்பாயே
குலமகளை மன்னிப்பாயே
குலமகளை மன்னிப்பாயே
Through form, thought, and spoken word,
Through form, thought, and spoken word,
Oh virtuous lady who protected by bowing at her husband's holy feet!
Ae... ae... ae...
Oh chaste wife who climbed the king's steps and pleaded her case!
Who climbs onto your pure lap and catches the eye,
Forgive this noble daughter!
Forgive this noble daughter!
Forgive this noble daughter!
நின் செயல்கள் ஒவ்வொன்றும் கணவர்க்கே
என்பதெல்லாம் உண்மையானால்
என் செயலும் கணவர்க்கே
இங்கு நான் வந்ததும் கணவர்க்கே
இங்கு நான் வந்ததும் கணவர்க்கே
ஏ......ஏ......
மின்னிமைக்கும் நின் தங்கப்பதுமையிலே
உன் மகள் நான் துணிவு கொண்டு
கண்ணிமையை நெருங்குகின்றேன்
மன்னித்து கண் கொடுத்து கண்கள் காப்பாய்.....
கண் கொடுத்து கண்கள் காப்பாய்.....
கண் கொடுத்து கண்கள் காப்பாய்.....
If it is true that every single act of yours was for your husband,
If all that is true,
My act too is for my husband!
My coming here is also for my husband!
My coming here is also for my husband!
Ae... ae...
In your glittering golden statue,
I, your daughter, taking courage,
Approach your eyelids.
Forgive me, grant me vision, and protect me!
Grant me vision and protect me!
Grant me vision and protect me!
Kottravan mathurai moothoor
Oh king's ancient city of Madurai,
Kothithezhundheritha thaayae
Mother who rose in rage and burned it down!
Kottravan mathurai moothoor
Oh king's ancient city of Madurai,
Kothithezhundheritha thaayae
Mother who rose in rage and burned it down!
Kuttramillatha indha kulamagal
Regarding the husband of this faultless noble woman,
Kozhunan thannai pattri
Cruel sinners have thrown him,
Vensiraiyil pottaar paadhagar
Into a harsh prison.
Kanavarkaaga uttrathor uthavi ketka
To seek crucial help for my husband,
Un munnam nirkindren yaan…aaa…aa…aa….aa…aa…aa…
I stand before you... ah...
Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal
Through form, thought, and spoken word,
Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal
Through form, thought, and spoken word,
Kanavar thiru adi thaazhndhu kaatha aramagalae
Oh virtuous lady who protected by bowing at her husband's holy feet!
Ae….ae……ae……
Ae... ae... ae...
Kottravanin padiyaeri vazhakuraitha pathiniyae
Oh chaste wife who climbed the king's steps and pleaded her case!
Nin thooya madiyaeri kann parikkum
Who climbs onto your pure lap and catches the eye,
Kulamagalai mannippayae
Forgive this noble daughter!
Kulamagalai mannippayae
Forgive this noble daughter!
Kulamagalai mannippayae
Forgive this noble daughter!
Nin seyalgal ovvondrum kanavarkkae
If it is true that every single act of yours was for your husband,
Enbathellam unmaiyaanal
If all that is true,
En seyalum kanavarkkae
My act too is for my husband!
Ingu naan vanthathum kanavarukkae
My coming here is also for my husband!
Ingu naan vanthathum kanavarukkae
My coming here is also for my husband!
Ae…..ae……..
Ae... ae...
Minnimaikkum nin thanga padhumaiyilae
In your glittering golden statue,
Un magal naan thunivu kondu
I, your daughter, taking courage,
Kannimaiyai nerungugindren
Approach your eyelids.
Mannithu kann koduthu kaappaaii
Forgive me, grant me vision, and protect me!
Kann koduthu kaappaaii
Grant me vision and protect me!
Kann koduthu kaappaaiii
Grant me vision and protect me!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This emotional prayer from the movie 'Thanga Padhumai' (1959) is addressed to Kannagi, the legendary Tamil heroine from the epic Silappatikaram who burned the city of Madurai in righteous anger when her innocent husband was unjustly executed. The protagonist appeals to Kannagi as a mother figure and an exemplar of marital devotion, explaining that her husband too has been wrongly imprisoned by evil conspirators. The heroine draws a parallel between Kannagi's ultimate devotion to her husband and her own efforts to save her partner. She asks for forgiveness, strength, and divine mercy from the golden idol of the goddess, begging her to grant vision and protection in her hour of extreme plight.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Apostrophe
“Kottravan mathurai moothoor Kothithezhundheritha thaayae”
Direct poetic address to an absent or divine personage (Kannagi / the goddess of chastity).
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kottravan mathurai moothoor / Kuttramillatha indha kulamagal”
Matching of the second consonant sound ('ttra') across initial lines.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Kann koduthu kaappaaii”
Repeated pleading phrases ('Kulamagalai mannippayae', 'Kann koduthu kaappaaii') to intensify dramatic supplication.
Alliteration (Monaai)
“Vadivathaal sinthanaiyaal vaakinaal”
Matching starting consonant sounds across words in a line ('Vadivathaal', 'vaakinaal').
Did you know?
Trivia
This lyric by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram draws heavily from the classic Tamil literary epic 'Silappatikaram'. In the film 'Thanga Padhumai' (1959), starring Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini, the song forms a crucial dramatic turning point where the female protagonist seeks divine power before a golden idol to restore her husband.
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