Madham Mummari
From Sigappu Thali · 1988
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Sigappu Thali1988
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum | Where will the three monthly rains fall now? |
| Ellaamae poiyaachchu | Everything has turned into a lie. |
| Ooril mazhai peinchu naalaachchu | It has been a long time since it rained in our town. |
| Chorus :Aamaamam mazhai peinchu naalaachchu | Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained. |
| Male | |
| Saathikkulla saathi vachchaan | They created sub-castes within castes, |
| Sathikkoru neethi vacchaan | They created a custom justice to serve their deceit. |
| Koyila kattiputtaan | He built a temple, |
| Katti saamiya viththupputtaan | And having built it, he sold God off. |
| Chorus :Viththu veedellaam kattipputtaan | Chorus: Having sold God, he built houses everywhere. |
| Male | |
| Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum | Where will the three monthly rains fall now? |
| Ellaamae poiyaachchu | Everything has turned into a lie. |
| Ooril mazhai peinchu naalaachchu | It has been a long time since it rained in our town. |
| Chorus :Aamaamam mazhai peinchu naalaachchu | Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained. |
மாதம் மும்மாரி மழை எங்க பெய்யும்
எல்லாமே பொய்யாச்சு
ஊரில் மழை பேஞ்சு நாளாச்சு
குழு :
ஆமாமாம் மழை பேஞ்சு நாளாச்சு
Where will the three monthly rains fall now?
Everything has turned into a lie.
It has been a long time since it rained in our town.
Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained.
சாதிக்குள்ள சாதி வச்சான்
சாதிக்கொரு நீதி வச்சான்
கோயிலக் கட்டிப்புட்டான்
கட்டி சாமிய வித்துப்புட்டான்
குழு :
வித்து வீடெல்லாம் கட்டிப்புட்டான்
They created sub-castes within castes,
They created a custom justice to serve their deceit.
He built a temple,
And having built it, he sold God off.
Chorus: Having sold God, he built houses everywhere.
மாதம் மும்மாரி மழை எங்க பெய்யும்
எல்லாமே பொய்யாச்சு
ஊரில் மழை பேஞ்சு நாளாச்சு
குழு :
ஆமாமாம் மழை பேஞ்சு நாளாச்சு.....
Where will the three monthly rains fall now?
Everything has turned into a lie.
It has been a long time since it rained in our town.
Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained.
Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum
Where will the three monthly rains fall now?
Ellaamae poiyaachchu
Everything has turned into a lie.
Ooril mazhai peinchu naalaachchu
It has been a long time since it rained in our town.
Chorus :Aamaamam mazhai peinchu naalaachchu
Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained.
Saathikkulla saathi vachchaan
They created sub-castes within castes,
Sathikkoru neethi vacchaan
They created a custom justice to serve their deceit.
Koyila kattiputtaan
He built a temple,
Katti saamiya viththupputtaan
And having built it, he sold God off.
Chorus :Viththu veedellaam kattipputtaan
Chorus: Having sold God, he built houses everywhere.
Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum
Where will the three monthly rains fall now?
Ellaamae poiyaachchu
Everything has turned into a lie.
Ooril mazhai peinchu naalaachchu
It has been a long time since it rained in our town.
Chorus :Aamaamam mazhai peinchu naalaachchu
Chorus: Yes, indeed, it has been a long time since it rained.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This folk-inspired social critique penned by Vairamuthu laments the moral decay and corruption in society. Ancient Tamil literature holds that nature bestows rain three times a month ('Maadham Mummaari') in a righteous land governed by truth and equity. The song contrasts this ideal with the reality of artificial caste divisions, twisted justice systems, and the commercialization of faith, arguing that nature withholds rain as a response to human deceit and greed.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum”
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Saathikkulla saathi vachchaan / Sathikkoru neethi vacchaan”
Cultural Allusion
“Maadham mummaari mazhai enga peiyyum”
Irony
“Koyila kattiputtaan / Katti saamiya viththupputtaan”
Did you know?
Trivia
The concept of 'Maadham Mummaari Mazhai' (three rains a month) is a recurring motif in classical Tamil poetry, symbolically linking ecological harmony and rainfall to righteous governance, social morality, and divine justice.
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