Magane Ila Magane
From Magane Magane · 1982
- Lyricist
- Panchu Arunachalam
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Magane Magane1982
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Maganae ila maganae | Oh my son, young son, |
| Naan azhudhaen unnai enni | I cried thinking of you, |
| Kannukkul kenaru vetti | Digging a well inside my eyes, |
| Athanaiyum uppu thanni | All of which is salty water. |
| Female | |
| Maganae ila maganae | Oh my son, young son, |
| Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni | I cried thinking of you, |
| Kannukkul kenaru vetti | Digging a well inside my eyes, |
| Athanaiyum uppu thanni | All of which is salty water. |
| Female | |
| En kadhaiya kettaalae | If anyone hears my story, |
| Pacha maram pookkaadhae | Even a green tree would refuse to bloom. |
| En kadhaiya kettaalae | If anyone hears my story, |
| Pacha maram pookkaadhae | Even a green tree would refuse to bloom. |
| Female | |
| Kannagi patta thunbam | The suffering that Kannagi endured, |
| Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam | Is only half of what I have suffered. |
| Kannagi patta thunbam | The suffering that Kannagi endured, |
| Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam | Is only half of what I have suffered. |
| Female | |
| Maganae ila maganae | Oh my son, young son, |
| Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni | I cried thinking of you, |
| Kannukkul kenaru vetti | Digging a well inside my eyes, |
| Athanaiyum uppu thanni | All of which is salty water. |
| Female | |
| {Vedhachu vecha nelleduthu | Taking the paddy seeds sown for planting, |
| Samachu thinnaachu | Cooking and consuming them, |
| Yema dharuman yaettilae | In Lord Yama's ledger of fate, |
| En kanakku ennaachu} (2) | What has become of my account? |
| Kattiyulla kandhalukku | For the worn-out rags I wear, |
| Naan irukken kaavalukku | I stand guard over them. |
| Kattiyulla kandhalukku | For the worn-out rags I wear, |
| Naan irukken kaavalukku | I stand guard over them. |
| Buthanum thappu sithanum thappu | Buddha is wrong, and the Siddhar is wrong, |
| Vaazhkkaiyilae | In this life. |
| Female | |
| Maganae ila maganae | Oh my son, young son, |
| Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni | I cried thinking of you, |
| Kannukkul kenaru vetti | Digging a well inside my eyes, |
| Athanaiyum uppu thanni | All of which is salty water. |
| Female | |
| {Karuvil vandha bandham ellaam | All the relationships born from the womb, |
| Kanakku chollavilla | Did not keep a true account. |
| Iduppu vittu pona pinnae | Once he left my waist, where I carried him, |
| Enakku chondham illa} (2) | He was no longer mine. |
| Nenjukkulla thee mootti ullangaiyil soraakki | Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm, |
| Nenjukkulla thee mootti ullangaiyil soraakki | Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm, |
| Erakki vechen magana mattum kaanavilla | I served the food, but my son alone is missing. |
| Female | |
| Maganae ila maganae | Oh my son, young son, |
| Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni | I cried thinking of you, |
| Kannukkul kenaru vetti | Digging a well inside my eyes, |
| Athanaiyum uppu thanni | All of which is salty water. |
| Female | |
| En kadhaiya kettaalae | If anyone hears my story, |
| Pacha maram pookkaadhae | Even a green tree would refuse to bloom. |
| Kannagi patta thunbam | The suffering that Kannagi endured, |
| Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam | Is only half of what I have suffered. |
| Kannagi patta thunbam | The suffering that Kannagi endured, |
| Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam | Is only half of what I have suffered. |
மகனே இள மகனே
நான் அழுதேன் உன்னை எண்ணி
கண்ணுக்குள் கெணறு வெட்டி
அத்தனையும் உப்புத் தண்ணி
Oh my son, young son,
I cried thinking of you,
Digging a well inside my eyes,
All of which is salty water.
மகனே இள மகனே
நான் அழுதேன் உன்னை எண்ணி
கண்ணுக்குள் கெணறு வெட்டி
அத்தனையும் உப்புத் தண்ணி
Oh my son, young son,
I cried thinking of you,
Digging a well inside my eyes,
All of which is salty water.
என் கதைய கேட்டாலே
பச்ச மரம் பூக்காதே
என் கதைய கேட்டாலே
பச்ச மரம் பூக்காதே
If anyone hears my story,
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
If anyone hears my story,
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
கண்ணகி பட்ட துன்பம்
நான் பட்டதில் பாதி துன்பம்
கண்ணகி பட்ட துன்பம்
நான் பட்டதில் பாதி துன்பம்
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Is only half of what I have suffered.
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Is only half of what I have suffered.
மகனே இள மகனே
நான் அழுதேன் உன்னை எண்ணி
கண்ணுக்குள் கெணறு வெட்டி
அத்தனையும் உப்புத் தண்ணி
Oh my son, young son,
I cried thinking of you,
Digging a well inside my eyes,
All of which is salty water.
{வெதச்சு வச்ச நெல்லெடுத்து
சமச்சு தின்னாச்சு
எம தருமன் ஏட்டிலயே
என் கணக்கு என்னாச்சு} (2)
கட்டியுள்ள கந்தலுக்கு
நான் இருக்கேன் காவலுக்கு
கட்டியுள்ள கந்தலுக்கு
நான் இருக்கேன் காவலுக்கு
புத்தனும் தப்பு சித்தனும் தப்பு
வாழ்க்கையிலே
Taking the paddy seeds sown for planting,
Cooking and consuming them,
In Lord Yama's ledger of fate,
What has become of my account?
For the worn-out rags I wear,
I stand guard over them.
For the worn-out rags I wear,
I stand guard over them.
Buddha is wrong, and the Siddhar is wrong,
In this life.
மகனே இள மகனே
நான் அழுதேன் உன்னை எண்ணி
கண்ணுக்குள் கெணறு வெட்டி
அத்தனையும் உப்புத் தண்ணி
Oh my son, young son,
I cried thinking of you,
Digging a well inside my eyes,
All of which is salty water.
{கருவில் வந்த பந்தம் எல்லாம்
கணக்குச் சொல்லவில்ல
இடுப்ப விட்டுப் போன பின்னே
எனக்குச் சொந்தம் இல்ல} (2)
நெஞ்சுக்குள்ள தீ மூட்டி
உள்ளங்கையில் சோறாக்கி
நெஞ்சுக்குள்ள தீ மூட்டி
உள்ளங்கையில் சோறாக்கி
எறக்கி வெச்சேன் மகன மட்டும் காணவில்ல
All the relationships born from the womb,
Did not keep a true account.
Once he left my waist, where I carried him,
He was no longer mine.
Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm,
Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm,
I served the food, but my son alone is missing.
மகனே இள மகனே
நான் அழுதேன் உன்னை எண்ணி
கண்ணுக்குள் கெணறு வெட்டி
அத்தனையும் உப்புத் தண்ணி
Oh my son, young son,
I cried thinking of you,
Digging a well inside my eyes,
All of which is salty water.
என் கதைய கேட்டாலே
பச்ச மரம் பூக்காதே
கண்ணகி பட்ட துன்பம்
நான் பட்டதில் பாதி துன்பம்
கண்ணகி பட்ட துன்பம்
நான் பட்டதில் பாதி துன்பம்
If anyone hears my story,
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Is only half of what I have suffered.
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Is only half of what I have suffered.
Maganae ila maganae
Oh my son, young son,
Naan azhudhaen unnai enni
I cried thinking of you,
Kannukkul kenaru vetti
Digging a well inside my eyes,
Athanaiyum uppu thanni
All of which is salty water.
Maganae ila maganae
Oh my son, young son,
Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni
I cried thinking of you,
Kannukkul kenaru vetti
Digging a well inside my eyes,
Athanaiyum uppu thanni
All of which is salty water.
En kadhaiya kettaalae
If anyone hears my story,
Pacha maram pookkaadhae
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
En kadhaiya kettaalae
If anyone hears my story,
Pacha maram pookkaadhae
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
Kannagi patta thunbam
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam
Is only half of what I have suffered.
Kannagi patta thunbam
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam
Is only half of what I have suffered.
Maganae ila maganae
Oh my son, young son,
Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni
I cried thinking of you,
Kannukkul kenaru vetti
Digging a well inside my eyes,
Athanaiyum uppu thanni
All of which is salty water.
{Vedhachu vecha nelleduthu
Taking the paddy seeds sown for planting,
Samachu thinnaachu
Cooking and consuming them,
Yema dharuman yaettilae
In Lord Yama's ledger of fate,
En kanakku ennaachu} (2)
What has become of my account?
Kattiyulla kandhalukku
For the worn-out rags I wear,
Naan irukken kaavalukku
I stand guard over them.
Kattiyulla kandhalukku
For the worn-out rags I wear,
Naan irukken kaavalukku
I stand guard over them.
Buthanum thappu sithanum thappu
Buddha is wrong, and the Siddhar is wrong,
Vaazhkkaiyilae
In this life.
Maganae ila maganae
Oh my son, young son,
Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni
I cried thinking of you,
Kannukkul kenaru vetti
Digging a well inside my eyes,
Athanaiyum uppu thanni
All of which is salty water.
{Karuvil vandha bandham ellaam
All the relationships born from the womb,
Kanakku chollavilla
Did not keep a true account.
Iduppu vittu pona pinnae
Once he left my waist, where I carried him,
Enakku chondham illa} (2)
He was no longer mine.
Nenjukkulla thee mootti ullangaiyil soraakki
Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm,
Nenjukkulla thee mootti ullangaiyil soraakki
Kindling a fire inside my heart and cooking rice on my palm,
Erakki vechen magana mattum kaanavilla
I served the food, but my son alone is missing.
Maganae ila maganae
Oh my son, young son,
Naan azhudhaen unnai yenni
I cried thinking of you,
Kannukkul kenaru vetti
Digging a well inside my eyes,
Athanaiyum uppu thanni
All of which is salty water.
En kadhaiya kettaalae
If anyone hears my story,
Pacha maram pookkaadhae
Even a green tree would refuse to bloom.
Kannagi patta thunbam
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam
Is only half of what I have suffered.
Kannagi patta thunbam
The suffering that Kannagi endured,
Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam
Is only half of what I have suffered.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Magane Magane is a heart-wrenching maternal lament expressing deep pain, abandonment, and grief over a missing or ungrateful son. The mother describes her endless weeping through vivid folk metaphors, comparing her tears to a well dug inside her eyes. She feels her tragic life story is so painful that even a living green tree would stop blooming if it heard her sorrow, and asserts that her suffering exceeds even that of the legendary Tamil epic heroine, Kannagi. She ponders the cruelty of fate, questioning Lord Yama's ledger of life and reflecting on how a mother devotes her heart, soul, and body to nurture a child, only for the child to become distant once grown. The song heavily draws upon traditional Tamil Oppari (lament) tropes to depict the timeless heartbreak of a devoted mother left alone in her old age.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Kannukkul kenaru vetti / Athanaiyum uppu thanni”
Compares continuous weeping to digging a well inside the eyes that yields salty water.
Hyperbole
“En kadhaiya kettaalae / Pacha maram pookkaadhae”
Exaggerates grief by stating that even a vibrant green tree would lose its ability to bloom upon hearing her tragedy.
Allusion
“Kannagi patta thunbam / Naan pattadhil paadhi thunbam”
Refers to Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil epic Silappatikaram known for supreme tragedy, claiming her own pain is twice as severe.
Visceral Imagery
“Nenjukkulla thee mootti ullangaiyil soraakki”
Uses dramatic imagery of lighting a fire in the chest and cooking rice on the palm to illustrate extreme sacrifice and emotional agony.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by renowned lyricist Panchu Arunachalam, this song adopts the structure and emotional tone of 'Oppari'—the traditional Tamil folk genre of mourning and grief. It effectively conveys the grief of maternal abandonment, a common thematic element in Tamil socio-drama films of the 1980s.
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