Manidha Manidha
From Shahjahan · 2001
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Srinivas
- Music director
- Mani Sharma
- Details
- Shahjahan2001
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Manidhaa.. manidhaa | O man.. O man |
| Idhudhaan needhiyoo | Is this justice? |
| Kaadhal purindhaal | If one falls in love, |
| Kanneer coolie yoo | Are tears the wages paid? |
| Male | |
| Siragu vizhundhaal | If wings fall off, |
| Pudhidhaai mulaikkum | New ones will sprout, |
| Vaan veezhvadhoo | But will the sky ever collapse? |
| Ho oh hh | Ho oh hh |
| Male | |
| Manidhaa.. manidhaa | O man.. O man |
| Idhudhaan needhiyoo | Is this justice? |
| Kaadhal purindhaal | If one falls in love, |
| Kanneer coolie yoo | Are tears the wages paid? |
| Male | |
| Payanigal nadappaar | Passengers walk |
| Nizhalil nizhalil | In shade, in shade, |
| Nizhal tharum maramoo | But the tree that provides shade |
| Veyilil veyilil | Stands in heat, in heat. |
| Male | |
| Kadandhavar iruppaar | Those who crossed over stay safe |
| Karaiyil karaiyil | On the shore, on the shore, |
| Kadathiya padagoo | While the boat that carried them across |
| Alaiyil alaiyil…. | Remains tossed in the waves, in the waves... |
| Male | |
| Un mel pizhai illai | There is no fault on your part; |
| Idhil varutham udhavaadhu | Regret will not help in this. |
| Dheivam pizhai seidhaal | If God commits a mistake, |
| Adhil thirutham kidaiyaathu | There is no correction possible. |
| Vidhi vellavaa ho oh hh | Will fate win? Ho oh hh |
| Male | |
| Uyarathai kuraithaal | If you reduce its height, |
| Imayam yedhu | Where is Mount Himalayas? |
| Thuyarathai kazhithaal | If you remove sorrow, |
| Vaazhkai yedhu | Where is life? |
| Male | |
| Mazhai thuli ellaam | If all raindrops |
| Muthukkal aanaal | Turn into pearls, |
| Manidhargal paruga | Where is drinking water |
| Kudineer yedhu | For human beings to drink? |
| Male | |
| Manidhan kollum sogam | The sorrow that a man experiences, |
| Adhu vaazhkaiyin baagam | Is a part of life. |
| Erithaal thunbam pogum | Will sorrow go away if burned? |
| Konjam sirithaal adhu pogum | If you smile a bit, it will vanish. |
| Sirithaal enna ho oh hh | What happens if you smile? Ho oh hh |
| Male | |
| Manidhaa.. manidhaa | O man.. O man |
| Idhudhaan needhiyoo | Is this justice? |
| Kaadhal purindhaal | If one falls in love, |
| Kanneer coolie yoo | Are tears the wages paid? |
| Male | |
| Siragu vizhundhaal | If wings fall off, |
| Pudhidhaai mulaikkum | New ones will sprout, |
| Vaan veezhvadhoo | But will the sky ever collapse? |
| Ho oh hh | Ho oh hh |
| Male | |
| Manidhaa.. manidhaa | O man.. O man |
| Idhudhaan needhiyoo | Is this justice? |
| Kaadhal purindhaal | If one falls in love, |
| Kanneer coolie yoo | Are tears the wages paid? |
மனிதா மனிதா
இதுதான் நீதியோ
காதல் புரிந்தால்
கண்ணீர் கூலியோ
சிறகு விழுந்தால்
புதிதாய் முளைக்கும்
வான் வீழ்வதோ ஹோ ஓ..
O man.. O man
Is this justice?
If one falls in love,
Are tears the wages paid?
மனிதா மனிதா
இதுதான் நீதியோ
காதல் புரிந்தால்
கண்ணீர் கூலியோ
If wings fall off,
New ones will sprout,
But will the sky ever collapse?
Ho oh hh
பயனிகள் நடப்பார்
நிழலில் நிழலில்
நிழல் தரும் மரமோ
வெயிலில் வெயிலில்
O man.. O man
Is this justice?
If one falls in love,
Are tears the wages paid?
கடந்தவர் இருப்பார்
கரையில் கரையில்
கடத்திய படகோ
அலையில் அலையில்
Passengers walk
In shade, in shade,
But the tree that provides shade
Stands in heat, in heat.
உன் மேல் பிழை இல்லை
இதில் வருத்தம் உதவாது
தெய்வம் பிழை செய்தால்
அதில் திருத்தம் கிடையாது
விதி வெல்லவா ஹோ ஓ..
Those who crossed over stay safe
On the shore, on the shore,
While the boat that carried them across
Remains tossed in the waves, in the waves...
உயரத்தை குறைத்தால்
இமயம் ஏது
துயரத்தை கழித்தால்
வாழ்க்கை ஏது
There is no fault on your part;
Regret will not help in this.
If God commits a mistake,
There is no correction possible.
Will fate win? Ho oh hh
மழை துளி எல்லாம்
முத்துக்கள் ஆனால்
மனிதர்கள் பருக
குடிநீர் ஏது
If you reduce its height,
Where is Mount Himalayas?
If you remove sorrow,
Where is life?
மனிதன் கொள்ளும் சோகம்
அது வாழ்கையின் பாகம்
எரித்தால் துன்பம் போகும்
கொஞ்சம் சிரித்தால் அது போகும்
சிரித்தால் என்ன ஹோ ஓ..
If all raindrops
Turn into pearls,
Where is drinking water
For human beings to drink?
மனிதா மனிதா
இதுதான் நீதியோ
காதல் புரிந்தால்
கண்ணீர் கூலியோ
சிறகு விழுந்தால்
புதிதாய் முளைக்கும்
வான் வீழ்வதோ ஹோ ஓ..
The sorrow that a man experiences,
Is a part of life.
Will sorrow go away if burned?
If you smile a bit, it will vanish.
What happens if you smile? Ho oh hh
மனிதா மனிதா
இதுதான் நீதியோ
காதல் புரிந்தால்
கண்ணீர் கூலியோ
O man.. O man
Is this justice?
If one falls in love,
Are tears the wages paid?
If wings fall off,
New ones will sprout,
But will the sky ever collapse?
Ho oh hh
O man.. O man
Is this justice?
If one falls in love,
Are tears the wages paid?
Manidhaa.. manidhaa
O man.. O man
Idhudhaan needhiyoo
Is this justice?
Kaadhal purindhaal
If one falls in love,
Kanneer coolie yoo
Are tears the wages paid?
Siragu vizhundhaal
If wings fall off,
Pudhidhaai mulaikkum
New ones will sprout,
Vaan veezhvadhoo
But will the sky ever collapse?
Ho oh hh
Ho oh hh
Manidhaa.. manidhaa
O man.. O man
Idhudhaan needhiyoo
Is this justice?
Kaadhal purindhaal
If one falls in love,
Kanneer coolie yoo
Are tears the wages paid?
Payanigal nadappaar
Passengers walk
Nizhalil nizhalil
In shade, in shade,
Nizhal tharum maramoo
But the tree that provides shade
Veyilil veyilil
Stands in heat, in heat.
Kadandhavar iruppaar
Those who crossed over stay safe
Karaiyil karaiyil
On the shore, on the shore,
Kadathiya padagoo
While the boat that carried them across
Alaiyil alaiyil….
Remains tossed in the waves, in the waves...
Un mel pizhai illai
There is no fault on your part;
Idhil varutham udhavaadhu
Regret will not help in this.
Dheivam pizhai seidhaal
If God commits a mistake,
Adhil thirutham kidaiyaathu
There is no correction possible.
Vidhi vellavaa ho oh hh
Will fate win? Ho oh hh
Uyarathai kuraithaal
If you reduce its height,
Imayam yedhu
Where is Mount Himalayas?
Thuyarathai kazhithaal
If you remove sorrow,
Vaazhkai yedhu
Where is life?
Mazhai thuli ellaam
If all raindrops
Muthukkal aanaal
Turn into pearls,
Manidhargal paruga
Where is drinking water
Kudineer yedhu
For human beings to drink?
Manidhan kollum sogam
The sorrow that a man experiences,
Adhu vaazhkaiyin baagam
Is a part of life.
Erithaal thunbam pogum
Will sorrow go away if burned?
Konjam sirithaal adhu pogum
If you smile a bit, it will vanish.
Sirithaal enna ho oh hh
What happens if you smile? Ho oh hh
Manidhaa.. manidhaa
O man.. O man
Idhudhaan needhiyoo
Is this justice?
Kaadhal purindhaal
If one falls in love,
Kanneer coolie yoo
Are tears the wages paid?
Siragu vizhundhaal
If wings fall off,
Pudhidhaai mulaikkum
New ones will sprout,
Vaan veezhvadhoo
But will the sky ever collapse?
Ho oh hh
Ho oh hh
Manidhaa.. manidhaa
O man.. O man
Idhudhaan needhiyoo
Is this justice?
Kaadhal purindhaal
If one falls in love,
Kanneer coolie yoo
Are tears the wages paid?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Manidhaa Manidhaa' from Shahjahan is a philosophical reflection on heartbreak, selflessness, and the inescapable nature of destiny. It questions whether grief is the unfair price one pays for loving genuinely, drawing vivid parallels to nature: just as a tree endures the scorching sun to offer shade to travelers, or a boat remains tossed in stormy waves after safely guiding others to the shore, a true lover often sacrifices their own happiness for the sake of others.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Nizhal tharum maramoo Veyilil veyilil / Kadathiya padagoo Alaiyil alaiyil”
Compares a self-sacrificing lover to a tree enduring heat to provide shade, and to a ferryboat tossed in waves after safely landing passengers.
Rhetorical Question
“Uyarathai kuraithaal Imayam yedhu / Thuyarathai kazhithaal Vaazhkai yedhu”
Uses reflective questions to emphasize that grief is integral to existence, much like height is to the Himalayas or common water is to human survival.
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kadandhavar iruppaar Karaiyil karaiyil / Kadathiya padagoo Alaiyil alaiyil”
Tamil poetic device where the second letter of consecutive lines rhymes (Siragu / Pudhidhaai, Kadandhavar / Kadathiya).
Did you know?
Trivia
The song reflects the core theme of the movie Shahjahan (2001), where the protagonist (played by Vijay) helps various young lovers unite while suffering silently in his own unrequited love. The soundtrack was composed by Mani Sharma.
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