- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Duet
- Movie release year
- 1994
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Aug 2018
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aaya kalaigal
Arubathinaanginaiyum
Yeya unarvikkum ennammai
Thooya uru palingu pol
Vaazh en ullathinullae
Iruppal ingu vaaraadhu idar
Padiga niramum
Pavala chevvaiyum
Kadigamazh poonthaamarai
Por kaiyum
Thudiyidaiyum
Allum pagalum anavaradhamum
Thudhithaal kallum solaatho kavi…
Thaananaa thaana naanaa
Thannan naanaa
Thara thaana naana thaana naana
Thannan naanaa
Thangamae thamizhukkillai
Thattuppaadu
Oru sarakkirukkudhu
Murukkirukkudhu mettuppodu
Ethanai sabaigal kandom
Ethanai ethanai pagaiyum kandom
Athanaiyum soodam kaatti
Chuttu podu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
En thaai kodutha
Thamizhukkillai thattuppaadu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
Ada kadalukkundu
Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu
Thangamae thamizhukkillai
Thattuppaadu
Oru sarakkirukkudhu
Murukkirukkudhu mettuppodu
Ethanai sabaigal kandom
Ethanai ethanai pagaiyum kandom
Athanaiyum soodam kaatti
Chuttu podu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
En thaai kodutha
Thamizhukkillai thattuppaadu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
Ada kadalukkundu
Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu
Ithu makkal paattu
Thanmaana paattu
Ithu poraadum ungal
Vaazhkai paattu
Kalloori pengal paadum
Kanni paattu
Sabaigalai vendruvarum
Sabadham pottu
Naam kattum paattu
Eeram thattum paattu
Katti chendhaenaai
Nenjil sottum paattu
Thaai paalaippol
Rathathil ottum paattu
Thamizh makkal veettai
Sendru thattum paattu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
En thaai kodutha
Thamizhukkillai thattuppaadu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
Ada kadalukkundu
Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu
Ini kanneer vendaam
Oru kavithai seiga
Engal gaanangal kettu
Kaadhal seiga
Nam mannukkum vinnukkum
Paalam seiga
Nalam pera vendum endraal
Nanmai seiga
Nam boomi melae
Puthu paarvai kolga
Nam iyarkai mel innum
Ichai kolga
Konjam nilavukku neram vaithu
Thookkam kolga
Paaraikul verai polae
Vetri kolga
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
En thaai kodutha
Thamizhukkillai thattuppaadu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
Ada kadalukkundu
Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu
Thangamae thamizhukkillai
Thattuppaadu
Oru sarakkirukkudhu
Murukkirukkudhu mettuppodu
Ethanai sabaigal kandom
Ethanai ethanai pagaiyum kandom
Athanaiyum soodam kaatti
Chuttu podu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
En thaai kodutha
Thamizhukkillai thattuppaadu
Mettuppodu mettuppodu
Ada kadalukkundu
Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu
All the sixty-four arts,
in all their fullness,
my Mother Saraswati who grants their deep wisdom,
with a form as pure as crystal,
inside my heart
She dwells, so no trouble shall ever come here.
With the pure color of crystal,
lips red like coral,
hands like fragrant,
blooming lotuses,
and a slender, delicate waist—
if one praises Her day and night without pause,
won't even a stone pour out poetry?
Thana thaana naanaa
Thannan naanaa
Thara thaana naanaa thaana naanaa
Thannan naanaa
My dear, for our Tamil language
there is never any shortage!
We have real substance,
we have bold spirit, so set a tune!
How many stages have we seen!
How many rivalries have we faced!
Wave burning camphor over all of it,
and burn it all away!
Set a tune, set a tune!
For the Tamil given by my mother,
there is no shortage at all!
Set a tune, set a tune!
Even the ocean has its limits,
but imagination knows no bounds!
My dear, for our Tamil language
there is never any shortage!
We have real substance,
we have bold spirit, so set a tune!
How many stages have we seen!
How many rivalries have we faced!
Wave burning camphor over all of it,
and burn it all away!
Set a tune, set a tune!
For the Tamil given by my mother,
there is no shortage at all!
Set a tune, set a tune!
Even the ocean has its limits,
but imagination knows no bounds!
This is the people's song,
a song of self-respect!
This is a song of your lives,
as you struggle and fight!
A fresh song that
college girls sing!
Making a bold vow
to conquer every stage!
The song we compose,
a song touching the heart with warmth,
like thick, pure honey,
a song dripping into the heart!
Like a mother's milk,
a song that blends into our blood!
A song that goes and knocks
on the doors of Tamil homes!
Set a tune, set a tune!
For the Tamil given by my mother,
there is no shortage at all!
Set a tune, set a tune!
Even the ocean has its limits,
but imagination knows no bounds!
No more tears from now on,
write a poem instead!
Listen to our melodies
and fall in love!
Between our earth and the sky,
build a bridge!
If you wish for true well-being,
do good deeds!
Upon our earth,
look with fresh eyes!
For our nature,
hold an even deeper love!
Spend a little time with the moon,
and then go to sleep!
Like roots breaking through rock,
achieve your victory!
Set a tune, set a tune!
For the Tamil given by my mother,
there is no shortage at all!
Set a tune, set a tune!
Even the ocean has its limits,
but imagination knows no bounds!
My dear, for our Tamil language
there is never any shortage!
We have real substance,
we have bold spirit, so set a tune!
How many stages have we seen!
How many rivalries have we faced!
Wave burning camphor over all of it,
and burn it all away!
Set a tune, set a tune!
For the Tamil given by my mother,
there is no shortage at all!
Set a tune, set a tune!
Even the ocean has its limits,
but imagination knows no bounds!
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Mettu Podu' from the movie Duet (1994) is an energetic, celebrated ode to the endless power of creativity, music, and the Tamil language. It opens with traditional invocations to Goddess Saraswati and Mother Tamil, emphasizing that artistic inspiration dissolves all life troubles and turn even stone into poetry. The track asserts that human imagination knows no boundaries, contrasting the finite ocean with infinite human creativity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Thaai paalaippol / Rathathil ottum paattu”
Comparing mother's milk to music flowing in the bloodstream ('Thaai paalaippol rathathil ottum paattu').
Contrast / Antithesis
“Ada kadalukkundu / Karpanaikkillai kattuppaadu”
Contrasting physical natural limits (the ocean having borders) with human imagination (which has no bounds).
Emona / Monnai (Initial Rhyme)
“Kalloori pengal paadum / Kanni paattu”
Repetition of initial consonants/vowel sounds in words across lines such as 'Kalloori' / 'Kanni'.
Simile (Uwamai)
“Paaraikul verai polae / Vetri kolga”
Comparing victory/resilience to a tree root piercing through hard rock.
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