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Isaimozhi
Shahjahan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Minnalai Pidithu

From Shahjahan · 2001

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Unni Menon
Music director
Mani Sharma
Movie name
Shahjahan
Movie release year
2001
Lyrics added on
16 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Avalin aasaikul nuzhaindha kaatru
Uyirai thadavi thirumbum bodhu
Motcham adaindhu raagangal aagindradhae
Oho mazhaiyin thuligal avalai nanaithu
Maarbu kadandhu irangum pozhudhu
Mukthi adaindhu muthukal aagindradhae
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
Nilavin oliyai pidithu pidithu
Paalil nanaithu paalil nanaithu
Kannangal seidhu vitaan
Ulaga malargal parithu parithu
Irandu pandhugal amaithu amaithu
Penmai samaithuvitaan
Azhagu enbadhu aanpaalaa pennpaalaa
Enbadhil enaku sandhegam theerndhadhu
Azhagu enbadhu nichayam pennpaaladaa
Hey hey kavidhai enbadhu mozhiyin vadivam
Endroru karuthum indru udaindhadhu
Kavithai enbadhu kanni vadivamadaa
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
Minmini pidithu minmini pidithu
Kangalil padhithu kangalil padhithu
Kanmani kann parithaal
Thangathai eduthu ammiyil araithu
Manjalaai ninaithu kannathil kuzhaithu
Jeevanai yen eduthaal
Kaavi thuravikum aasai valarpaval
Arugam pullukum aanmai kodupaval
Pengalin nenjukum pitham kodupavalae
Oho therindha baagangal uyirai thandhida
Maraindha baagangal uyirai vaangida
Jananam maranam rendum tharubavalae
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
The breeze that enters into her desires,
when it caresses her soul and returns,
finds salvation and turns into melodies!
Oho, when the raindrops soak her
and trickle down across her chest,
they find salvation and turn into pearls!
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
wiping away the clouds and creating a woman,
He set her loose upon the street!
Catching the light of the moon,
soaking it in milk, dipping it in milk,
He crafted her cheeks!
Plucking flowers from across the world,
shaping them into two spheres,
He created her womanhood!
Is beauty male or female?
My doubt about that is cleared today.
Beauty is surely female, my friend!
Hey hey, that poetry is only a form of language,
even that belief was shattered today.
Poetry is in the form of a young woman, my friend!
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
wiping away the clouds and creating a woman,
He set her loose upon the street!
Catching fireflies, catching fireflies,
and setting them inside her eyes,
this darling girl dazzled and stole my sight!
Grinding pure gold on a flat stone mortar,
treating it like turmeric and smoothing it on her cheeks,
why did she steal my very life away?
She stirs desire even in an ascetic monk,
she gives vigor even to a blade of grass,
she drives even other women mad with longing!
Oho, while the parts in plain sight give life,
and the hidden parts take life away,
she is the one who brings both birth and death!
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
wiping away the clouds and creating a woman,
He set her loose upon the street!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Minnalai Pidithu is an elaborate poetic tribute to female beauty from the movie Shahjahan (2001). Lyricist Vairamuthu paints a hyper-imagulative picture of God crafting a woman using the elements of nature—capturing lightning, wiping clouds, soaking moonlight in milk, and embedding fireflies into her eyes. The protagonist marvels at her divine form, concluding that true beauty is intrinsically feminine and that poetry is not merely written language, but a maiden herself. The song further illustrates her intoxicating allure, which holds power over everything: awakening passion in ascetics, infusing vitality into grass, and captivating even other women. In a climax of poetic contrast, her beauty is described as possessing dual cosmic powers—bestowing life through her presence while taking it away through intense infatuation, making her the arbiter of both birth and death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukku Thodar (Repetition / Anaphora)

“Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu”

Words like 'pidithu pidithu' and 'nanaithu nanaithu' are repeated sequentially for rhythmic emphasis and intensification of action.

Hyperbole (Atiyayokthi)

“Thangathai eduthu ammiyil araithu”

Exaggerating the creation of a woman by describing God catching physical lightning, wiping clouds, and grinding gold into face paste.

Uruvagam (Metaphor)

“Kavithai enbadhu kanni vadivamadaa”

Directly identifying poetry not as a written linguistic entity, but as the physical form of a young maiden.

Maranayandham / Antithesis

“Jananam maranam rendum tharubavalae”

Contrasting birth (Jananam) and death (Maranam), as well as revealed (Therindha) and hidden (Maraindha) parts to depict her overwhelming influence.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Mani Sharma and sung by Srinivas, 'Minnalai Pidithu' became an iconic hit from Vijay's 2001 blockbuster 'Shahjahan'. Vairamuthu's rich classical Tamil imagery in this song is considered one of his finest romantic works of the early 2000s.

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