Minnalai Pidithu
From Shahjahan · 2001
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Unni Menon
- Music director
- Mani Sharma
- Details
- Shahjahan2001
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Avalin aasaikul nuzhaindha kaatru | The breeze that enters into her desires, |
| Uyirai thadavi thirumbum bodhu | When it returns after caressing her soul, |
| Motcham adaindhu raagangal aagindradhae | Attains salvation and turns into musical melodies. |
| Oho mazhaiyin thuligal avalai nanaithu | Oho, the raindrops, soaking her, |
| Maarbu kadandhu irangum pozhudhu | As they descend past her chest, |
| Mukthi adaindhu muthukal aagindradhae | Reach liberation and turn into precious pearls. |
| Male | |
| Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu | Catching the lightning, catching the lightning, |
| Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu | Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman, |
| Veedhiyil vitu vitaan | He left her on the street. |
| Male | |
| Nilavin oliyai pidithu pidithu | Catching the moonlight, catching the moonlight, |
| Paalil nanaithu paalil nanaithu | Soaking it in milk, soaking it in milk, |
| Kannangal seidhu vitaan | He sculpted her cheeks. |
| Male | |
| Ulaga malargal parithu parithu | Plucking the world's flowers, plucking them, |
| Irandu pandhugal amaithu amaithu | Shaping two spheres, shaping them, |
| Penmai samaithuvitaan | He crafted womanhood. |
| Male | |
| Azhagu enbadhu aanpaalaa pennpaalaa | Whether beauty is masculine or feminine, |
| Enbadhil enaku sandhegam theerndhadhu | The doubt I had about it has been resolved. |
| Azhagu enbadhu nichayam pennpaaladaa | Beauty is definitely feminine, my friend! |
| Hey hey kavidhai enbadhu mozhiyin vadivam | Hey hey, the notion that poetry is a linguistic form, |
| Endroru karuthum indru udaindhadhu | That idea broke into pieces today. |
| Kavithai enbadhu kanni vadivamadaa | Poetry is actually the form of a maiden, my friend! |
| Male | |
| Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu | Catching the lightning, catching the lightning, |
| Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu | Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman, |
| Veedhiyil vitu vitaan | He left her on the street. |
| Male | |
| Minmini pidithu minmini pidithu | Catching fireflies, catching fireflies, |
| Kangalil padhithu kangalil padhithu | Embedding them in her eyes, embedding them in her eyes, |
| Kanmani kann parithaal | The darling stole my sight. |
| Male | |
| Thangathai eduthu ammiyil araithu | Taking gold and grinding it on a millstone, |
| Manjalaai ninaithu kannathil kuzhaithu | Thinking of it as turmeric and smearing it on her cheeks, |
| Jeevanai yen eduthaal | Why did she take away my life? |
| Male | |
| Kaavi thuravikum aasai valarpaval | She who instills desire even in saffron-clad ascetics, |
| Arugam pullukum aanmai kodupaval | She who grants virility even to a blade of grass, |
| Pengalin nenjukum pitham kodupavalae | She who drives even the hearts of other women mad, |
| Oho therindha baagangal uyirai thandhida | Oho, while her revealed parts grant life, |
| Maraindha baagangal uyirai vaangida | Her concealed parts snatch life away, |
| Jananam maranam rendum tharubavalae | She is the one who bestows both birth and death! |
| Male | |
| Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu | Catching the lightning, catching the lightning, |
| Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu | Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman, |
| Veedhiyil vitu vitaan | He left her on the street. |
விஷ்லிங் :
.........................................
The breeze that enters into her desires,
When it returns after caressing her soul,
Attains salvation and turns into musical melodies.
Oho, the raindrops, soaking her,
As they descend past her chest,
Reach liberation and turn into precious pearls.
{ மின்னலை பிடித்து
மின்னலை பிடித்து மேகத்தை
துடைத்து பெண்ணென்று படைத்து
வீதியில் விட்டு விட்டான் இப்படி
இன்னொரு பெண்மையைப் படைக்க
தன்னிடம் கற்பனை தீா்ந்ததை
எண்ணித்தான் பிரம்மனும்
மூா்ச்சையுற்றான் } (2)
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
He left her on the street.
அவளின் நாசிக்குள்
நுழைந்த காற்று உயிரைத்
தடவி திரும்பும் போது மோட்சம்
அடைந்து ராகங்கள் ஆகின்றதே
ஒஹோ மழையின் துளிகள்
அவளை நனைத்து மாா்பு கடந்து
இறங்கும் பொழுது முக்தி அடைந்து
முத்துக்கள் ஆகின்றதே
Catching the moonlight, catching the moonlight,
Soaking it in milk, soaking it in milk,
He sculpted her cheeks.
மின்னலை பிடித்து
மின்னலை பிடித்து மேகத்தை
துடைத்து பெண்ணென்று படைத்து
வீதியில் விட்டு விட்டான்
Plucking the world's flowers, plucking them,
Shaping two spheres, shaping them,
He crafted womanhood.
நிலவின் ஒளியைப்
பிடித்துப் பிடித்து பாலில்
நனைத்து பாலில் நனைத்து
கன்னங்கள் செய்து விட்டான்
Whether beauty is masculine or feminine,
The doubt I had about it has been resolved.
Beauty is definitely feminine, my friend!
Hey hey, the notion that poetry is a linguistic form,
That idea broke into pieces today.
Poetry is actually the form of a maiden, my friend!
உலக மலா்கள் பறித்து
பறித்து இரண்டு பந்துகள் அமைத்து
அமைத்து பெண்மை சமைத்து விட்டான்
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
He left her on the street.
அழகு என்பது ஆண்பாலா
பெண்பாலா என்பதில் எனக்கு
சந்தேகம் தீா்ந்தது அழகு என்பது
நிச்சயம் பெண்பாலடா ஹே ஹே
கவிதை என்பது மொழியின் வடிவம்
என்றொரு கருத்தும் இன்று உடைந்தது
கவிதை என்பது கன்னி வடிவமடா
Catching fireflies, catching fireflies,
Embedding them in her eyes, embedding them in her eyes,
The darling stole my sight.
மின்னலை பிடித்து
மின்னலை பிடித்து மேகத்தை
துடைத்து பெண்ணென்று படைத்து
வீதியில் விட்டு விட்டான்
Taking gold and grinding it on a millstone,
Thinking of it as turmeric and smearing it on her cheeks,
Why did she take away my life?
விஷ்லிங் :
.........................................
She who instills desire even in saffron-clad ascetics,
She who grants virility even to a blade of grass,
She who drives even the hearts of other women mad,
Oho, while her revealed parts grant life,
Her concealed parts snatch life away,
She is the one who bestows both birth and death!
மின்மினி பிடித்து
மின்மினி பிடித்து கண்களில்
பதித்து கண்களில் பதித்து
கண்மணி கண் பறித்தாள்
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
He left her on the street.
தங்கத்தை எடுத்து
அம்மியில் அரைத்து மஞ்சளாய்
நினைத்து கன்னத்தில் குழைத்து
ஜீவனை ஏன் எடுத்தாள்
காவித் துறவிக்கும்
ஆசை வளா்ப்பவள் அருகம்புல்லுக்கும்
ஆண்மை கொடுப்பவள் பெண்களின்
நெஞ்சுக்கும் பித்தம் கொடுப்பவளே
ஒஹோ தொிந்த பாகங்கள் உயிரைத்
தந்திட மறைந்த பாகங்கள் உயிரை வாங்கிட
ஜனனம் மரணம் ரெண்டும் தருபவளே
மின்னலை பிடித்து
மின்னலை பிடித்து மேகத்தை
துடைத்து பெண்ணென்று படைத்து
வீதியில் விட்டு விட்டான்
விஷ்லிங் :
.........................................
Avalin aasaikul nuzhaindha kaatru
The breeze that enters into her desires,
Uyirai thadavi thirumbum bodhu
When it returns after caressing her soul,
Motcham adaindhu raagangal aagindradhae
Attains salvation and turns into musical melodies.
Oho mazhaiyin thuligal avalai nanaithu
Oho, the raindrops, soaking her,
Maarbu kadandhu irangum pozhudhu
As they descend past her chest,
Mukthi adaindhu muthukal aagindradhae
Reach liberation and turn into precious pearls.
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
He left her on the street.
Nilavin oliyai pidithu pidithu
Catching the moonlight, catching the moonlight,
Paalil nanaithu paalil nanaithu
Soaking it in milk, soaking it in milk,
Kannangal seidhu vitaan
He sculpted her cheeks.
Ulaga malargal parithu parithu
Plucking the world's flowers, plucking them,
Irandu pandhugal amaithu amaithu
Shaping two spheres, shaping them,
Penmai samaithuvitaan
He crafted womanhood.
Azhagu enbadhu aanpaalaa pennpaalaa
Whether beauty is masculine or feminine,
Enbadhil enaku sandhegam theerndhadhu
The doubt I had about it has been resolved.
Azhagu enbadhu nichayam pennpaaladaa
Beauty is definitely feminine, my friend!
Hey hey kavidhai enbadhu mozhiyin vadivam
Hey hey, the notion that poetry is a linguistic form,
Endroru karuthum indru udaindhadhu
That idea broke into pieces today.
Kavithai enbadhu kanni vadivamadaa
Poetry is actually the form of a maiden, my friend!
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
He left her on the street.
Minmini pidithu minmini pidithu
Catching fireflies, catching fireflies,
Kangalil padhithu kangalil padhithu
Embedding them in her eyes, embedding them in her eyes,
Kanmani kann parithaal
The darling stole my sight.
Thangathai eduthu ammiyil araithu
Taking gold and grinding it on a millstone,
Manjalaai ninaithu kannathil kuzhaithu
Thinking of it as turmeric and smearing it on her cheeks,
Jeevanai yen eduthaal
Why did she take away my life?
Kaavi thuravikum aasai valarpaval
She who instills desire even in saffron-clad ascetics,
Arugam pullukum aanmai kodupaval
She who grants virility even to a blade of grass,
Pengalin nenjukum pitham kodupavalae
She who drives even the hearts of other women mad,
Oho therindha baagangal uyirai thandhida
Oho, while her revealed parts grant life,
Maraindha baagangal uyirai vaangida
Her concealed parts snatch life away,
Jananam maranam rendum tharubavalae
She is the one who bestows both birth and death!
Minnalai pidithu minnalai pidithu
Catching the lightning, catching the lightning,
Megathai thudaithu pennendru padaithu
Wiping the clouds, creating her as a woman,
Veedhiyil vitu vitaan
He left her on the street.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
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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