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Uthiri Pookkal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Naan Paada Varuvai

From Uthiri Pookkal · 1979

Lyricist
Muthulingam
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Uthiri Pookkal
Movie release year
1979
Lyrics added on
28 Jun 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
………………..
Naan paada varuvaai
Thamizhae inimai tharuvaai
Pala raagam panpaadidum senthaen kaliyae
Naan paada varuvaai
Thamizhae inimai tharuvaai
Pala raagam panpaadidum senthaen kaliyae
Kadhiroli vilaiyaada ponnalai oodai
Pala vanna vandaada poomuga maedai
Ponnaalai odai poomuga maedai
Swaram ezhum sathiraadum ye bale balae
Swaram ezhum sathiraadum sugamaana raagam
Inimai mozhiyal kavidhai pozhiya
Devaril moolavan naadhathilae nadamaada ezhuvaai
Naan paada varuvaai thamizhae inimai tharuvaai
Pala raagam panpaadidum senthaen kaliyae
Naan paada varuvaai…….
……………………………..
Panimugil pennada paal madhi paadum
Kavimanam panpaada kodimalar aadum
Paal madhi paadum kodimalar aadum
Pudhiraana sangeetham….durrrrrrrr
Pudhiraana sangeetham sugamaana geetham
Iyarkkai rasikkum ilamai isaiyae
Naanmuga naayagi naavinilae nalam paada ezhuvaai
Naan paada varuvaai thamizhae inimai tharuvaai
Pala raagam panpaadidum senthaen kaliyae
Naan paada varuvaai….
Vaasingoo nalla vaasingoo…..
...
Come as I sing,
O sweet Tamil, grant me your sweetness!
O joy of pure honey, singing melodies of many ragas!
Come as I sing,
O sweet Tamil, grant me your sweetness!
O joy of pure honey, singing melodies of many ragas!
Sunlight plays on the golden-waved stream,
Colourful bees dance upon the stage of flowers,
The golden-waved stream, the stage of flowers,
Musical notes rise and dance, oh bravo, bravo!
Musical notes rise and dance into a soothing melody,
Showering poetry with sweet words,
Arise to dance in the primal sound of the supreme God!
Come as I sing, O sweet Tamil, grant me your sweetness!
O joy of pure honey, singing melodies of many ragas!
Come as I sing...
...
As the mist-cloud girl dances, the milky moon sings,
As the poet's heart hums a tune, flowering vines sway,
The milky moon sings, the flowering vines sway,
A mysterious music... trrrr!
A mysterious music, a soothing song,
A youthful melody enjoyed by nature itself!
Arise from the tongue of Saraswati (goddess of learning and arts) to sing of grace!
Come as I sing, O sweet Tamil, grant me your sweetness!
O joy of pure honey, singing melodies of many ragas!
Come as I sing...
Play on, play it well...!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a soul-stirring invocation to the Tamil language, music, and Goddess Saraswati (the divine consort of the four-faced Brahma). The singer pleads for artistic inspiration and sweet verse to express profound melodies. Nature serves as the primary backdrop, with golden streams, dancing beetles, misty cloud-maidens, and the singing moon symbolizing the deep harmony between natural beauty and musical art.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Panimugil pennada paal madhi paadum

Human traits are given to nature, describing the milky moon as singing ('paal madhi paadum') and misty clouds as a dancing maiden ('panimugil pennada').

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Pala vanna vandaada poomuga maedai

The flower surface is metaphorically described as a stage ('maedai') for vibrant beetles.

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Naanmuga naayagi naavinilae nalam paada ezhuvaai

Repetition of the 'Na' sound across words creates a musical rhythmic cadence.

Emona / Ethirukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Panimugil pennada / Kavimanam panpaada

Matching the second consonant sound 'ni' / 'vi' across consecutive poetic lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Naan Paada Varuvaai' is a featured track from J. Mahendran's acclaimed 1979 film 'Uthiri Pookkal', with music composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and lyrics penned by Muthulingam. Sung by S. Janaki and S. P. Sailaja, the track is renowned for its lush classical melody and evocative nature imagery.

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