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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Naan Paadum Thalattu

From Thanga Pappa · 1993

Lyricist
Aravind Raj
Singer
Sindhu
Music director
Deva
Details
Thanga Pappa1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aaaaaaaa…aaaaaaaaa…aaaaaaaa….Ah... Ah... Ah...
Naan paadum thaalattu ketkkavillaiyaaDid you not hear the lullaby I am singing?
Naan paadum thaalattu ketkkavillaiyaaDid you not hear the lullaby I am singing?
Poongaatrum en sogam kooravillaiyaaDid even the gentle breeze not convey my sorrow?
Female
Pazhangadhai koorugirenI am telling an old story,
Paadhaiyendgum thedugirenI am searching everywhere along the path.
Thaeipiraiyin iravinilaeIn the dark night of the waning moon,
Moginiyaai vaazhugirenI live like a haunting spirit.
Female
Kanmani oo oo en kanmaiOh my beloved child, my darling,
Kanmani oo oo oo en kanmaniOh my beloved child, oh my dear child.
Female
Naan paadum thaalaattu ketkkavillaiyaaDid you not hear the lullaby I am singing?
Poongaatrum en sogam kooravillaiyaaDid even the gentle breeze not convey my sorrow?
Female
Uyir pona pinnalum udal vaazhgirenEven after my life force is gone, my body lives on,
Urangaadha ninaivodu dhinam saagirenI die every day carrying sleepless memories.
Nilaiyaana thunaithaanae naan kettadhuA permanent companion was all that I had asked for,
Neer meedhu kolangal yaar pottadhuWho drew transient patterns upon the surface of water?
Female
Kanmani oo oo en kanmaiOh my beloved child, my darling,
Kanmani oo oo oo en kanmaniOh my beloved child, oh my dear child.
Female
Naan paadum thaalaattu ketkkavillaiyaaDid you not hear the lullaby I am singing?
Poongaatrum en sogam kooravillaiyaaDid even the gentle breeze not convey my sorrow?
Female
Aariraaroo aariraroo aaroraroo aarirarooLullaby refrain (Aariraaroo aariraroo aaroraroo aariraroo)
Aariraaroo aariraroo…aa..aa…aahaa…aa..aa..aahaaLullaby refrain (Aariraaroo aariraroo... ah... ah... ah...)
Female
Karuvodu kadhaiyondru uruvanadhuA story took shape inside the womb,
Karai serum munnalae sarugaanadhuBefore reaching the shore, it withered into a dry leaf.
Kanneeril karayaadhu en sogamaeMy immense sorrow will not dissolve in tears,
Ennaalum theeraadhu en thaagamaeMy eternal thirst will never be quenched.
Female
Kanmani oo oo en kanmaiOh my beloved child, my darling,
Kanmani oo oo oo en kanmaniOh my beloved child, oh my dear child.
Female
Naan paadum thaalaattu ketkkavillaiyaaDid you not hear the lullaby I am singing?
Poongaatrum en sogam kooravillaiyaaDid even the gentle breeze not convey my sorrow?
Female
Pazhangadhai koorugirenI am telling an old story,
Paadhaiyengum thedugirenI am searching everywhere along the path.
Theipiraiyin iravinilaeIn the dark night of the waning moon,
Moginiyaai vaazhugirenI live like a haunting spirit.
Female
Kanmani oo oo en kanmaiOh my beloved child, my darling,
Kanmani oo oo oo en kanmaniOh my beloved child, oh my dear child.
Kanmani oo oo en kanmaiOh my beloved child, my darling,
Kanmani oo oo oo en kanmaniOh my beloved child, oh my dear child.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Naan Paadum Thaalattu from the 1993 film Thanga Pappa is a deeply poignant and mournful lullaby that conveys a mother's profound sorrow and sense of loss. She addresses her absent child, asking if her voice or the gentle breeze can reach them. She describes her lingering existence as empty and ghost-like, living through sleepless nights filled with tragic memories.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (உருவகம்)

Neer meedhu kolangal yaar pottadhu

Drawing kolam patterns on water (Neer meedhu kolangal) serves as a metaphor for fleeting, fragile, and temporary hopes that disappear immediately.

Personification (தற்காப்பு உவமை)

Poongaatrum en sogam kooravillaiyaa

The gentle breeze (Poongaatru) is personified as a messenger expected to carry the mother's grief.

Imagery / Metaphor

Karai serum munnalae sarugaanadhu

A life destroyed in its inception is vividly compared to a leaf that turns dry before ever reaching the shore.

Ethugai (எதுகை - Second Letter Rhyme)

Karuvodu kadhaiyondru uruvanadhu / Karai serum munnalae sarugaanadhu

Rhyming of the second letter 'ru' in Karuvodu and Karai, a classical Tamil poetic device.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Deva with lyrics by Aravind Raj, 'Naan Paadum Thaalaattu' stands out in 1990s Tamil film soundtrack history for singer Sindhu's hauntingly expressive rendition, capturing intense maternal grief within a traditional lullaby melody.

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