Naan Vaazha Kuruthu
From En Selvame · 1985
- Lyricist
- Panchu Arunachalam
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- En Selvame1985
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Naan vaazha kuruththazhagae | Oh tender sprout of beauty who gives me life to live, |
| Vaatti vachcha ponnazhagae | Oh golden beauty refined like pure gold, |
| En maalai kazhuththazhagae maththiyaana poovazhagae | Oh beauty of my neck's garland, oh beauty of a midday flower, |
| Thaali nee mudikka thavamaa thavamirunthaen | I performed arduous penance so you would tie the sacred wedding thread, |
| Ola kodukkaamalae oththa vazhi poneegalae | Without leaving behind even a written note, you departed down a lonely path. |
| Female | |
| Kodi thuni uduththu koottaththilae ninneenganaa | If you stood in a crowd wearing fine new clothes, |
| Kodi janam mayangum koodalooru kannu padum | A crore of people would swoon, and the whole town of Cuddalore would cast an evil eye. |
| Javuli kada adachchu jaadhi sanam vaayadachchu | Closing up textile shops and silencing all the townspeople, |
| Thaniyaa poreegalae en aasaiyulla ennavarae | You walk away all alone, oh my beloved man, |
| Aiyyaa mannavarae | Oh sir, my noble king! |
| Female | |
| Sirichcha mugaththazhagum sevantha odhattazhagum | The beauty of your smiling face and the beauty of your red lips, |
| Mayakkum kannazhagum vaaraatha sollazhagum | The beauty of your captivating eyes and the beauty of your wordless grace, |
| Ulla en mannavarae uththamarae nallavarae | Oh noble and good man, king dwelling in my heart, |
| Ukkaarntha edaththulaeyae usura maranthavarae | The one who lost his breath right where he sat, |
| Aiyyaa mannavarae | Oh sir, my noble king! |
| Female | |
| Kunguma pottu vachchaa kurukurunnu paappeegalae | When I placed a vermilion bindi, you would gaze at me with deep affection, |
| Manjathaan naan kulichchaa naathiriyaa nippeegalae | When I bathed in turmeric, you would stand around lost in admiration, |
| Malliyappoo naan mudichchaa mayangi muzhippeegalae | When I adorned my hair with jasmine flowers, you would look at me entranced, |
| Ennaannu pottu vaippaen | How can I wear a bindi anymore? |
| Eppadiththaan poo mudippaen neenga pona pinnaalae | How can I wear flowers in my hair now that you are gone? |
| Female | |
| Yaezhu ooru pannaiyilum unga polae aalaethu | Across the farms of seven villages, there is no man like you, |
| Intha mugam paakkaamae naaniruntha naalaethu | Was there ever a single day I lived without gazing at your face? |
| Thoongaa velakku vachchu thunaikku irunthavarae | You who stayed as my companion like a sleepless, ever-burning lamp, |
| Thaengaa odachchathu polae sillaa parantheegalae | You shattered and scattered away instantly, like a coconut cracked into pieces. |
நான் வாழக் குருத்தழகே
வாட்டி வச்ச பொன்னழகே
என் மாலை கழுத்தழகே மத்தியான பூவழகே
தாலி நீ முடிக்க தவமா தவமிருந்தேன்
ஓல கொடுக்காமலே ஒத்த வழி போனீகளே..
Oh tender sprout of beauty who gives me life to live,
Oh golden beauty refined like pure gold,
Oh beauty of my neck's garland, oh beauty of a midday flower,
I performed arduous penance so you would tie the sacred wedding thread,
Without leaving behind even a written note, you departed down a lonely path.
கோடி துணி உடுத்தி கூட்டத்திலே நின்னீங்கனா
கோடி ஜனம் மயங்கும் கூடலூரு கண்ணு படும்
ஜவுளி கட அடச்சு ஜாதி சனம் வாயடச்சு
தனியா போறீகளே என் ஆசையுள்ள என்னவரே
ஐயா மன்னவரே.....
If you stood in a crowd wearing fine new clothes,
A crore of people would swoon, and the whole town of Cuddalore would cast an evil eye.
Closing up textile shops and silencing all the townspeople,
You walk away all alone, oh my beloved man,
Oh sir, my noble king!
சிரிச்ச முகத்தழகும் செவந்த ஓதட்டழகும்
மயக்கும் கண்ணழகும் வாராத சொல்லழகும்
உள்ள என் மன்னவரே உத்தமரே நல்லவரே
உக்கார்ந்த எடத்துலேயே உசுர மறந்தவரே
ஐயா மன்னவரே.....
The beauty of your smiling face and the beauty of your red lips,
The beauty of your captivating eyes and the beauty of your wordless grace,
Oh noble and good man, king dwelling in my heart,
The one who lost his breath right where he sat,
Oh sir, my noble king!
குங்கும பொட்டு வச்சா குறுகுறுன்னு பாப்பீகளே
மஞ்சதான் நான் குளிச்சா மாதிரியா நிப்பீகளே
மல்லியப்பூ நான் முடிச்சா மயங்கி முழிப்பீகளே
என்னான்னு பொட்டு வைப்பேன்
எப்படித்தான் பூ முடிப்பேன் நீங்க போன பின்னாலே....
When I placed a vermilion bindi, you would gaze at me with deep affection,
When I bathed in turmeric, you would stand around lost in admiration,
When I adorned my hair with jasmine flowers, you would look at me entranced,
How can I wear a bindi anymore?
How can I wear flowers in my hair now that you are gone?
ஏழு ஊரு பண்ணையிலும் உங்க போலே ஆளேது
இந்த முகம் பாக்காமே நானிருந்த நாளேது
தூங்கா வெளக்கு வச்சு துணைக்கு இருந்தவரே
தேங்கா ஒடச்சது போலே சில்லாப் பறந்தீகளே
Across the farms of seven villages, there is no man like you,
Was there ever a single day I lived without gazing at your face?
You who stayed as my companion like a sleepless, ever-burning lamp,
You shattered and scattered away instantly, like a coconut cracked into pieces.
Naan vaazha kuruththazhagae
Oh tender sprout of beauty who gives me life to live,
Vaatti vachcha ponnazhagae
Oh golden beauty refined like pure gold,
En maalai kazhuththazhagae maththiyaana poovazhagae
Oh beauty of my neck's garland, oh beauty of a midday flower,
Thaali nee mudikka thavamaa thavamirunthaen
I performed arduous penance so you would tie the sacred wedding thread,
Ola kodukkaamalae oththa vazhi poneegalae
Without leaving behind even a written note, you departed down a lonely path.
Kodi thuni uduththu koottaththilae ninneenganaa
If you stood in a crowd wearing fine new clothes,
Kodi janam mayangum koodalooru kannu padum
A crore of people would swoon, and the whole town of Cuddalore would cast an evil eye.
Javuli kada adachchu jaadhi sanam vaayadachchu
Closing up textile shops and silencing all the townspeople,
Thaniyaa poreegalae en aasaiyulla ennavarae
You walk away all alone, oh my beloved man,
Aiyyaa mannavarae
Oh sir, my noble king!
Sirichcha mugaththazhagum sevantha odhattazhagum
The beauty of your smiling face and the beauty of your red lips,
Mayakkum kannazhagum vaaraatha sollazhagum
The beauty of your captivating eyes and the beauty of your wordless grace,
Ulla en mannavarae uththamarae nallavarae
Oh noble and good man, king dwelling in my heart,
Ukkaarntha edaththulaeyae usura maranthavarae
The one who lost his breath right where he sat,
Aiyyaa mannavarae
Oh sir, my noble king!
Kunguma pottu vachchaa kurukurunnu paappeegalae
When I placed a vermilion bindi, you would gaze at me with deep affection,
Manjathaan naan kulichchaa naathiriyaa nippeegalae
When I bathed in turmeric, you would stand around lost in admiration,
Malliyappoo naan mudichchaa mayangi muzhippeegalae
When I adorned my hair with jasmine flowers, you would look at me entranced,
Ennaannu pottu vaippaen
How can I wear a bindi anymore?
Eppadiththaan poo mudippaen neenga pona pinnaalae
How can I wear flowers in my hair now that you are gone?
Yaezhu ooru pannaiyilum unga polae aalaethu
Across the farms of seven villages, there is no man like you,
Intha mugam paakkaamae naaniruntha naalaethu
Was there ever a single day I lived without gazing at your face?
Thoongaa velakku vachchu thunaikku irunthavarae
You who stayed as my companion like a sleepless, ever-burning lamp,
Thaengaa odachchathu polae sillaa parantheegalae
You shattered and scattered away instantly, like a coconut cracked into pieces.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song is a heartbreaking traditional Tamil lament (Oppari) sung by a newly widowed woman mourning the sudden death of her husband. She eulogizes his magnificent appearance, gentle nature, and unmatched loving presence, recalling how he admired her when she wore traditional adornments like vermilion, turmeric, and jasmine blossoms. She expresses profound desolation, questioning how she can continue her traditional customs or live on without her partner, describing his abrupt demise as a catastrophic event that shattered her world like a coconut broken into splinters.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Thaengaa odachchathu polae sillaa parantheegalae”
Compares the suddenness and finality of her husband's death to a coconut breaking apart instantly into scattered splinters.
End Rhyme (Iyaibu)
“Naan vaazha kuruththazhagae / Vaatti vachcha ponnazhagae”
The repetitive use of the suffix '-azhagae' (beauty) at the end of multiple phrases in the opening lines creates a melancholic lyrical rhythm.
Hyperbole (Uvarchchi Ani)
“Kodi janam mayangum koodalooru kannu padum”
Exaggerates her husband's handsome features by claiming a crore of people would swoon and an entire city (Cuddalore) would cast an evil eye upon him.
Metaphor (Uruvagakani)
“Thoongaa velakku vachchu thunaikku irunthavarae”
Metaphorically compares her husband's constant supportive presence to a 'sleepless lamp' (thoongaa velakku) that illuminated her life.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track belongs to the traditional Tamil folk genre known as 'Oppari', an elegiac funeral song tradition where women improvise grief-stricken lyrics recounting the virtues, love, and life events of the deceased. Lyricist Panchu Arunachalam captured authentic rural dialect and imagery such as turmeric, jasmine, and local town names like Cuddalore to evoke intense raw emotion.
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