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Isaimozhi
En Selvame album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Naan Vaazha Kuruthu

From En Selvame · 1985

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
En Selvame
Movie release year
1985
Lyrics added on
10 Jan 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Naan vaazha kuruththazhagae
Vaatti vachcha ponnazhagae
En maalai kazhuththazhagae maththiyaana poovazhagae
Thaali nee mudikka thavamaa thavamirunthaen
Ola kodukkaamalae oththa vazhi poneegalae
Kodi thuni uduththu koottaththilae ninneenganaa
Kodi janam mayangum koodalooru kannu padum
Javuli kada adachchu jaadhi sanam vaayadachchu
Thaniyaa poreegalae en aasaiyulla ennavarae
Aiyyaa mannavarae
Sirichcha mugaththazhagum sevantha odhattazhagum
Mayakkum kannazhagum vaaraatha sollazhagum
Ulla en mannavarae uththamarae nallavarae
Ukkaarntha edaththulaeyae usura maranthavarae
Aiyyaa mannavarae
Kunguma pottu vachchaa kurukurunnu paappeegalae
Manjathaan naan kulichchaa naathiriyaa nippeegalae
Malliyappoo naan mudichchaa mayangi muzhippeegalae
Ennaannu pottu vaippaen
Eppadiththaan poo mudippaen neenga pona pinnaalae
Yaezhu ooru pannaiyilum unga polae aalaethu
Intha mugam paakkaamae naaniruntha naalaethu
Thoongaa velakku vachchu thunaikku irunthavarae
Thaengaa odachchathu polae sillaa parantheegalae
My tender beauty who was my whole life,
My precious beauty like pure refined gold,
My handsome one with the wedding garland, radiant like a midday blossom,
I prayed with all my heart for you to tie the thali (sacred wedding thread) on me,
Without even sending word, you walked away alone on that solitary path...
If you stood in a crowd dressed in brand-new clothes,
Countless people would be captivated, and the whole town would look on with envy,
Leaving the shops closed and our kinfolk struck dumb with grief,
You are going away all alone, my dearest husband,
Oh my lord, my king...
With the beauty of your smiling face and your red lips,
The charm of your enchanting eyes and your rare, sweet words,
Oh my king who had it all, you noble and good man,
You gave up your life right where you sat,
Oh my lord, my king...
Whenever I wore a red kumkum dot, you would gaze at me playfully,
Whenever I bathed in turmeric, you would stand by me with loving eyes,
Whenever I wore jasmine in my hair, you would stare at me, utterly enchanted,
Why should I ever wear a dot on my forehead now?
How can I ever wear flowers again, now that you are gone?...
Across the farmlands of seven towns, was there anyone like you?
Was there ever a day I lived without looking at your face?
You who kept a sleepless lamp burning and stayed by my side as my partner,
Like a shattered coconut, you broke into pieces and flew away,
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

Keep listening

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