Nadhi Karai Orathu
From Kaadhal Kiligal · 1980
- Lyricist
- Muthulingam
- Singers
- K. J. Jesudass, S. P. Sailaja
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Kaadhal Kiligal1980
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae | Reeds on the riverbank, |
| En naayagan pugalai kelungalaen | Please listen to the glory of my hero! |
| Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae | Flowers that bloomed in the morning, |
| Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen | Sing in praise and bless our love! |
| Male | |
| Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae | Reeds on the riverbank, |
| En naayagi azhagai parungalaen | Look at the beauty of my heroine! |
| Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae | Flowers that bloomed in the morning, |
| Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen | Sing in praise and bless our love! |
| Female | |
| Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae | Reeds on the riverbank, |
| Male :En naayagi azhagai paarungalaen | Look at the beauty of my heroine! |
| Male | |
| Tharaiyai thodaatha thendralaipol | Like a gentle breeze that does not touch the ground, |
| Un thamarai padhangal nadappathenna | Why do your lotus-like feet walk like this? |
| Female :Kalyaana thaedhiyai kettavudan | Upon hearing the wedding date, |
| En kaalgal tharaiyai thodavillaiyae | My feet no longer touched the ground! |
| Male | |
| Karaiyai thodaatha alaigalaipol | Like waves that do not reach the shore, |
| Un karunguzhal kaigalil vizhuvathenna | Why does your dark hair fall into my hands? |
| Female :Kadhalan kaiyinil sugam peravae | To experience bliss in my lover's hands, |
| En koondhal sarinthu vizhunthathaiyyaa | My hair cascaded down, my dear! |
| Male | |
| Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae | Reeds on the riverbank, |
| Female :En naayagan pugalai kelungalaen | Please listen to the glory of my hero! |
| Male | |
| Gangaiyin sangamam kadalidaththil | The Ganges finds its confluence at the sea, |
| Intha kanniyin sangamam ennidaththil | And this maiden's confluence is right here with me! |
| Female :Semman bhoomiyil neer polae | Like rain water pouring on red soil, |
| En sinthai kalanthathu unnidaththil | My heart and mind have merged with yours! |
| Male | |
| Udhadugalaalae kadhai ezhuthi | Writing stories with my lips, |
| Ullaththai mayakkida naan varavaa | Shall I come to enchant your heart? |
| Female :Maalaiyum melamum varum varaikkum | Until the wedding garland and auspicious drums arrive, |
| Un manathai adakkavum mudiyaathaa | Can you not control your heart till then? |
| Male | |
| Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae | Reeds on the riverbank, |
| En naayagi azhagai parungalaen | Look at the beauty of my heroine! |
| Female :Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae | Flowers that bloomed in the morning, |
| Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen | Sing in praise and bless our love! |
நதிக்கரை ஓரத்து நாணல்களே
என் நாயகன் புகழை கேளுங்களேன்
காலையில் பூத்த புஷ்பங்களே
எங்கள் காதலை வாழ்த்தி பாடுங்களேன்
Reeds on the riverbank,
Please listen to the glory of my hero!
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Sing in praise and bless our love!
நதிக்கரை ஓரத்து நாணல்களே
என் நாயகி அழகை பாருங்களேன்
காலையில் பூத்த புஷ்பங்களே
எங்கள் காதலை வாழ்த்தி பாடுங்களேன்
Reeds on the riverbank,
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Sing in praise and bless our love!
நதிக்கரை ஓரத்து நாணல்களே
என் நாயகி அழகை பாருங்களேன்
Reeds on the riverbank,
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
தரையைத் தொடாத தென்றலைப்போல்
உன் தாமரைப் பாதங்கள் நடப்பதென்ன
கல்யாண தேதியை கேட்டவுடன்
என் கால்கள் தரையைத் தொடவில்லையே
Like a gentle breeze that does not touch the ground,
Why do your lotus-like feet walk like this?
Upon hearing the wedding date,
My feet no longer touched the ground!
கரையைத்தொடாத அலைகளைப்போல்
உன் கருங்குழல் கைகளில் விழுவதென்ன
காதலன் கையினில் சுகம் பெறவே
என் கூந்தல் சரிந்து விழுந்ததைய்யா
Like waves that do not reach the shore,
Why does your dark hair fall into my hands?
To experience bliss in my lover's hands,
My hair cascaded down, my dear!
நதிக்கரை ஓரத்து நாணல்களே
என் நாயகன் புகழை கேளுங்களேன்
Reeds on the riverbank,
Please listen to the glory of my hero!
கங்கையின் சங்கமம் கடலிடத்தில்
இந்த கன்னியின் சங்கமம் என்னிடத்தில்
செம்மண் பூமியில் நீர் போலே
என் சிந்தை கலந்தது உன்னிடத்தில்
The Ganges finds its confluence at the sea,
And this maiden's confluence is right here with me!
Like rain water pouring on red soil,
My heart and mind have merged with yours!
உதடுகளாலே கதை எழுதி
உள்ளத்தை மயக்கிட நான் வரவா
மாலையும் மேளமும் வரும் வரைக்கும்
உன் மனதை அடக்கவும் முடியாதா
Writing stories with my lips,
Shall I come to enchant your heart?
Until the wedding garland and auspicious drums arrive,
Can you not control your heart till then?
நதிக்கரை ஓரத்து நாணல்களே
என் நாயகி அழகை பாருங்களேன்
காலையில் பூத்த புஷ்பங்களே
எங்கள் காதலை வாழ்த்தி பாடுங்களேன்
Reeds on the riverbank,
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Sing in praise and bless our love!
...........................
Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae
Reeds on the riverbank,
En naayagan pugalai kelungalaen
Please listen to the glory of my hero!
Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen
Sing in praise and bless our love!
Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae
Reeds on the riverbank,
En naayagi azhagai parungalaen
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen
Sing in praise and bless our love!
Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae
Reeds on the riverbank,
Male :En naayagi azhagai paarungalaen
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
Tharaiyai thodaatha thendralaipol
Like a gentle breeze that does not touch the ground,
Un thamarai padhangal nadappathenna
Why do your lotus-like feet walk like this?
Female :Kalyaana thaedhiyai kettavudan
Upon hearing the wedding date,
En kaalgal tharaiyai thodavillaiyae
My feet no longer touched the ground!
Karaiyai thodaatha alaigalaipol
Like waves that do not reach the shore,
Un karunguzhal kaigalil vizhuvathenna
Why does your dark hair fall into my hands?
Female :Kadhalan kaiyinil sugam peravae
To experience bliss in my lover's hands,
En koondhal sarinthu vizhunthathaiyyaa
My hair cascaded down, my dear!
Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae
Reeds on the riverbank,
Female :En naayagan pugalai kelungalaen
Please listen to the glory of my hero!
Gangaiyin sangamam kadalidaththil
The Ganges finds its confluence at the sea,
Intha kanniyin sangamam ennidaththil
And this maiden's confluence is right here with me!
Female :Semman bhoomiyil neer polae
Like rain water pouring on red soil,
En sinthai kalanthathu unnidaththil
My heart and mind have merged with yours!
Udhadugalaalae kadhai ezhuthi
Writing stories with my lips,
Ullaththai mayakkida naan varavaa
Shall I come to enchant your heart?
Female :Maalaiyum melamum varum varaikkum
Until the wedding garland and auspicious drums arrive,
Un manathai adakkavum mudiyaathaa
Can you not control your heart till then?
Nadhikarai oraththu nanalgalae
Reeds on the riverbank,
En naayagi azhagai parungalaen
Look at the beauty of my heroine!
Female :Kaalaiyil pooththa pushbangalae
Flowers that bloomed in the morning,
Engal kadhalai vaazhththi paadungalaen
Sing in praise and bless our love!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Nadhikarai Oraththu Nanalgalae is a romantic duet where two lovers express their boundless joy and affection as they anticipate their upcoming wedding. Addressing nature around them—the riverbank reeds and morning flowers—they call upon the elements to bear witness to their union and sing praises of their love. The lyrics alternate between the hero admiring her graceful walk and flowing hair, and the heroine expressing how news of their wedding made her feel weightless with excitement. In the latter verses, the lyrics evoke classic Tamil romantic imagery, comparing the merging of their souls to the sacred confluence of rivers and the age-old Sangam metaphor of rain falling on red earth. The song balances passionate romance with playful teasing about waiting for the official wedding day.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Sangam Imagery / Simile (Upamai)
“Semman bhoomiyil neer polae / En sinthai kalanthathu unnidaththil”
The phrase 'Semman bhoomiyil neer polae' (Like water falling on red earth) directly references the classic Sangam poetry metaphor from Kuruntokai ('Sembula peyal neer pola'), illustrating two hearts merging seamlessly into one.
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Un thamarai padhangal nadappathenna”
'Thamarai padhangal' compares her feet directly to delicate lotus flowers.
Simile (Upamai)
“Tharaiyai thodaatha thendralaipol”
Compares her light, ethereal walking style to a soft wind floating without touching the earth.
Rhyme and Assonance (Etukai / Monai)
“Gangaiyin sangamam kadalidaththil / Intha kanniyin sangamam ennidaththil”
Use of matching internal rhyme and rhythmic balance across paired lines like 'Gangaiyin sangamam' and 'kanniyin sangamam'.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song's lyricist Muthulingam adapted the famous line 'Semman bhoomiyil neer polae' from Kuruntokai 40, one of the eight anthologies of Classical Tamil Sangam literature, bridging ancient poetic traditions with modern Tamil film music.
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