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Nadhi Ondru Karai Moondru album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Nadhi Ondru Karai Moondru

From Nadhi Ondru Karai Moondru · 1981

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. L. Maharajan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Nadhi Ondru Karai Moondru
Movie release year
1981
Lyrics added on
11 Jun 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
Kavi ezhuthi paarkkuthammaa
Kannaaru kann aaru
Kanniyival azhaginukkae
Kannaeru kannaeru
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
Sengumatha pani vaayil
Thaen sidharum ponnaruvi
Thendralilae paranthapadi
Rasikkuthammaa oru kuruvi
Pongi varum kadal nurai pol
Pooththu nirkkum perazhagi
Bodhaiyilae mithakkuthammaa
Paavaiyaval perezhuthi
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
Koottinilae irunthapadi
Kulavuthammaa maadappuraa
Kaattinilae ulavuthammaa
Kadhalikkum jodi puraa
Theettuthammaa oviyaththai
Thedi nirkkum vannappuraa
Sevai seiyya parakkuthammaa
Vayal veliyil chinnapuraa
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
Paruvam vantha sirukkathaiyai
Yaar ezhuthi mudippaaro
Paal vadiyum thaamaraiyai
Yaar inimel parippaaro
Moovarilae evar inimel
Nadhiyinilae kulippaaro
Mogaththilae mei maranthu
Karaiyinil yaar nirppaaro…
Nadhi ondru karai moondru
Naayaganin vilaiyaadal
Oru moondru idhayangal
Paaduvathu oru paadal
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
It writes a poem and gazes,
Six eyes flowing like streams.
At the beauty of this young girl,
Struck by the evil eye, oh the evil eye...
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
From her red-lily dewy lips,
A golden waterfall of honey spills.
Gliding along the gentle breeze,
A little bird drinks in the delight.
Like surging sea foam,
A great beauty stands in full bloom.
Floating in a sweet trance,
Writing the name of this lovely girl...
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
Resting inside its nest,
A sheltered dove coos with love.
Roaming through the woods,
A loving pair of doves.
Painting a portrait,
A colorful dove waits and searches.
Flying out to serve,
A little dove across the open fields.
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
This short story of coming of age,
Who will write its ending?
This tender lotus fresh as milk,
Who will pluck it now?
Among the three, who from now on
Will bathe in this river?
Lost in desire and forgetting oneself,
Who will be left standing on the shore?
One river with three banks,
A playful game of the Lord.
Three different hearts,
Singing a single song.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song uses the striking metaphor of a single river bounded by three banks to represent a complex emotional tangle involving three lives intertwined around one central persona or fate. Kannadasan frames this intricate human situation as a divine sport ('Naayaganin Vilaiyaadal') where three hearts share a common destiny and express the same emotional melody. Through rich pastoral imagery featuring doves, flowers, dew, and ocean foam, the lyricist illustrates the grace of youth, romance, and the philosophical query of who among the three will ultimately find fulfillment in this journey of love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvakam)

“Nadhi ondru karai moondru”

Comparing a complex relational conflict to a physical impossibility: a river having three shores ('Nadhi ondru karai moondru').

Moanai (Initial Assonance / Alliteration)

“Nadhi ondru karai moondru / Naayaganin vilaiyaadal”

The recurrence of initial consonant 'N' sounds in consecutive lines ('Nadhi' / 'Naayaganin').

Iyaibu (End Rhyme / Wordplay)

“Kannaaru kann aaru / Kannaeru kannaeru”

A clever pun and rhyming play between 'Kannaaru' (river of eyes/tears) and 'Kannaeru' (evil eye).

Upama (Simile)

“Pongi varum kadal nurai pol / Pooththu nirkkum perazhagi”

Comparing the girl's blooming beauty to the rising foam of the ocean ('kadal nurai pol').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song title matches the name of the 1981 film 'Nadhi Ondru Karai Moondru', directed by P. Madhavan and starring Sujatha, Jaishankar, and Vijayakumar. Lyricist Kannadasan cleverly captured the plot's central multi-cornered relationship by coining the paradoxical image of a three-banked river, set to a melodious score by M. S. Viswanathan.

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