Nallathor Veenai
From Marupadiyum · 1993
- Lyricist
- Ravi Bharathi
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Marupadiyum1993
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
| Female | |
| Solladi sivasakthi | Tell me, O Sivasakthi! |
| Sudar migum arivudan | With brilliant intellect, |
| Ennai padaithaai | You created me. |
| Solladi sivasakthi sudarmigum arivudan | Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect, |
| Ennai padaithaai nee | You created me. |
| Female | |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
| Female | |
| Poo maalai orr thozhil thaan | A woman wished to place a flower garland |
| Poda ninaithaal pen | On a single pair of shoulders, |
| Pottaalum poo maalaikkor | Yet even if placed, for that flower garland, |
| Porulum illaiyae | Is there no value at all? |
| Female | |
| Naal oru thozhinil | On shoulders that change |
| Maalaiyai maatridum | Their garland every single day, |
| Aan kooda pen vaazhvatha | Is a woman meant to live with such a man? |
| Adhai naamum panbenbatha | And shall we call that culture or virtue? |
| Idhu nyaayama | Is this justice? |
| Female | |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
| Female | |
| Aanandha neerodaiyil | In a stream of bliss, |
| Aada ninaithen naan | I wished to play. |
| Naan paartha gothavari | Was the Godavari river I saw |
| Kaanal variyaa… | Just a mirage? |
| Female | |
| Thaai manai agandrathum | Leaving my mother's home, |
| Thalaivanai adainthathum | And reaching my husband's side, |
| Naan seidha theermaanam thaan | Was my own decision. |
| Adharkintha sanmaanam thaan | Is this the reward for that decision? |
| Avamaanam thaan | It is pure humiliation! |
| Female | |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
| Solladi sivasakthi sudarmigum arivudan | Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect, |
| Ennai padaithaai nee | You created me. |
| Nallathor veenai seithae | Having crafted a fine veena, |
| Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo | Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined? |
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி
சுடர்மிகும் அறிவுடன்
என்னைப் படைத்தாய்
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி சுடர்மிகும் அறிவுடன்
என்னைப் படைத்தாய் நீ
Tell me, O Sivasakthi!
With brilliant intellect,
You created me.
Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect,
You created me.
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
பூ மாலை ஓர் தோளில் தான்
போட நினைத்தாள் பெண்
போட்டாலும் பூமாலைக்கோர்
பொருளும் இல்லையே
A woman wished to place a flower garland
On a single pair of shoulders,
Yet even if placed, for that flower garland,
Is there no value at all?
நாள் ஒரு தோளினில்
மாலையை மாற்றிடும்
ஆண் கூட பெண் வாழ்வதா
அதை நாமும் பண்பென்பதா
இது நியாயமா
On shoulders that change
Their garland every single day,
Is a woman meant to live with such a man?
And shall we call that culture or virtue?
Is this justice?
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
ஆனந்த நீரோடையில்
ஆட நினைத்தேன் நான்
நான் பார்த்த கோதாவரி
கானல் வரியா
In a stream of bliss,
I wished to play.
Was the Godavari river I saw
Just a mirage?
தாய் மனை அகன்றதும்
தலைவனை அடைந்ததும்
நான் செய்த தீர்மானம் தான்
அதற்கிந்த சன்மானம் தான்
அவமானம் தான்
Leaving my mother's home,
And reaching my husband's side,
Was my own decision.
Is this the reward for that decision?
It is pure humiliation!
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
சொல்லடி சிவசக்தி சுடர்மிகும் அறிவுடன்
என்னைப் படைத்தாய் நீ
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect,
You created me.
Having crafted a fine veena,
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
நல்லதோர் வீணை செய்தே
அதை நலங்கெட புழுதியில் எறிவதுண்டோ
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Solladi sivasakthi
Tell me, O Sivasakthi!
Sudar migum arivudan
With brilliant intellect,
Ennai padaithaai
You created me.
Solladi sivasakthi sudarmigum arivudan
Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect,
Ennai padaithaai nee
You created me.
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Poo maalai orr thozhil thaan
A woman wished to place a flower garland
Poda ninaithaal pen
On a single pair of shoulders,
Pottaalum poo maalaikkor
Yet even if placed, for that flower garland,
Porulum illaiyae
Is there no value at all?
Naal oru thozhinil
On shoulders that change
Maalaiyai maatridum
Their garland every single day,
Aan kooda pen vaazhvatha
Is a woman meant to live with such a man?
Adhai naamum panbenbatha
And shall we call that culture or virtue?
Idhu nyaayama
Is this justice?
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Aanandha neerodaiyil
In a stream of bliss,
Aada ninaithen naan
I wished to play.
Naan paartha gothavari
Was the Godavari river I saw
Kaanal variyaa…
Just a mirage?
Thaai manai agandrathum
Leaving my mother's home,
Thalaivanai adainthathum
And reaching my husband's side,
Naan seidha theermaanam thaan
Was my own decision.
Adharkintha sanmaanam thaan
Is this the reward for that decision?
Avamaanam thaan
It is pure humiliation!
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Solladi sivasakthi sudarmigum arivudan
Tell me, O Sivasakthi, with brilliant intellect,
Ennai padaithaai nee
You created me.
Nallathor veenai seithae
Having crafted a fine veena,
Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo
Would anyone throw it in the dust to be ruined?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song expresses deep emotional anguish, betrayal, and a woman's struggle against societal injustice in marriage. Drawing inspiration from Mahakavi Subramania Bharati's famous lines, the female protagonist questions the divine force (Sivasakthi) on why she was blessed with intellect, beauty, and emotional depth only to be cast into the dust of heartbreak and dishonor by an unfaithful partner. She questions the traditional virtues that bind a faithful woman to a man who treats relationships casually, comparing her cherished hopes to a river that turned out to be a mere mirage. Reflecting on her conscious decision to leave her maternal home for her husband, she laments that her choice resulted in humiliation rather than the loving union she envisioned.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvameya / Rupakam)
“Nallathor veenai seithae adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo”
Compares the human spirit and intellect to a finely crafted musical instrument (Veena) that deserves to be cherished rather than wasted in dirt.
Rhetorical Question (Prashna)
“Adhai nalangeda puzhuthiyil erivathundo”
The speaker asks divine powers if it makes sense to create something beautiful only to destroy it, emphasizing helplessness and frustration.
Metaphor
“Naan paartha gothavari kaanal variyaa”
Compares expectation of marital happiness to the Godavari river and its harsh reality to a illusionary mirage (Kaanal vari).
Ethirai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Poo maalai orr thozhil thaan / Poda ninaithaal pen”
The second consonant sound matches across lines, creating rhythmic symmetry (Poo / Po; Naal / Maalai).
Did you know?
Trivia
The opening refrain of this song directly adopts the iconic lines from Mahakavi Subramania Bharati's poem 'Nallathor Veenai Seithae'. In Balu Mahendra's 1993 film 'Marupadiyum', the song was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung by S. Janaki, capturing the central protagonist's pain upon discovering her husband's infidelity.
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