Neethana Nizhal
From Oru Ponnu Nenacha · 1989
- Lyricist
- S. A. Rajkumar
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- S. A. Rajkumar
- Details
- Oru Ponnu Nenacha1989
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Male | |
| Idhayangal seraamal | Without hearts uniting, |
| Sogam thaana | Is there only sorrow? |
| Iraivaa un vilaiyaattil | Oh God, in your divine game, |
| Laabam thaana | Is there any gain? |
| En kaadhal poyithaana | Is my love a lie? |
| Ellaamum meithaana | Is everything else the truth? |
| Male | |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Male | |
| Paruvangal dhoorum | Grown through every season, |
| Payiraana kaadhal | Love that was nurtured like a crop, |
| Pazhi vandha podhum | Even when blame fell upon it, |
| Uyiraana kaadhal | Love that remained as precious as life, |
| Vidhi vandhu paazhaachu | Destiny came and ruined it, |
| Veezhalukku neeraachu | It became like watering weeds! |
| Male | |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Male | |
| Mudiyaadha irvukku pozhudhaedhu | For a night that never ends, where is the dawn? |
| Puriyaadha vaazhkaikku badhil yaedhu | For an incomprehensible life, where is the answer? |
| Thudhi paadum manadhukku kuraiyaedhu | For a heart that sings praises, what flaw is there? |
| Thuyar endraal uravukku vazhiyaedhu | If there is sorrow, what path remains for relationships? |
| Male | |
| Sollaadha sogam | Unspoken sorrow |
| Nenjukkul paadum | Sings inside the heart, |
| Kallaana pennin | Searching for the heart |
| Ullathai thedum | Of a stone-hearted woman. |
| Kaalangal poyaachu | Time has passed away, |
| Kannoram neeraachu | Tears fill the corner of the eyes. |
| Male | |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Male | |
| Idhayangal seraamal | Without hearts uniting, |
| Sogam thaana | Is there only sorrow? |
| Iraivaa un vilaiyaattil | Oh God, in your divine game, |
| Laabam thaana | Is there any gain? |
| En kaadhal poyithaana | Is my love a lie? |
| Ellaamum meithaana | Is everything else the truth? |
| Male | |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
| Needhaana nizhal thaana | Is it really you, or just a shadow? |
| Ngyaayangal idhu thaana | Is this what justice is? |
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
இதயங்கள் சேராமல்
சோகம் தானா
இறைவா உன் விளையாட்டில்
லாபம் தானா
என் காதல் பொய்தானா
எல்லாமும் மெய்தானா
Without hearts uniting,
Is there only sorrow?
Oh God, in your divine game,
Is there any gain?
Is my love a lie?
Is everything else the truth?
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
உறவுக்கு நான் கண்ட சோலைகள்
பிரிவுக்கு அவள் தந்த ஜாகைகள்
கனவுக்குள் வீணாகும் காலங்கள்
கவிதைக்கு ஏனிந்த சாபங்கள்
Grown through every season,
Love that was nurtured like a crop,
Even when blame fell upon it,
Love that remained as precious as life,
Destiny came and ruined it,
It became like watering weeds!
பருவங்கள் தோறும்
பயிரான காதல்
பழி வந்த போதும்
உயிரான காதல்
விதி வந்து பாழாச்சு
விழலுக்கு நீராச்சு
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
For a night that never ends, where is the dawn?
For an incomprehensible life, where is the answer?
For a heart that sings praises, what flaw is there?
If there is sorrow, what path remains for relationships?
முடியாத இரவுக்கு பொழுதேது
புரியாத வாழ்க்கைக்கு பதிலேது
துதிப் பாடும் மனதுக்கு குறையேது
துயர் என்றால் உறவுக்கு வழியேது
Unspoken sorrow
Sings inside the heart,
Searching for the heart
Of a stone-hearted woman.
Time has passed away,
Tears fill the corner of the eyes.
சொல்லாத சோகம்
நெஞ்சுக்குள் பாடும்
கல்லான பெண்ணின்
உள்ளத்தை தேடும்
காலங்கள் போயாச்சு
கண்ணோரம் நீராச்சு
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
Without hearts uniting,
Is there only sorrow?
Oh God, in your divine game,
Is there any gain?
Is my love a lie?
Is everything else the truth?
இதயங்கள் சேராமல்
சோகம் தானா
இறைவா உன் விளையாட்டில்
லாபம் தானா
என் காதல் பொய்தானா
எல்லாமும் மெய்தானா
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Is this what justice is?
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
நீதானா நிழல் தானா
ஞாயங்கள் இதுதானா
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Idhayangal seraamal
Without hearts uniting,
Sogam thaana
Is there only sorrow?
Iraivaa un vilaiyaattil
Oh God, in your divine game,
Laabam thaana
Is there any gain?
En kaadhal poyithaana
Is my love a lie?
Ellaamum meithaana
Is everything else the truth?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Paruvangal dhoorum
Grown through every season,
Payiraana kaadhal
Love that was nurtured like a crop,
Pazhi vandha podhum
Even when blame fell upon it,
Uyiraana kaadhal
Love that remained as precious as life,
Vidhi vandhu paazhaachu
Destiny came and ruined it,
Veezhalukku neeraachu
It became like watering weeds!
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Mudiyaadha irvukku pozhudhaedhu
For a night that never ends, where is the dawn?
Puriyaadha vaazhkaikku badhil yaedhu
For an incomprehensible life, where is the answer?
Thudhi paadum manadhukku kuraiyaedhu
For a heart that sings praises, what flaw is there?
Thuyar endraal uravukku vazhiyaedhu
If there is sorrow, what path remains for relationships?
Sollaadha sogam
Unspoken sorrow
Nenjukkul paadum
Sings inside the heart,
Kallaana pennin
Searching for the heart
Ullathai thedum
Of a stone-hearted woman.
Kaalangal poyaachu
Time has passed away,
Kannoram neeraachu
Tears fill the corner of the eyes.
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Idhayangal seraamal
Without hearts uniting,
Sogam thaana
Is there only sorrow?
Iraivaa un vilaiyaattil
Oh God, in your divine game,
Laabam thaana
Is there any gain?
En kaadhal poyithaana
Is my love a lie?
Ellaamum meithaana
Is everything else the truth?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Needhaana nizhal thaana
Is it really you, or just a shadow?
Ngyaayangal idhu thaana
Is this what justice is?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This melancholic song captures the deep anguish of heartbreak and helplessness against destiny. The speaker laments the painful separation from his beloved, questioning whether the love they shared was real or merely an illusion. He expresses grief over how love, carefully nurtured across seasons like a crop, was ultimately ruined by fate, comparing the wasted emotion to watering useless weeds. Through unanswered philosophical questions directed at God and fate, the song conveys the sorrow of loving someone who has turned cold and distant.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Payiraana kaadhal / Veezhalukku neeraachu”
Comparing love to a cultivated crop ('payiraana kaadhal') and wasted devotion to watering weeds ('veezhalukku neeraachu').
Rhetorical Question
“Needhaana nizhal thaana / Ngyaayangal idhu thaana”
Frequent use of unanswered questions ('thaana', 'yaedhu') to emphasize disillusionment, despair, and existential questioning.
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Vidhi vandhu paazhaachu / Veezhalukku neeraachu”
Rhyming of the second consonant/letter across consecutive lines ('Vidhi' / 'Veezhal').
Did you know?
Trivia
'Oru Ponnu Nenacha' (1989) featured music composed by S. A. Rajkumar, who also penned the lyrics for this emotional song rendered by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
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