Nenjukkul Sumantha
From Endraavathu Oru Naal · 2021
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Remya Nambeesan
- Music director
- N. R. Raghunanthan
- Details
- Endraavathu Oru Naal2021
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Nenjukkul sumandha | My son whom I carried in my heart, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you on my forehead. |
| Karbathil sumandha | My son whom I carried in my womb, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you within my eyes. |
| Female | |
| Karbathil sumandha kalathula | During the time I carried you in my womb, |
| Unna pathu maasathil paathuptten | I saw you within ten months. |
| Nenjukkul sumandhu nikkaiyilae | While I stand carrying you in my heart, |
| Endha kaalathil un mugam paarka poren | At what time will I get to see your face? |
| Female | |
| Ammaa nu koopida thaan | To call out 'Mother', |
| Sondha maadum rendu illa | There are no two cows of our own. |
| Maganae nu kupidavum | And to call out 'My son', |
| En pakkathilae neeyum illa | You are not by my side either. |
| Female | |
| Nenjukkul sumandha | My son whom I carried in my heart, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you on my forehead. |
| Karbathil sumandha | My son whom I carried in my womb, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you within my eyes. |
| Female | |
| Kula maanam kaakka thaan | Just to save our family honor, |
| Kulasaamiya vithuputten | I sold our family deity. |
| Thadumaarum polappukku | For this faltering life of ours, |
| En thangatha adagu vechen | I pledged my gold. |
| Female | |
| Kula maanam kaakka thaan | Just to save our family honor, |
| Kulasaamiya vithuputten | I sold our family deity. |
| Thadumaarum polappukku | For this faltering life of ours, |
| En thangatha adagu vechen | I pledged my gold. |
| Female | |
| Kanju kudikkiriyo | Are you drinking plain rice gruel? |
| Kaal vayiru pattiniyo | Or are you starving on a quarter-full stomach? |
| Kallu sumakkuriyo | Are you carrying heavy stones? |
| Kaiyu rendum kaaichirukko | Have both your hands formed calluses? |
| Female | |
| Azhuthu poi uranguriyo | Are you crying yourself to sleep? |
| Azhudhu uranguriyo | Are you sleeping after crying? |
| Artha jaamam kann muluchu | Waking up at midnight, |
| Ammaannu theduriyo | Are you searching and calling out 'Mother'? |
| Female | |
| Nenjukkul sumandha | My son whom I carried in my heart, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you on my forehead. |
| Karbathil sumandha | My son whom I carried in my womb, |
| En maganae unna | Oh my son, you, |
| Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae | I stand carrying you within my eyes. |
| Female | |
| Karbathil sumandha kalathula | During the time I carried you in my womb, |
| Unna pathu maasathil paathuptten | I saw you within ten months. |
| Nenjukkul sumandhu nikkaiyilae | While I stand carrying you in my heart, |
| Endha kaalathil un mugam paarka poren | At what time will I get to see your face? |
My son whom I carried in my heart,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
My son whom I carried in my womb,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
During the time I carried you in my womb,
I saw you within ten months.
While I stand carrying you in my heart,
At what time will I get to see your face?
To call out 'Mother',
There are no two cows of our own.
And to call out 'My son',
You are not by my side either.
My son whom I carried in my heart,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
My son whom I carried in my womb,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
Just to save our family honor,
I sold our family deity.
For this faltering life of ours,
I pledged my gold.
Just to save our family honor,
I sold our family deity.
For this faltering life of ours,
I pledged my gold.
Are you drinking plain rice gruel?
Or are you starving on a quarter-full stomach?
Are you carrying heavy stones?
Have both your hands formed calluses?
Are you crying yourself to sleep?
Are you sleeping after crying?
Waking up at midnight,
Are you searching and calling out 'Mother'?
My son whom I carried in my heart,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
My son whom I carried in my womb,
Oh my son, you,
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
During the time I carried you in my womb,
I saw you within ten months.
While I stand carrying you in my heart,
At what time will I get to see your face?
Nenjukkul sumandha
My son whom I carried in my heart,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
Karbathil sumandha
My son whom I carried in my womb,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
Karbathil sumandha kalathula
During the time I carried you in my womb,
Unna pathu maasathil paathuptten
I saw you within ten months.
Nenjukkul sumandhu nikkaiyilae
While I stand carrying you in my heart,
Endha kaalathil un mugam paarka poren
At what time will I get to see your face?
Ammaa nu koopida thaan
To call out 'Mother',
Sondha maadum rendu illa
There are no two cows of our own.
Maganae nu kupidavum
And to call out 'My son',
En pakkathilae neeyum illa
You are not by my side either.
Nenjukkul sumandha
My son whom I carried in my heart,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
Karbathil sumandha
My son whom I carried in my womb,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
Kula maanam kaakka thaan
Just to save our family honor,
Kulasaamiya vithuputten
I sold our family deity.
Thadumaarum polappukku
For this faltering life of ours,
En thangatha adagu vechen
I pledged my gold.
Kula maanam kaakka thaan
Just to save our family honor,
Kulasaamiya vithuputten
I sold our family deity.
Thadumaarum polappukku
For this faltering life of ours,
En thangatha adagu vechen
I pledged my gold.
Kanju kudikkiriyo
Are you drinking plain rice gruel?
Kaal vayiru pattiniyo
Or are you starving on a quarter-full stomach?
Kallu sumakkuriyo
Are you carrying heavy stones?
Kaiyu rendum kaaichirukko
Have both your hands formed calluses?
Azhuthu poi uranguriyo
Are you crying yourself to sleep?
Azhudhu uranguriyo
Are you sleeping after crying?
Artha jaamam kann muluchu
Waking up at midnight,
Ammaannu theduriyo
Are you searching and calling out 'Mother'?
Nenjukkul sumandha
My son whom I carried in my heart,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you on my forehead.
Karbathil sumandha
My son whom I carried in my womb,
En maganae unna
Oh my son, you,
Kannukull sumandhu nikkirenae
I stand carrying you within my eyes.
Karbathil sumandha kalathula
During the time I carried you in my womb,
Unna pathu maasathil paathuptten
I saw you within ten months.
Nenjukkul sumandhu nikkaiyilae
While I stand carrying you in my heart,
Endha kaalathil un mugam paarka poren
At what time will I get to see your face?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This heartbreaking song expresses a mother's profound sorrow and yearning after being separated from her child due to extreme poverty and circumstances beyond her control. She contrasts the certainty of pregnancy—where she knew she would see her baby in ten months—with the excruciating uncertainty of separation, not knowing when she will ever behold his face again. Her grief is compounded by the loss of her cattle, which served as family sustenance and pride. The mother constantly worries about her child's well-being, wondering if he is sleeping hungry, doing backbreaking physical labor that calluses his tender hands, or waking up crying for her in the dark. Vairamuthu's evocative lyrics paired with N. R. Raghunanthan's somber melody portray the raw emotional weight of maternal love enduring poverty and distance.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Karbathil sumandha kalathula”
Matching initial consonant sounds across words in lines, such as 'Karbathil' and 'Kannukull' or 'Kula maanam' and 'Kulasaamiya'.
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Nenjukkul sumandha / Nethiyil sumandhu”
Matching second letters across corresponding lines, as seen in 'Nenjukkul' (n-e-n) and 'Nethiyil' (n-e-t) / 'Karbathil' (k-a-r) and 'Kannukull' (k-a-n).
Uruvagamm (Metaphor)
“Nethiyil sumandhu nikkirenae”
Carrying her son on her forehead ('Nethiyil sumandhu') and in her eyes ('Kannukull sumandhu') symbolizes sacred reverence and constant remembrance.
Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Azhuthu poi uranguriyo / Azhudhu uranguriyo”
Repetition of emotional phrases like 'Azhuthu poi uranguriyo / Azhudhu uranguriyo' highlights the mother's intense anxiety regarding her child's suffering.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is featured in the 2021 drama film 'Endraavathu Oru Naal', which centers around the struggles of a rural family dealing with financial hardship and cattle loss. Actress-singer Remya Nambeesan lent her vocals to this track, capturing the rustic, folk-tinged lamentations of a grieving mother.
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