Nilaave Vaa
From Mouna Ragam · 1986
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Mouna Ragam1986
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Aah aha…aaa..aa ahaa | Aah aha... aaa.. aa ahaa |
| Aaa aaa….aaa.. | Aaa aaa.... aaa.. |
| Aah aha…ah aha aaa…. | Aah aha... ah aha aaa.... |
| Aah ah….aha ha aaa | Aah ah.... aha ha aaa |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa… | Come, oh moon... |
| Sellaadhae vaa | Do not leave, come to me |
| Ennaalum un | Forever and always, I am |
| Ponvaanam naan | Your golden sky |
| Enai needhaan pirindhaalum | Even if you separate yourself from me, |
| Ninaivaalae anaippen | I will embrace you in my memories |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa… | Come, oh moon... |
| Sellaadhae vaa.. | Do not leave, come to me.. |
| Male | |
| Kaveriyaa kaanal neeraa | Are you the flowing Kaveri river, or a mirage? |
| Pennae enna unmai | Oh girl, what is the truth? |
| Mulveliyaa mullaippoovaa | Are you a thorny fence, or a jasmine flower? |
| Sollu… konjam nillu… | Tell me... stop for a moment... |
| Male | |
| Ammaadiyo needhaan | Oh my, you are indeed |
| Innum siru pillai | Still a young child at heart |
| Thangaadhamma nenjam | My heart cannot bear |
| Neeyum sonna sollai | The harsh words that you spoke |
| Male | |
| Poondhaenae needhaanae | Sweet honey of a flower, weren't you the one |
| Sollil vaiththaai mullai | Who placed thorns in your speech? |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa… | Come, oh moon... |
| Sellaadhae vaa | Do not leave, come to me |
| Male | |
| Poonjoalaiyil vaadai kaatrum aada | As the chilly north wind dances in the flower garden, |
| Sandham paada… | Singing a sweet rhythm... |
| Koodaadhendru koorum poovum aedhu | Is there any flower on this earth |
| Mannin meedhu… | Upon the ground, that says it is forbidden? |
| Male | |
| Orae oru paarvai | Just a single glance, |
| Thandhaal enna thaenae | What if you give me, sweet honey? |
| Orae oru vaarthai | Just a single word, |
| Sonnaal enna maanae | What if you speak to me, my gentle deer? |
| Male | |
| Aghaayam thaangaadha | Is there any cloud that the sky |
| Megham aedhu kannae | Cannot hold or bear, my dear? |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa… | Come, oh moon... |
| Sellaadhae vaa | Do not leave, come to me |
| Ennaalum un | Forever and always, I am |
| Ponvaanam naan | Your golden sky |
| Enai needhaan pirindhaalum | Even if you separate yourself from me, |
| Ninaivaalae anaippen | I will embrace you in my memories |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa… | Come, oh moon... |
| Sellaadhae vaa.. | Do not leave, come to me.. |
| Ennaalum un | Forever and always, I am |
| Ponvaanam naan | Your golden sky |
.............................
Aah aha... aaa.. aa ahaa
Aaa aaa.... aaa..
Aah aha... ah aha aaa....
Aah ah.... aha ha aaa
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
எந்நாளும் உன்
பொன்வானம் நான்
எனை நீ தான் பிரிந்தாலும்
நினைவாலே அணைப்பேன்
Come, oh moon...
Do not leave, come to me
Forever and always, I am
Your golden sky
Even if you separate yourself from me,
I will embrace you in my memories
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
Come, oh moon...
Do not leave, come to me..
காவேரியா
கானல் நீரா பெண்ணே
என்ன உண்மை
முள்வேலியா
முல்லைப்பூவா
சொல்லு கொஞ்சம்
நில்லு
Are you the flowing Kaveri river, or a mirage?
Oh girl, what is the truth?
Are you a thorny fence, or a jasmine flower?
Tell me... stop for a moment...
அம்மாடியோ
நீ தான் இன்னும் சிறு்
பிள்ளை தாங்காதம்மா
நெஞ்சம் நீயும் சொன்ன
சொல்லை
Oh my, you are indeed
Still a young child at heart
My heart cannot bear
The harsh words that you spoke
பூந்தேனே நீ
தானே சொல்லில்
வைத்தாய் முள்ளை
Sweet honey of a flower, weren't you the one
Who placed thorns in your speech?
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
Come, oh moon...
Do not leave, come to me
பூஞ்சோலையில்
வாடைக்காற்றும் ஆட
சந்தம் பாட கூடாதென்று
கூறும் பூவும் ஏது மண்ணின்
மீது
As the chilly north wind dances in the flower garden,
Singing a sweet rhythm...
Is there any flower on this earth
Upon the ground, that says it is forbidden?
ஒரே ஒரு பார்வை
தந்தால் என்ன தேனே ஒரே
ஒரு வார்த்தை சொன்னால்
என்ன மானே
Just a single glance,
What if you give me, sweet honey?
Just a single word,
What if you speak to me, my gentle deer?
ஆகாயம் தாங்காத
மேகம் ஏது கண்ணே
Is there any cloud that the sky
Cannot hold or bear, my dear?
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
எந்நாளும் உன்
பொன்வானம் நான்
எனை நீ தான் பிரிந்தாலும்
நினைவாலே அணைப்பேன்
Come, oh moon...
Do not leave, come to me
Forever and always, I am
Your golden sky
Even if you separate yourself from me,
I will embrace you in my memories
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
எந்நாளும் உன்
பொன்வானம் நான்
Come, oh moon...
Do not leave, come to me..
Forever and always, I am
Your golden sky
Aah aha…aaa..aa ahaa
Aah aha... aaa.. aa ahaa
Aaa aaa….aaa..
Aaa aaa.... aaa..
Aah aha…ah aha aaa….
Aah aha... ah aha aaa....
Aah ah….aha ha aaa
Aah ah.... aha ha aaa
Nilaavae vaa…
Come, oh moon...
Sellaadhae vaa
Do not leave, come to me
Ennaalum un
Forever and always, I am
Ponvaanam naan
Your golden sky
Enai needhaan pirindhaalum
Even if you separate yourself from me,
Ninaivaalae anaippen
I will embrace you in my memories
Nilaavae vaa…
Come, oh moon...
Sellaadhae vaa..
Do not leave, come to me..
Kaveriyaa kaanal neeraa
Are you the flowing Kaveri river, or a mirage?
Pennae enna unmai
Oh girl, what is the truth?
Mulveliyaa mullaippoovaa
Are you a thorny fence, or a jasmine flower?
Sollu… konjam nillu…
Tell me... stop for a moment...
Ammaadiyo needhaan
Oh my, you are indeed
Innum siru pillai
Still a young child at heart
Thangaadhamma nenjam
My heart cannot bear
Neeyum sonna sollai
The harsh words that you spoke
Poondhaenae needhaanae
Sweet honey of a flower, weren't you the one
Sollil vaiththaai mullai
Who placed thorns in your speech?
Nilaavae vaa…
Come, oh moon...
Sellaadhae vaa
Do not leave, come to me
Poonjoalaiyil vaadai kaatrum aada
As the chilly north wind dances in the flower garden,
Sandham paada…
Singing a sweet rhythm...
Koodaadhendru koorum poovum aedhu
Is there any flower on this earth
Mannin meedhu…
Upon the ground, that says it is forbidden?
Orae oru paarvai
Just a single glance,
Thandhaal enna thaenae
What if you give me, sweet honey?
Orae oru vaarthai
Just a single word,
Sonnaal enna maanae
What if you speak to me, my gentle deer?
Aghaayam thaangaadha
Is there any cloud that the sky
Megham aedhu kannae
Cannot hold or bear, my dear?
Nilaavae vaa…
Come, oh moon...
Sellaadhae vaa
Do not leave, come to me
Ennaalum un
Forever and always, I am
Ponvaanam naan
Your golden sky
Enai needhaan pirindhaalum
Even if you separate yourself from me,
Ninaivaalae anaippen
I will embrace you in my memories
Nilaavae vaa…
Come, oh moon...
Sellaadhae vaa..
Do not leave, come to me..
Ennaalum un
Forever and always, I am
Ponvaanam naan
Your golden sky
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Nilaave Vaa' is an iconic romantic ballad from Mani Ratnam's 1986 classic film 'Mouna Ragam'. Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, and written by Vaali, the song captures a husband's tender plea to his emotionally distant wife. The protagonist addresses his beloved as the moon ('Nilaavu') and views himself as her eternal golden sky ('Ponvaanam'), promising that even if distance separates them physically, he will hold her close through his memories. The lyrics combine emotional vulnerability, poetic longing, and subtle playfulness. Using stark contrasts from nature—like comparing her behavior to the flowing Kaveri river versus a mirage, or a delicate jasmine flower versus a thorny fence—he begs for just a single look or word of warmth, reassuring her that his love and patience are boundless.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)
“Nilaavae vaa… / Ponvaanam naan”
The beloved is metaphorically addressed as the moon ('Nilaavu'), while the lover positions himself as the overarching golden sky ('Ponvaanam') that envelopes her.
Antithesis / Oxymoron (Muran)
“Kaveriyaa kaanal neeraa / Mulveliyaa mullaippoovaa”
Vaali uses contrasting imagery—Kaveri (refreshing, life-giving water) vs. Kaanal neer (illusion/mirage), and Mulveli (thorny barrier) vs. Mullaippoo (fragrant, soft jasmine flower)—to reflect the heroine's contradictory and emotionally distant nature.
Monai (First-letter Alliteration)
“Orae oru paarvai / Orae oru vaarthai”
Repetition of the starting sound 'Orae' across consecutive lines creates rhythmic flow and emphasizes the speaker's modest request for just 'one glance' or 'one word'.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Kaveriyaa... / Mulveliyaa...”
The second consonant sound 'va' / 'lva' harmonizes across lines, giving Tamil lyrical verse its classic structural cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
Although the prompt context lists the composer and singer as unknown, 'Nilaave Vaa' is one of the most famous compositions by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. In Mani Ratnam's 'Mouna Ragam' (1986), this track plays at a key narrative point where Mohan (Chandrakumar) tries to win over Revathi (Divya), who is hesitant to accept their arranged marriage.
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