Nilave Vaa Selathe 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 aaa aaa aaa….aaa.. | Aah aha... aaa.. aa aaa aaa aaa... aaa.. |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa..aaa… | Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come... |
| Ennaalum..un ponvaanam naan | Forever, I am your golden sky. |
| Enai needhaan pirindhaalum ninaivaalae anaithen | Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories. |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa…. | Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come... |
| Male | |
| Kaaveriyaa kaanal neeraa pennae enna unmai | Are you the river Kaveri or a mirage? Oh girl, what is the truth? |
| Mulveliyaa mullaipoovaa sollu konjam nillu | Are you a barbed fence or a jasmine flower? Tell me, wait a moment. |
| Ammaadiyo needhaan innum siru pillai | Oh dear, you are still such a young child. |
| Thangaadhamma nenjam neeyum sonna sollai | My heart cannot bear the harsh words you spoke. |
| Poondhenae… needhanae… sollil vaithaai mullai | Oh flower honey... was it really you who placed thorns in your words? |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa…. | Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come... |
| Male | |
| Poonjoolaiyil vaadai kaatrum aada sandham paada | When the chilly northern wind dances and sings a rhythm in the flower garden, |
| Koodaadhendru koorum poovum yedhu mannin meedhu | Is there any flower on this earth that says 'do not'? |
| Orae oru paarvai thandhaal enna thaenae | What harm would it do if you give me just one glance, my sweet honey? |
| Orae oru vaarthai sonnaal enna maanae | What harm would it do if you speak just one word, my gentle deer? |
| Aghaayam…thaangaadha megham yedhu kannae | Is there any cloud that the vast sky cannot hold, my dear? |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa..aaa… | Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come... |
| Ennaalum..un ponvaanam naan | Forever, I am your golden sky. |
| Enai needhaan pirindhaalum ninaivaalae anaithen | Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories. |
| Male | |
| Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa…. | Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come... |
| Ennaalum un ponvaanam naan…. | Forever, I am your golden sky.... |
ஆஆ ஆஆ ஆஆ
ஆஆ ஆஆ ஆஆ ஆஆ
ஆஆ
Aah aha... aaa.. aa aaa aaa aaa... aaa..
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா எந்நாளும்
உன் பொன் வானம் நான்
என்னை நீ தான் பிரிந்தாலும்
நினைவாலே அணைத்தேன்
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Forever, I am your golden sky.
Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories.
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
காவேரியா கானல்
நீரா பெண்ணே என்ன உண்மை
முள்வேலியா முல்லை பூவா
சொல்லு கொஞ்சம் நில்லு
அம்மாடியோ நீ தான் இன்னும்
சிறு பிள்ளை தாங்காதம்மா
நெஞ்சம் நீயும் சொன்ன சொல்லை
பூந்தேனே நீ தானே சொல்லில்
வைத்தாய் முள்ளை
Are you the river Kaveri or a mirage? Oh girl, what is the truth?
Are you a barbed fence or a jasmine flower? Tell me, wait a moment.
Oh dear, you are still such a young child.
My heart cannot bear the harsh words you spoke.
Oh flower honey... was it really you who placed thorns in your words?
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
பூஞ்சோலையில்
வாடை காற்றும் ஆட
சந்தம் பாட கூடாதென்று
கூறும் பூவும் ஏது மண்ணின்
மீது ஒரே ஒரு பார்வை தந்தால்
என்ன தேனே ஒரே ஒரு வார்த்தை
சொன்னால் என்ன மானே
ஆகாயம் தாங்காத மேகம்
ஏது கண்ணே
When the chilly northern wind dances and sings a rhythm in the flower garden,
Is there any flower on this earth that says 'do not'?
What harm would it do if you give me just one glance, my sweet honey?
What harm would it do if you speak just one word, my gentle deer?
Is there any cloud that the vast sky cannot hold, my dear?
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா எந்நாளும்
உன் பொன் வானம் நான்
என்னை நீ தான் பிரிந்தாலும்
நினைவாலே அணைத்தேன்
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Forever, I am your golden sky.
Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories.
நிலாவே வா
செல்லாதே வா எந்நாளும்
உன் பொன் வானம் நான்
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Forever, I am your golden sky....
Aah aha…aaa..aa aaa aaa aaa….aaa..
Aah aha... aaa.. aa aaa aaa aaa... aaa..
Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa..aaa…
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Ennaalum..un ponvaanam naan
Forever, I am your golden sky.
Enai needhaan pirindhaalum ninaivaalae anaithen
Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories.
Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa….
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Kaaveriyaa kaanal neeraa pennae enna unmai
Are you the river Kaveri or a mirage? Oh girl, what is the truth?
Mulveliyaa mullaipoovaa sollu konjam nillu
Are you a barbed fence or a jasmine flower? Tell me, wait a moment.
Ammaadiyo needhaan innum siru pillai
Oh dear, you are still such a young child.
Thangaadhamma nenjam neeyum sonna sollai
My heart cannot bear the harsh words you spoke.
Poondhenae… needhanae… sollil vaithaai mullai
Oh flower honey... was it really you who placed thorns in your words?
Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa….
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Poonjoolaiyil vaadai kaatrum aada sandham paada
When the chilly northern wind dances and sings a rhythm in the flower garden,
Koodaadhendru koorum poovum yedhu mannin meedhu
Is there any flower on this earth that says 'do not'?
Orae oru paarvai thandhaal enna thaenae
What harm would it do if you give me just one glance, my sweet honey?
Orae oru vaarthai sonnaal enna maanae
What harm would it do if you speak just one word, my gentle deer?
Aghaayam…thaangaadha megham yedhu kannae
Is there any cloud that the vast sky cannot hold, my dear?
Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa..aaa…
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Ennaalum..un ponvaanam naan
Forever, I am your golden sky.
Enai needhaan pirindhaalum ninaivaalae anaithen
Even if you separate from me, I have embraced you in my memories.
Nilaavae vaa sellaadhae vaa….
Oh moon, please come, do not go away, come...
Ennaalum un ponvaanam naan….
Forever, I am your golden sky....
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Nilaave Vaa is a deeply emotional romantic song from Mani Ratnam's acclaimed film Mouna Ragam (1986). In this scene, the protagonist Chandrakumar gently addresses his newly wedded wife Divya, who remains distant, hurt, and emotionally reserved due to her past trauma. He lovingly addresses her as the moon and himself as her eternal golden sky, offering unconditional love and patient acceptance despite her painful words and emotional distance. Through vivid imagery comparing her to a sweet flower, a river, or a thorned fence, he gently urges her to let down her guard and share even a single soft word or glance. The song captures the delicate balance between unrequited longing and selfless affection, establishing his commitment to support her regardless of whether she reciprocates his love immediately.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Ennaalum..un ponvaanam naan”
The speaker compares himself to a 'ponvaanam' (golden sky) that eternally cradles the 'nilaa' (moon/heroine).
Muran (Antithesis)
“Kaaveriyaa kaanal neeraa pennae enna unmai”
Contrasts 'Kaaveri' (a real, life-giving river) with 'kaanal neer' (a mirage) to highlight the speaker's confusion over her true nature.
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Mulveliyaa mullaipoovaa sollu konjam nillu”
Repetition of the initial 'Mu' sound in 'Mulveliyaa' and 'mullaipoovaa'.
Metaphor
“Poondhenae… needhanae… sollil vaithaai mullai”
Compares her tender words containing sharp rejection to 'mullai' (thorns) hidden inside sweet honey.
Iyaipu (Rhyme)
“Orae oru paarvai thandhaal enna thaenae / Orae oru vaarthai sonnaal enna maanae”
Ending words 'thaenae' and 'maanae' create a pleasing rhyming effect across consecutive lines.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung by the legendary S. P. Balasubrahmanyam with lyrics by Vaali, 'Nilaave Vaa' is considered one of Tamil cinema's timeless romantic solos. Ilaiyaraaja's composition effectively utilizes Western classical horn sections and dynamic rhythm arrangements to reflect Mohan's character's dignity and gentle persistence in the film Mouna Ragam.
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