- Lyricist
- Ilayakamban
- Singer
- Sujatha
- Music director
- S. A. Rajkumar
- Movie name
- Maayi
- Movie release year
- 2000
- Lyrics added on
- 14 May 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Nilavae Vaan Nilavae is a soulful melody from the film Maayi (2000), composed by S. A. Rajkumar and sung by Sujatha. The heroine addresses the moon, asking it to act as a messenger to convey her unconditional love to her beloved. Drawing a mythological parallel to Radha's deep devotion to Lord Krishna, she expresses how her entire life centers around his feet and how her heart suffers in silent longing. Through poetic imagery of natural cause-and-effect—such as rain nourishing the Vaigai river, sunrise bringing dawn, and breath sustaining life—she underlines that her existence is meaningless without him. She declares her willingness to love him with maternal affection, live as his shadow, and surrender her very life and breath for his presence.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)
“Kannan kaaladiyae radhai ival”
Compares her eternal devotion directly to Radha's sacred love for Lord Krishna.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Ariyaathavano / Puriyaathavano”
The lines end with rhyming rhetorical endings 'aathavano', creating a rhythmic musical effect.
Cause and Effect / Analogy
“Vaanamazhai illai endraal Vaigai nathi yaedhu”
Uses nature's interdependence (rain and river) to illustrate how her existence relies completely on her beloved.
Did you know?
Trivia
Maayi (2000) featured Sarathkumar and Meena in lead roles. Composed by S. A. Rajkumar with lyrics by Ilayakamban, 'Nilavae Vaan Nilavae' stands out for Sujatha's expressive vocal delivery and S. A. Rajkumar's signature melodic string arrangements, making it one of the memorable emotional tracks of early 2000s Tamil cinema.
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