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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Paathikkallil Mayakkam

From Sankarlal · 1982

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singers
Janaki, Malaysia Vasudevan, Kamal Haasan
Music directors
Ilayaraja, Gangai Amaran
Details
Sankarlal1982

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Male
Malar thottil ingae podumIt sets up a flower cradle here,
Mana kannil indraeToday, in my mind's eye,
Thaai paadum thaalaattai naan ketkkiraenI hear the lullaby sung by a mother.
Male
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Male
Chiththiraiyil pooththaval intha poovaiThis flower-like maiden blossomed in the month of Chithirai,
Shenbaga poo kangalil enna paarvaiWhat a gaze in those eyes like champak flowers!
Aththai magal kannamo anthi vaanamMy cousin's cheeks resemble the evening sky,
Yaar varavai kandathaal intha naanamWhose arrival caused this shy blush?
Male
Seedhana kaattrum senthamizh paattumThe cool breeze bringing gifts and the pure Tamil song,
Ondrinil ondru sangamam indruAre merging into one another today.
Eththanaiyo karpanai ingu naam kaanalaamWe can witness so many wonderful imaginations here.
Male
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Male
…………….....
Male
Saaralilae poonguyil raagam paadumIn the gentle drizzle, the sweet cuckoo sings a melody,
Neeraruvi mellavae thaalam podumThe waterfall softly plays the rhythm.
Chorus
…………….....
Male :……………..Male: ...
Male
Thaen mazhalai pillaigal aadi paadumChildren with sweet, honey-like speech dance and sing,
Senthamizho ennaiyum pillai aakkumPure Tamil turns even me into a child.
Male
Sooriyan ingae suduvathum illaiThe sun does not scorch here,
Koodiya kaigal viduvathum illaiHands that joined together will never let go.
Vaa magalae vanthu paar sorkkam ingillaiyoCome, my daughter, come see, isn't heaven right here?
Male
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Malar thottil ingae podumIt sets up a flower cradle here,
Mana kannil indraeToday, in my mind's eye,
Thaai paadum thaalaattai naan ketkkiraenI hear the lullaby sung by a mother.
Male
Ada vaada kannu raja endru paadumSinging, 'Oh come, my dear beloved child',
Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedumThe rain cloud comes searching for me like my mother.
Chorus
…………….....
Male :……………..Male: ...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Ada Vaada Kannu Raja from the 1982 movie Sankarlal is a tender song celebrating maternal affection and the tranquil solace found in nature. The song draws a poetic parallel between rain clouds and a mother's nurturing presence, imagining nature itself weaving a soothing lullaby. As the lyrics unfold, nature comes alive with cuckoo melodies, rhythmic waterfalls, and gentle breezes that create an atmosphere of pure paradise. The speaker experiences a deep sense of bliss and childhood innocence, touched by the beauty of family bonds and the elegance of Tamil poetry.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

Mazhai megam enthan thaai pol vanthu thedum

Compares rain clouds coming to comfort the speaker to a mother searching for her child using 'thaai pol'.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Shenbaga poo kangalil enna paarvai

Directly equates the beauty of eyes to champak flowers ('shenbaga poo').

Personification

Neeraruvi mellavae thaalam podum

Attributes human musical actions to nature by portraying the waterfall as playing a rhythm.

Alliteration (Monai)

Seedhana kaattrum senthamizh paattum

Repetition of the 'S' sound in 'Seedhana' and 'senthamizh'.

Did you know?

Trivia

Sankarlal (1982) stars Kamal Haasan in a dual role. The film's music was jointly composed by Ilaiyaraaja and his brother Gangai Amaran, who took over and completed work on the project alongside Kamal Haasan following the sudden passing of director T. N. Balu during production.

Keep listening

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