Paatu Paadava
From Then Nilavu · 1961
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- A. M. Rajah
- Music director
- A. M. Rajah
- Details
- Then Nilavu1961
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
| Male | |
| Paal nilavai | Like the milky moon, |
| Polae vandha paavai | Are you not the maiden who came? |
| Allavaa naanum paadhai | Am I not the bull who came running, |
| Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa } (2) | Searching for the path? |
| Male | |
| Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
| Male | |
| { Mega | Like the colors |
| Vannam polae | Of the clouds, |
| Minnum aadaiyinaalae | With shimmering garments, |
| Malai meni ellam | The entire mountain body |
| Moodudhamma naanathinaalae } (2) | Is covered in shyness. |
| Male | |
| { Pakkamaga | Even after coming |
| Vandha pinnum | So close, |
| Vetkamaguma ingae | Is it right to be shy here? |
| Paarvaiyodu paarvai | For eyes to meet |
| Sera thoodhu venduma } (2) | With eyes, is a messenger required? |
| Male | |
| Maalai allavaa | Is it not evening time? |
| Nalla neramallavaa | Is it not an auspicious time? |
| Innum vaanam paartha | Like the earth looking at the sky, |
| Boomi polae vaazhalagumaa | Is it proper to keep longing and living? |
| Male | |
| Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
| Male | |
| Paal nilavai | Like the milky moon, |
| Polae vandha paavai | Are you not the maiden who came? |
| Allavaa naanum paadhai | Am I not the bull who came running, |
| Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa | Searching for the path? |
| Male | |
| Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
| Male | |
| { Angamellam | With all her limbs, |
| Thangamana mangaiyai | Like a maiden of pure gold, |
| Polae nadhi anna nadai | The river glides gracefully like a swan |
| Podudhamma boomiyin melae } (2) | Upon the earth. |
| Male | |
| { Kan niraindha | The lover who fills your eyes and heart, |
| Kaadhalanai kaanavillaiya | Have you not seen him? |
| Indha kaadhaliku then | For this love, |
| Nilavil aasai illaiya } (2) | In the honeymoon, is there no longing? |
| Male | |
| Kaadhal | Will love |
| Thondruma innum | Blossom now? |
| Kaalam poguma | Will time slip away? |
| Illai kaathu kaathu | Or will waiting and waiting |
| Nindradhu thaan | In solitude |
| Meedham aaguma | Be all that remains? |
| Male | |
| Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
| Male | |
| Paal nilavai | Like the milky moon, |
| Polae vandha paavai | Are you not the maiden who came? |
| Allavaa naanum paadhai | Am I not the bull who came running, |
| Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa | Searching for the path? |
| Male | |
| Paatu paadavaa | Shall I sing a song? |
| Paarthu pesavaa paadam | Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach |
| Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa | A lesson? Shall I fly away? |
விஷ்லிங் :
.......................
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
{ பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
Like the milky moon,
Are you not the maiden who came?
Am I not the bull who came running,
Searching for the path?
பால் நிலாவை
போல வந்த பாவை
அல்லவா நானும் பாதை
தேடி ஓடி வந்த காளை
அல்லவா } (2)
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
Like the colors
Of the clouds,
With shimmering garments,
The entire mountain body
Is covered in shyness.
{ மேகவண்ணம்
போலே மின்னும்
ஆடையினாலே மலை
மேனியெல்லாம் மூடுதம்மா
நாணத்தினாலே } (2)
Even after coming
So close,
Is it right to be shy here?
For eyes to meet
With eyes, is a messenger required?
{ பக்கமாக வந்த
பின்னும் வெட்கமாகுமா
இங்கே பார்வையோடு
பார்வை சேர தூது
வேண்டுமா } (2)
Is it not evening time?
Is it not an auspicious time?
Like the earth looking at the sky,
Is it proper to keep longing and living?
மாலை அல்லவா
நல்ல நேரம் அல்லவா
இன்னும் வானம் பார்த்த
பூமி போல வாழலாகுமா
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
Like the milky moon,
Are you not the maiden who came?
Am I not the bull who came running,
Searching for the path?
பால் நிலாவை
போல வந்த பாவை
அல்லவா நானும் பாதை
தேடி ஓடி வந்த காளை
அல்லவா
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
With all her limbs,
Like a maiden of pure gold,
The river glides gracefully like a swan
Upon the earth.
{ அங்கமெல்லாம்
தங்கமான மங்கையை
போலே நதி அன்னநடை
போடுதம்மா பூமியின்
மேலே } (2)
The lover who fills your eyes and heart,
Have you not seen him?
For this love,
In the honeymoon, is there no longing?
{ கண் நிறைந்த
காதலனை காணவில்லையா
இந்த காதலிக்கு தேன் நிலவில்
ஆசை இல்லையா } (2)
Will love
Blossom now?
Will time slip away?
Or will waiting and waiting
In solitude
Be all that remains?
காதல் தோன்றுமா
இன்னும் காலம் போகுமா
இல்லை காத்து காத்து
நின்றது தான் மீதமாகுமா
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
Like the milky moon,
Are you not the maiden who came?
Am I not the bull who came running,
Searching for the path?
பால் நிலாவை
போல வந்த பாவை
அல்லவா நானும் பாதை
தேடி ஓடி வந்த காளை
அல்லவா
Shall I sing a song?
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
பாட்டு பாடவா
பார்த்து பேசவா பாடம்
சொல்லவா பறந்து
செல்லவா
{ Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
Paal nilavai
Like the milky moon,
Polae vandha paavai
Are you not the maiden who came?
Allavaa naanum paadhai
Am I not the bull who came running,
Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa } (2)
Searching for the path?
Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
{ Mega
Like the colors
Vannam polae
Of the clouds,
Minnum aadaiyinaalae
With shimmering garments,
Malai meni ellam
The entire mountain body
Moodudhamma naanathinaalae } (2)
Is covered in shyness.
{ Pakkamaga
Even after coming
Vandha pinnum
So close,
Vetkamaguma ingae
Is it right to be shy here?
Paarvaiyodu paarvai
For eyes to meet
Sera thoodhu venduma } (2)
With eyes, is a messenger required?
Maalai allavaa
Is it not evening time?
Nalla neramallavaa
Is it not an auspicious time?
Innum vaanam paartha
Like the earth looking at the sky,
Boomi polae vaazhalagumaa
Is it proper to keep longing and living?
Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
Paal nilavai
Like the milky moon,
Polae vandha paavai
Are you not the maiden who came?
Allavaa naanum paadhai
Am I not the bull who came running,
Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa
Searching for the path?
Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
{ Angamellam
With all her limbs,
Thangamana mangaiyai
Like a maiden of pure gold,
Polae nadhi anna nadai
The river glides gracefully like a swan
Podudhamma boomiyin melae } (2)
Upon the earth.
{ Kan niraindha
The lover who fills your eyes and heart,
Kaadhalanai kaanavillaiya
Have you not seen him?
Indha kaadhaliku then
For this love,
Nilavil aasai illaiya } (2)
In the honeymoon, is there no longing?
Kaadhal
Will love
Thondruma innum
Blossom now?
Kaalam poguma
Will time slip away?
Illai kaathu kaathu
Or will waiting and waiting
Nindradhu thaan
In solitude
Meedham aaguma
Be all that remains?
Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
Paal nilavai
Like the milky moon,
Polae vandha paavai
Are you not the maiden who came?
Allavaa naanum paadhai
Am I not the bull who came running,
Thedi odi vandha kaalai allavaa
Searching for the path?
Paatu paadavaa
Shall I sing a song?
Paarthu pesavaa paadam
Shall I look at you and speak? Shall I teach
Sollavaa parandhu sellavaa
A lesson? Shall I fly away?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Paatu Paadavaa from the 1961 romantic classic Then Nilavu is a playful yet deeply romantic song sung by the male protagonist to woo his beloved against the picturesque backdrop of Kashmir. He affectionately teases her by asking whether he should sing, talk, teach a lesson in love, or fly away with her. He compares her radiant beauty to a bright, milky moon and compares himself to an eager lover who ran across distant paths to find her. As the evening sets in, he questions the need for shyness and hesitance, urging her to express her love rather than waiting silently like parched earth longing for rain from the sky.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Paatu paadavaa Paarthu pesavaa paadam”
Repetition of the 'Pa' sound at the beginning of adjacent words and lines creates a rhythmic, musical quality.
Upamai (Simile)
“Paal nilavai Polae vandha paavai”
The lyricist explicitly compares the heroine to the radiant, soft light of the milky moon using 'Polae'.
Upamai (Simile)
“Innum vaanam paartha Boomi polae vaazhalagumaa”
Longing for love without fulfillment is compared to dry earth helplessly gazing at the sky for rain.
Personification & Metaphor
“Thangamana mangaiyai Polae nadhi anna nadai”
The river flowing across the land is personified as a golden maiden walking with the graceful gate of a swan.
Did you know?
Trivia
Then Nilavu (1961) was directed by C. V. Sridhar and features Gemini Ganesan and Vyjayanthimala. The song 'Paatu Paadavaa' was composed and sung by A. M. Rajah, with timeless lyrics written by Kannadasan. It is famous for being one of the earliest Tamil film songs shot extensively on location in Kashmir.
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