Palliyile Velli Nila
From Kaliyugam · 1988
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Chandrabose
- Details
- Kaliyugam1988
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber, |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber. |
| Paarkum podhu naetru vaazhndha | When looking at it, the life lived yesterday |
| Palaya gnyabagam | Brings back old memories, |
| Vandhu vandhu povadhinghu | Which come and go here endlessly— |
| Enna naadagam | What a cruel drama this is! |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber, |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber. |
| Male | |
| Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu | What was seen that day was a night of pure bliss, |
| Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu | What is seen today is merely a dream of desire. |
| En thozhgalil nee illaiyae | You are no longer resting on my shoulders, |
| Thaalattidum thaai illaiyae | There is no mother left to sing a comforting lullaby. |
| Annai pillai… sondham pogumaa | Can the sacred bond between a mother and child ever vanish? |
| Male | |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber, |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa…aa…aa…aa… | A silver moon in the bed chamber... ah... |
| Male | |
| Vaanukkum bomikkum paadhaigal amaithaen | I built bridges connecting the sky and the earth, |
| Vaazhkkaikkum thaevaikkum aasaigal vidhaithaen | I sowed the seeds of hope and desire for life's necessities. |
| Deepavali irulaanadhae | Yet, the festival of lights has turned into sheer darkness, |
| Sooravazhi uruvaanadhae | A devastating cyclone has gathered shape instead. |
| Paadum raagam…. ketkavillaiyaa | Can you not hear this painful song I sing? |
| Male | |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber, |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber. |
| Paarkum podhu naetru vaazhndha | When looking at it, the life lived yesterday |
| Palaya gnyabagam | Brings back old memories, |
| Vandhu vandhu povadhinghu | Which come and go here endlessly— |
| Enna naadagam | What a cruel drama this is! |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber, |
| Palliyilae velli nilaa | A silver moon in the bed chamber. |
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பார்க்கும்போது
நேற்று வாழ்ந்த பழைய ஞாபகம்
வந்து வந்து போவதிங்கு
என்ன நாடகம்
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா...
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
When looking at it, the life lived yesterday
Brings back old memories,
Which come and go here endlessly—
What a cruel drama this is!
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
அந்த நாள் பார்த்தது ஆனந்த இரவு
இந்த நாள் பார்ப்பது ஆசையின் கனவு
என் தோள்களில் நீ இல்லையே
தாலாட்டிடும் தாய் இல்லையே
அன்னை பிள்ளை.... சொந்தம் போகுமா
What was seen that day was a night of pure bliss,
What is seen today is merely a dream of desire.
You are no longer resting on my shoulders,
There is no mother left to sing a comforting lullaby.
Can the sacred bond between a mother and child ever vanish?
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா..ஆஆஆ...
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
A silver moon in the bed chamber... ah...
வானுக்கும் பூமிக்கும்
பாதைகள் அமைத்தேன்
வாழ்க்கைக்கும் தேவைக்கும்
ஆசைகள் விதைத்தேன்
தீபாவளி இருளானதே
சூறாவளி உருவானதே
பாடும் ராகம் ....கேட்கவில்லையா
I built bridges connecting the sky and the earth,
I sowed the seeds of hope and desire for life's necessities.
Yet, the festival of lights has turned into sheer darkness,
A devastating cyclone has gathered shape instead.
Can you not hear this painful song I sing?
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பார்க்கும்போது
நேற்று வாழ்ந்த பழைய ஞாபகம்
வந்து வந்து போவதிங்கு என்ன நாடகம்
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா
பள்ளியிலே வெள்ளி நிலா...
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
When looking at it, the life lived yesterday
Brings back old memories,
Which come and go here endlessly—
What a cruel drama this is!
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
Paarkum podhu naetru vaazhndha
When looking at it, the life lived yesterday
Palaya gnyabagam
Brings back old memories,
Vandhu vandhu povadhinghu
Which come and go here endlessly—
Enna naadagam
What a cruel drama this is!
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu
What was seen that day was a night of pure bliss,
Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu
What is seen today is merely a dream of desire.
En thozhgalil nee illaiyae
You are no longer resting on my shoulders,
Thaalattidum thaai illaiyae
There is no mother left to sing a comforting lullaby.
Annai pillai… sondham pogumaa
Can the sacred bond between a mother and child ever vanish?
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
Palliyilae velli nilaa…aa…aa…aa…
A silver moon in the bed chamber... ah...
Vaanukkum bomikkum paadhaigal amaithaen
I built bridges connecting the sky and the earth,
Vaazhkkaikkum thaevaikkum aasaigal vidhaithaen
I sowed the seeds of hope and desire for life's necessities.
Deepavali irulaanadhae
Yet, the festival of lights has turned into sheer darkness,
Sooravazhi uruvaanadhae
A devastating cyclone has gathered shape instead.
Paadum raagam…. ketkavillaiyaa
Can you not hear this painful song I sing?
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
Paarkum podhu naetru vaazhndha
When looking at it, the life lived yesterday
Palaya gnyabagam
Brings back old memories,
Vandhu vandhu povadhinghu
Which come and go here endlessly—
Enna naadagam
What a cruel drama this is!
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber,
Palliyilae velli nilaa
A silver moon in the bed chamber.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Palliyilae Velli Nilaa' is a poignant, mournful composition that reflects on past happiness and present tragedy. The singer gazes upon the moon from a lonely space, reminiscing about a once-joyful past that now feels like a distant memory. He laments the absence of his loved one, questioning whether the innate, sacred bond of maternal/familial love can ever truly be severed by fate. The lyrics use vivid imagery of light collapsing into darkness—comparing lost happiness to a festival of lights (Deepavali) suddenly engulfed in pitch black, and hope being swept away by a sudden storm. Through Vairamuthu's soulful lyrics and SPB's emotionally charged vocals, the song captures the agonizing drama of life where cherished dreams collapse into grief.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukkuthodar / Refrain (Repetition)
“Palliyilae velli nilaa”
The line 'Palliyilae velli nilaa' is repeated continually as a haunting refrain to anchor the mood of longing and loneliness.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu / Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu”
End-rhyming words 'iravu' and 'kanavu' create poetic cadence across consecutive lines.
Contrast / Antithesis (Muran)
“Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu / Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu”
Contrasting 'Andha naal' (that day of joy) with 'Indha naal' (this day of hopeless dreaming) highlights emotional loss.
Uruvagamm (Metaphor)
“Deepavali irulaanadhae / Sooravazhi uruvaanadhae”
Comparing a joyful life turning into tragedy to Deepavali (light) turning into darkness.
Moonaal / Alliteration
“Vaanukkum bomikkum paadhaigal amaithaen / Vaazhkkaikkum thaevaikkum aasaigal vidhaithaen”
Repetition of the 'V' sound at the beginning of words in adjacent lines ('Vaanukkum', 'Vaazhkkaikkum').
Did you know?
Trivia
'Palliyilae Velli Nilaa' is from the 1988 Tamil film Kaliyugam, starring Prabhu and Raghuvaran. The film's soundtrack was composed by Chandrabose, a popular composer during the late 1980s known for delivering melodious and emotionally heavy tracks sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
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