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Thulam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Petha Usuru

From Thulam · 2018

Lyricist
Nadhi. Vijaykumar
Singer
Vijay Prakash
Music director
Alex Premnath
Movie name
Thulam
Movie release year
2018
Lyrics added on
9 Oct 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Peththa usuru
Raththa usuru ponadhae
Pachchai maram thaan
Pattai maramaai aanadhae
Peththa usuru
Raththa usuru ponadhae
Pachchai maram thaan
Pattai maramaai aanadhae
Undhan ninaivu
Nenjukuliyil vaattudhae
Kangal azhudhu
Undhan ninaivil yengudhae
Kannukkullae unnai veithu
Vaazhnthavanthaan naanamma
Kaal kazhi kattililae
Povadhengae sollammma
Enna ninaithaaiyoo
Ennai padaithaaiyoo
Ennai maranthaaiyoo
Uyir thuranthaaiyoo
Peththa usuru
Raththa usuru ponadhae
Pachchai maram thaan
Pattai maramaai aanadhae
Thaai indri uyirgal
Ulagil yedhamma
Neeyindri naanum
Vaazha koodumaa
Thottililae thaalatiya thaaiyamma
Kattililae kannuranguvathu yen amma
Kattililae kann urangum poovamma
Vittu vittu ponadhu thaan nyaayamaa
Adi thaangalaiyae
Kannirandum thoongalaiyae
Nenjam athu aaralaiyae
Uyir thaan kaanalaiyae
En uyir thaan kaanalaiyae ..ae
Peththa usuru
Raththa usuru ponadhae
Pachchai maram thaan
Pattai maramaai aanadhae
Undhan ninaivu
Nenjukuliyil vaattudhae
Kangal azhudhu
Undhan ninaivil yengudhae
The mother who gave me life,
My own flesh and blood is gone.
A lush green tree
Has withered away to dry wood.
The mother who gave me life,
My own flesh and blood is gone.
A lush green tree
Has withered away to dry wood.
Thoughts of you
Burn deep inside my chest.
My eyes weep
And long for you in your memory.
Keeping you safe in my eyes,
I lived only for you, mother.
Lying on this funeral bier,
Tell me mother, where are you going?
What were you thinking?
Why did you give me life?
Have you forgotten me now?
Have you given up your life?
The mother who gave me life,
My own flesh and blood is gone.
A lush green tree
Has withered away to dry wood.
Without a mother,
Can any life exist in this world?
And without you,
Can I ever go on living?
Mother, who rocked my cradle with lullabies,
Why are you sleeping forever on this bed?
Gentle mother sleeping on this bier,
Was it fair to leave me behind and go?
I cannot bear this sorrow,
Both my eyes cannot sleep,
My aching heart cannot heal,
My very life is lost.
Oh, my very life is lost...
The mother who gave me life,
My own flesh and blood is gone.
A lush green tree
Has withered away to dry wood.
Thoughts of you
Burn deep inside my chest.
My eyes weep
And long for you in your memory.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This deeply emotional song expresses the profound grief of a child mourning the loss of their mother. The singer reflects on the mother as the creator of their life and blood, contrasting how a once lush green tree has now withered into a lifeless trunk upon her passing. The grief is rendered unbearable as memories torment the heart and sleepless eyes long for the mother's presence. The lyrics contrast the maternal warmth of rocking a cradle with the tragic reality of seeing the mother placed on a funeral bier. Questioning the fairness of fate and the possibility of surviving without maternal love, the song captures the utter devastation and emptiness experienced when losing one's mother.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Pachchai maram thaan / Pattai maramaai aanadhae

Comparing the loss of life/mother to a green, vibrant tree ('Pachchai maram') drying up into bare bark ('Pattai maram').

Contrast / Antithesis

Thottililae thaalatiya thaaiyamma / Kattililae kannuranguvathu yen amma

Contrasting the mother's role in rocking a baby's cradle ('Thottililae') with her present endless sleep on the funeral cot ('Kattililae').

Anaphora / Rhyme (Iyaibu & Etukai)

Enna ninaithaaiyoo / Ennai padaithaaiyoo / Ennai maranthaaiyoo / Uyir thuranthaaiyoo

Repetition of rhyming line endings ending with '-o' expressing rhetorical grief and questioning.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Thulam' (2018) features poignant tracks centered around familial loss and emotional turmoil, with lyrics written by Nadhi Vijaykumar that use traditional Tamil mourning imagery (oppari style motifs).

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