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Lyrics & meaning

Pirivondrai Santhithen

From Piriyadha Varam Vendum · 2001

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
S. A. Rajkumar
Movie name
Piriyadha Varam Vendum
Movie release year
2001
Lyrics added on
31 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Pirivondrai santhithen muthal muthal netru
Nuraieeral theendaamal thirumbuthu kaatru
Nee endra thooram varai neelaatho enthan kudai
Naan endra neram varai thooraatho unthan mazhai
Ododi vaaraaiyo anbae anbae anbae anbae
Anbae anbae anbae anbae
Pirivondrai santhithen muthal muthal netru
Nuraieeral theendaamal thirumbuthu kaatru
Hey …hey …hey..heyhey…hey…hey
Hey…hey…hey…heyhey…hey …hey
Oru vari nee oru vari naan
Thirukuralai unnai sonnen
Thani thaniyae pirithuvaithaal
Porul tharumo kavithai ingae
Un kaigal endrae naan thudaikindra kaikuttai
Nee thotta adaiyaalam alikaathu en sattai
Ennai naanae thedi ponen
Pirivil naanae neeyai aanen
Pirivondrai santhithen muthal muthal netru
nuraieeral theendaamal thirumbuthu kaatru
……………
Keezh imai naan mel imai nee
Pirinthathillai kannae kannae
Mel imai nee pirinthathanaal
Purinthu konden kaadhal endrae
Naam piranthanaalil thaan
Nammai naan unarnthenae
Naam piranthanaalil thaan
Nam kaadhal thiranthenae
Ullam engum neeyae neeyae
Uyirin thaagam kaadhal thaanae
Pirivondrai santhithen muthal muthal netru
Nuraieeral theendaamal thirumbuthu kaatru
Nee endra thooram varai neelaatho enthan kudai
Naan endra neram varai thooraatho unthan mazhai
Ododi vaaraaiyo anbae anbae anbae anbae
Anbae anbae anbae anbae…..
hmmmmmm..mmmmm.mmmmmm
Yesterday, for the very first time, I experienced separation.
The breath I take returns without ever reaching my lungs.
Won't my umbrella stretch all the way to where you are?
Won't your rain drizzle for as long as I exist?
Won't you come running to me, my love, my love, my love, my love?
My love, my love, my love, my love...
Yesterday, for the very first time, I experienced separation.
The breath I take returns without ever reaching my lungs.
Hey... hey... hey... hey hey... hey... hey
Hey... hey... hey... hey hey... hey... hey
You are one line, and I am the other;
I thought of you as a Thirukkural (two-line Tamil poem).
If torn apart and kept separate,
Will this poem hold any meaning here?
Thinking of your hands, I wipe my tears with a handkerchief;
My shirt will never erase the trace of your touch.
I went searching for myself,
And in this separation, I turned into you.
Yesterday, for the very first time, I experienced separation.
The breath I take returns without ever reaching my lungs.
...
I am the lower eyelid, you are the upper one;
We had never been apart, my dearest.
Because you, my upper eyelid, have parted away,
I have finally realized what love is.
Only on the day we were born,
Did I truly understand what we mean to each other.
Only on the day we were born,
Did I unlock the doors to our love.
Every corner of my heart is filled only with you,
For love is the deepest thirst of the soul, isn't it?
Yesterday, for the very first time, I experienced separation.
The breath I take returns without ever reaching my lungs.
Won't my umbrella stretch all the way to where you are?
Won't your rain drizzle for as long as I exist?
Won't you come running to me, my love, my love, my love, my love?
My love, my love, my love, my love...
Mmmmmm... mmmmm... mmmmmm
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Pirivondrai Santhithen from Piriyadha Varam Vendum captures the profound sorrow and sudden enlightenment brought upon by a lover's first experience of separation. The protagonist expresses an overwhelming sensation of breathlessness, metaphorically describing how even the air turns back before reaching the lungs without the beloved's presence. Through rich poetic imagery—such as comparing their bond to the two lines of a Thirukkural or upper and lower eyelids—the lyrics convey how separation paradoxically forces them to realize the depth of their devotion, blurring the boundary between 'self' and 'other'. Ultimately, the song serves as a poignant longing for reunion, characterizing love as the eternal thirst of the soul that can only be quenched when the lovers reunite.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi)

“Nuraieeral theendaamal thirumbuthu kaatru”

Exaggerates the agonizing pain of heartbreak by describing air turning away before touching the lungs.

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

“Oru vari nee oru vari naan Thirukuralai unnai sonnen”

Compares the two lovers to two lines of a Thirukkural, which lose their complete meaning when split apart.

Analogy / Metaphor

“Keezh imai naan mel imai nee”

Compares the lovers to the top and bottom eyelids, which operate together and cause pain/realization when separated.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

“Nee endra thooram varai neelaatho enthan kudai / Naan endra neram varai thooraatho unthan mazhai”

Repetition of the initial 'N' sound across consecutive lines creates rhythmic flow.

Did you know?

Trivia

Piriyadha Varam Vendum (2001) is the Tamil remake of the hit 1999 Malayalam film Niram. The soundtrack was composed by S. A. Rajkumar, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. This particular track, sung by Hariharan and K. S. Chithra, stands out for its high-concept literary imagery such as the Thirukkural metaphor.

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