Pogum Paathai
From Amma Pillai · 1990
- Lyricist
- Poovai Senguttavan
- Singer
- K. J. Yesudas
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Amma Pillai1990
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae | Where is the destination town? |
| Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae | In a directionless forest, |
| Vidhi podum road-tilae | On the road laid down by fate, |
| Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae | Some feet will walk here. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae | Where is the destination town? |
| Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae | In a directionless forest, |
| Vidhi podum road-tilae | On the road laid down by fate, |
| Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae | Some feet will walk here. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae….ae… | Where is the destination town? |
| Male | |
| Thanthaiyil paavamillai | There is no sin in the father, |
| Thaai nenjil kobamillai | There is no anger in the mother's heart, |
| Paavam intha pillaikooda | Pity this child as well, |
| Paavam seiyavillai | Who has committed no sin. |
| Male | |
| Paasaththil yaengum thaaimai | Motherhood longing for affection, |
| Padhaviil vendum aaimai | Requires purity in its stature, |
| Muththam thantha vaayaal thaaimai | With the mouth that gave kisses, |
| Marana theerppu sollumo | Will motherhood deliver a sentence of death? |
| Annaiyum veru pillaiyum | Mother is separate, child is separate, |
| Veru thanthaiyum ingu veru | And father is separate here. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae | Where is the destination town? |
| Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae | In a directionless forest, |
| Vidhi podum road-tilae | On the road laid down by fate, |
| Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae | Some feet will walk here. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae….ae… | Where is the destination town? |
| Male | |
| Vidukadhaiyaana vaazhkkai | Life is a riddle, |
| Vidaigalai thedum vetkai | With a thirst searching for answers. |
| Unmai konjam thookam kollum | Truth may sleep for a little while, |
| Maranam kolvathillaiyae | But death does not take it away. |
| Male | |
| Odangal vaangi vanthom | We came after buying boats, |
| Nadhigalai kaanavillai | Yet no rivers are to be found. |
| Oodai manalil oodam nindral | If the boat stays stuck on the stream's sand, |
| Oorai sendru serumo | Will it ever reach its destination town? |
| Kaarththigai maadham nadhi vellam koodum | In the month of Kaarththigai, river waters will surge, |
| Oodam meendum oodum | And the boat will sail once again. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae | Where is the destination town? |
| Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae | In a directionless forest, |
| Vidhi podum road-tilae | On the road laid down by fate, |
| Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae | Some feet will walk here. |
| Male | |
| Pogum paadhai engae | Where is the path leading to? |
| Pogum oorum engae….ae… | Where is the destination town? |
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே
திசையில்லா காட்டிலே
விதி போடும் ரோட்டிலே
சில கால்கள் போகுமே இங்கே
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
In a directionless forest,
On the road laid down by fate,
Some feet will walk here.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே
திசையில்லா காட்டிலே
விதி போடும் ரோட்டிலே
சில கால்கள் போகுமே இங்கே
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
In a directionless forest,
On the road laid down by fate,
Some feet will walk here.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே....ஏ......
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
தந்தையின் பாவமில்லை
தாய் நெஞ்சில் கோபமில்லை
பாவம் இந்த பிள்ளைக் கூட
பாவம் செய்யவில்லை
There is no sin in the father,
There is no anger in the mother's heart,
Pity this child as well,
Who has committed no sin.
பாசத்தில் ஏங்கும் தாய்மை
பதவியில் வேண்டும் வாய்மை
முத்தம் தந்த வாயால் தாய்மை
மரண தீர்ப்பு சொல்லுமோ
அன்னையும் வேறு பிள்ளையும்
வேறு தந்தையும் இங்கு வேறு
Motherhood longing for affection,
Requires purity in its stature,
With the mouth that gave kisses,
Will motherhood deliver a sentence of death?
Mother is separate, child is separate,
And father is separate here.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே
திசையில்லா காட்டிலே
விதி போடும் ரோட்டிலே
சில கால்கள் போகுமே இங்கே
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
In a directionless forest,
On the road laid down by fate,
Some feet will walk here.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே....ஏ.....
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
விடுகதையான வாழ்க்கை
விடைகளை தேடும் வேட்கை
உண்மை கொஞ்சம் தூக்கம் கொள்ளும்
மரணம் கொள்வதில்லையே
Life is a riddle,
With a thirst searching for answers.
Truth may sleep for a little while,
But death does not take it away.
ஓடங்கள் வாங்கி வந்தோம்
நதிகளை காணவில்லை
ஓடை மணலில் ஓடம் நின்றால்
ஊரைச் சென்று சேருமோ
கார்த்திகை மாதம் நதி வெள்ளம் கூடும்
ஓடம் மீண்டும் ஓடும்
We came after buying boats,
Yet no rivers are to be found.
If the boat stays stuck on the stream's sand,
Will it ever reach its destination town?
In the month of Kaarththigai, river waters will surge,
And the boat will sail once again.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே
திசையில்லா காட்டிலே
விதி போடும் ரோட்டிலே
சில கால்கள் போகுமே இங்கே
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
In a directionless forest,
On the road laid down by fate,
Some feet will walk here.
போகும் பாதை எங்கே
போகும் ஊரும் எங்கே....ஏ.....
Where is the path leading to?
Where is the destination town?
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae
Where is the destination town?
Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae
In a directionless forest,
Vidhi podum road-tilae
On the road laid down by fate,
Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae
Some feet will walk here.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae
Where is the destination town?
Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae
In a directionless forest,
Vidhi podum road-tilae
On the road laid down by fate,
Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae
Some feet will walk here.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae….ae…
Where is the destination town?
Thanthaiyil paavamillai
There is no sin in the father,
Thaai nenjil kobamillai
There is no anger in the mother's heart,
Paavam intha pillaikooda
Pity this child as well,
Paavam seiyavillai
Who has committed no sin.
Paasaththil yaengum thaaimai
Motherhood longing for affection,
Padhaviil vendum aaimai
Requires purity in its stature,
Muththam thantha vaayaal thaaimai
With the mouth that gave kisses,
Marana theerppu sollumo
Will motherhood deliver a sentence of death?
Annaiyum veru pillaiyum
Mother is separate, child is separate,
Veru thanthaiyum ingu veru
And father is separate here.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae
Where is the destination town?
Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae
In a directionless forest,
Vidhi podum road-tilae
On the road laid down by fate,
Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae
Some feet will walk here.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae….ae…
Where is the destination town?
Vidukadhaiyaana vaazhkkai
Life is a riddle,
Vidaigalai thedum vetkai
With a thirst searching for answers.
Unmai konjam thookam kollum
Truth may sleep for a little while,
Maranam kolvathillaiyae
But death does not take it away.
Odangal vaangi vanthom
We came after buying boats,
Nadhigalai kaanavillai
Yet no rivers are to be found.
Oodai manalil oodam nindral
If the boat stays stuck on the stream's sand,
Oorai sendru serumo
Will it ever reach its destination town?
Kaarththigai maadham nadhi vellam koodum
In the month of Kaarththigai, river waters will surge,
Oodam meendum oodum
And the boat will sail once again.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae
Where is the destination town?
Dhisaiyillaa kaattilae
In a directionless forest,
Vidhi podum road-tilae
On the road laid down by fate,
Sila kaalgal pogumae ingae
Some feet will walk here.
Pogum paadhai engae
Where is the path leading to?
Pogum oorum engae….ae…
Where is the destination town?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant track from 'Amma Pillai' explores themes of existential lostness, destiny, and innocent suffering. The song uses metaphors of a directionless forest and roads paved by fate to convey the helplessness of an innocent child caught in fractured family bonds, where father, mother, and child have become estranged from one another.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monorhyme / Edhugai (Second-letter rhyming)
“Vidukadhaiyaana vaazhkkai / Vidaigalai thedum vetkai”
Matching second consonant 'd' sound in 'Vidukadhaiyaana' and 'Vidaigalai'.
Metaphor
“Vidukadhaiyaana vaazhkkai / Oodai manalil oodam nindral”
Comparing life to a riddle and stranded boats to human helplessness waiting for a flood (hope/time) to move again.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Pogum paadhai engae / Pogum oorum engae”
Repetition of the line 'Pogum paadhai engae / Pogum oorum engae' to emphasize aimlessness and loss.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Amma Pillai' (1990) was directed by R. C. Sakthi and featured music composed by Shankar-Ganesh. The film starred Ramki and Seetha in key roles.
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