Solladi Barathamatha
From Jaathi Malli · 1993
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Maragadha Mani
- Details
- Jaathi Malli1993
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Solladi bhaaratha maadha | Tell me, Mother India, |
| Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha | Was it wrong for you to attain freedom? |
| Ithanai kuralgal azhugindra pothum | Even when so many voices are crying out, |
| Irandu kaathum ketkaatha illai | Do your two ears not hear, |
| Kaathae kidayatha | Or do you not have ears at all? |
| Male | |
| Solladi bhaaratha maadha | Tell me, Mother India, |
| Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha | Was it wrong for you to attain freedom? |
| Male | |
| Ratham indri suthanthiram petrom | We attained freedom without bloodshed, |
| Athuthaan engal varalaru | That indeed is our history. |
| Suthanthiram vaangi ratham sinthinom | Having gained freedom, now we shed blood, |
| Solladi edhu nam kolaru | Tell me, what is our flaw? |
| Vaanigam nadatha vandhavar | Those who came to do trade, |
| Andru arasiyal kondathu varalaru | Seized politics back then—that is history. |
| Arasiyal nadatha vanthavar indru | Those who came to do politics today, |
| Vaanigam seivathu kolaru | Engaging in trade—that is the flaw! |
| Male | |
| Maanila sandai mathangalin sandai | State conflicts, religious conflicts, |
| Inangalin sandai nadakkudhadi | Ethnic conflicts are taking place here! |
| Malligai poovukkum jaathiyai vaitha | For the man who assigned caste even to the jasmine flower, |
| Manidhanai thiruthum vazhiyennadi | What is the way to reform him? |
| Male | |
| Solladi bhaaratha maadha | Tell me, Mother India, |
| Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha | Was it wrong for you to attain freedom? |
| Male | |
| Gangai kaaveri nadhigalilae | In the rivers of Ganges and Cauvery, |
| Nam kaneer thuligalai oda vittom | We let our tears flow. |
| Thurigai yendhiya kaigalilae | In hands that once held paintbrushes, |
| Indru thuppakkigalai yendhi vittom | Today we have picked up guns. |
| Santhi santhi endra mannilae | On the land that echoed peace, peace, |
| Indru sadalangal melae nadanthu sendrom | Today we walk over corpses. |
| Gaandhi annal silai udaithu | Breaking the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, |
| Adhil kaithadi mattum naam eduthu kondom | We took only his walking stick for ourselves! |
| Male | |
| Kalaiyil isaiyil kanitha dhesam | A nation ripe in art and music, |
| Idiyil gadiyil karuguvathoo | Is it charring in thunder and lightning? |
| Buthan pirantha punniya boomi | The holy land where Buddha was born, |
| Ratha kaadaai maaruvathoo | Is it turning into a forest of blood? |
| Male | |
| Solladi bhaaratha maadha | Tell me, Mother India, |
| Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha | Was it wrong for you to attain freedom? |
| Solladi bhaaratha maadha | Tell me, Mother India, |
| Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha | Was it wrong for you to attain freedom? |
சொல்லடி பாரத மாதா
நீ சுதந்திரம் பெற்றது தீதா
இத்தனை குரல்கள் அழுகின்ற போதும்
இரண்டு காதும் கேட்காத
இல்லை காதே கிடையாத
Tell me, Mother India,
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Even when so many voices are crying out,
Do your two ears not hear,
Or do you not have ears at all?
சொல்லடி பாரத மாதா
நீ சுதந்திரம் பெற்றது தீதா
Tell me, Mother India,
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
ரத்தம் இன்றி சுதந்திரம் பெற்றோம்
அதுதான் எங்கள் வரலாறு
சுதந்திரம் வாங்கி ரத்தம் சிந்தினோம்
சொல்லடி எது நம் கோளாறு
வாணிகம் நடத்த வந்தவர்
அன்று அரசியல் கொண்டது வரலாறு
அரசியல் நடத்த வந்தவர் இன்று
வாணிகம் செய்வது கோளாறு
We attained freedom without bloodshed,
That indeed is our history.
Having gained freedom, now we shed blood,
Tell me, what is our flaw?
Those who came to do trade,
Seized politics back then—that is history.
Those who came to do politics today,
Engaging in trade—that is the flaw!
மாநில சண்டை மதங்களின் சண்டை
இனங்களின் சண்டை நடக்குதடி
மல்லிகை பூவுக்கும் ஜாதியை வைத்த
மனிதனை திருத்தும் வழியென்னடி
State conflicts, religious conflicts,
Ethnic conflicts are taking place here!
For the man who assigned caste even to the jasmine flower,
What is the way to reform him?
சொல்லடி பாரத மாதா
நீ சுதந்திரம் பெற்றது தீதா
Tell me, Mother India,
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
கங்கை காவேரி நதிகளிலே
நம் கண்ணீர் துளிகளை ஓட விட்டோம்
தூரிகை ஏந்திய கைகளிலே
இன்று துப்பாக்கிகளை ஏந்தி விட்டோம்
சாந்தி சாந்தி என்ற மண்ணிலே
இன்று சடலங்கள் மேலே நடந்து சென்றோம்
காந்தி அண்ணல் சிலை உடைத்து
அதில் கைத்தடி மட்டும் நாம்
எடுத்து கொண்டோம்
In the rivers of Ganges and Cauvery,
We let our tears flow.
In hands that once held paintbrushes,
Today we have picked up guns.
On the land that echoed peace, peace,
Today we walk over corpses.
Breaking the statue of Mahatma Gandhi,
We took only his walking stick for ourselves!
கலையில் இசையில் கனிந்த தேசம்
இடியில் கடியில் கருகுவதோ
புத்தன் பிறந்த புண்ணிய பூமி
ரத்த காடாய் மாறுவதோ
A nation ripe in art and music,
Is it charring in thunder and lightning?
The holy land where Buddha was born,
Is it turning into a forest of blood?
சொல்லடி பாரத மாதா
நீ சுதந்திரம் பெற்றது தீதா
சொல்லடி பாரத மாதா
நீ சுதந்திரம் பெற்றது தீதா
Tell me, Mother India,
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Tell me, Mother India,
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Solladi bhaaratha maadha
Tell me, Mother India,
Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Ithanai kuralgal azhugindra pothum
Even when so many voices are crying out,
Irandu kaathum ketkaatha illai
Do your two ears not hear,
Kaathae kidayatha
Or do you not have ears at all?
Solladi bhaaratha maadha
Tell me, Mother India,
Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Ratham indri suthanthiram petrom
We attained freedom without bloodshed,
Athuthaan engal varalaru
That indeed is our history.
Suthanthiram vaangi ratham sinthinom
Having gained freedom, now we shed blood,
Solladi edhu nam kolaru
Tell me, what is our flaw?
Vaanigam nadatha vandhavar
Those who came to do trade,
Andru arasiyal kondathu varalaru
Seized politics back then—that is history.
Arasiyal nadatha vanthavar indru
Those who came to do politics today,
Vaanigam seivathu kolaru
Engaging in trade—that is the flaw!
Maanila sandai mathangalin sandai
State conflicts, religious conflicts,
Inangalin sandai nadakkudhadi
Ethnic conflicts are taking place here!
Malligai poovukkum jaathiyai vaitha
For the man who assigned caste even to the jasmine flower,
Manidhanai thiruthum vazhiyennadi
What is the way to reform him?
Solladi bhaaratha maadha
Tell me, Mother India,
Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Gangai kaaveri nadhigalilae
In the rivers of Ganges and Cauvery,
Nam kaneer thuligalai oda vittom
We let our tears flow.
Thurigai yendhiya kaigalilae
In hands that once held paintbrushes,
Indru thuppakkigalai yendhi vittom
Today we have picked up guns.
Santhi santhi endra mannilae
On the land that echoed peace, peace,
Indru sadalangal melae nadanthu sendrom
Today we walk over corpses.
Gaandhi annal silai udaithu
Breaking the statue of Mahatma Gandhi,
Adhil kaithadi mattum naam eduthu kondom
We took only his walking stick for ourselves!
Kalaiyil isaiyil kanitha dhesam
A nation ripe in art and music,
Idiyil gadiyil karuguvathoo
Is it charring in thunder and lightning?
Buthan pirantha punniya boomi
The holy land where Buddha was born,
Ratha kaadaai maaruvathoo
Is it turning into a forest of blood?
Solladi bhaaratha maadha
Tell me, Mother India,
Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Solladi bhaaratha maadha
Tell me, Mother India,
Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha
Was it wrong for you to attain freedom?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Solladi Bhaaratha Maadha is a poignant socio-political song written by Vairamuthu for K. Balachander's 1993 film Jaathi Malli. The song acts as a painful lament directed toward Mother India, questioning whether achieving independence was ultimately a curse given the moral decay, political corruption, and widespread violence in modern society. Through sharp rhetorical questions, the lyricist contrasts India's glorious history of non-violent freedom movement with the contemporary reality of regionalism, casteism, religious intolerance, and bloodshed.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification / Rhetorical Question (Erotema)
“Solladi bhaaratha maadha / Nee suthanthiram petrathu theetha”
Addressing Mother India directly and asking whether obtaining freedom was a mistake highlights intense grief and social disappointment.
Antimetabole / Irony
“Ratham indri suthanthiram petrom... Suthanthiram vaangi ratham sinthinom”
Reversing the words 'ratham' (blood) and 'suthanthiram' (freedom) sharply contrasts the non-violent struggle of the past with present-day bloodshed.
Parallelism / Antithesis
“Vaanigam nadatha vandhavar... Arasiyal nadatha vanthavar indru Vaanigam seivathu kolaru”
Draws a stark irony between the British traders who became rulers in history and modern politicians who treat governance as mere business.
Imagery and Metaphor
“Thurigai yendhiya kaigalilae / Indru thuppakkigalai yendhi vittom”
Contrasts peaceful artistic expression (paintbrushes) with militant violence (guns) and peaceful land with walking on corpses.
Did you know?
Trivia
Jaathi Malli (1993), directed by legendary director K. Balachander, featured music composed by Maragathamani (M. M. Keeravani) and lyrics by Vairamuthu. The song powerfully captured the national mood during the early 1990s, addressing themes of communal riots and political unrest.
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