Thaaye Thaaye Dharmam
From Anbulla Malare · 1984
- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Anbulla Malare1984
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae | O Mother, O Mother, where is justice? |
| Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae | In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here. |
| Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae | Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns. |
| Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae | Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle. |
| Male | |
| Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae | O Mother, O Mother, where is justice? |
| Male | |
| Dheivam pen endru sonnaarae | They said that a woman is a deity, |
| Ellaam sithaanthamaa | Is all of that just a theoretical ideology? |
| Pennai kanneeril neeraatti | Bathing the woman in her own tears, |
| Theruvil vittaarammaa | They abandoned her on the street, O mother! |
| Naalum penmai poraadum ..mm..mm | Every day womanhood struggles.. mm.. mm.. |
| Kannil gangai neeraadum | The Ganges of tears flows in her eyes. |
| Karppae sumaiyaaga oru poraattamaa | Is chastity becoming a burden and a struggle? |
| Vaazhum samudhaayam | Will this living society |
| Pudhu vaazhvai tharumaa | Grant her a new life? |
| Male | |
| Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae | O Mother, O Mother, where is justice? |
| Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae | In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here. |
| Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae | Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns. |
| Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae | Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle. |
| Male | |
| Seethai sindhaadha kanneeraa | Are these tears that even Sita never shed? |
| Indrum adhae nilai | Even today, the condition remains the same. |
| Penmai munnaeri ponaalum | Even if womanhood progresses forward, |
| Kanneer orae vilai | Tears remain the only constant price. |
| Ellaam ingae poi vaesham | Everything here is false pretenses, |
| Aanin thaevai poo vaasam | A man's desire is merely the fragrance of a flower. |
| Pennae kalangaadhae idhu aan dhesamae | Do not despair, O woman, for this is a male-dominated land, |
| Penmai arasaalum oru kaalam varumae | A time will come when womanhood shall rule. |
| Male | |
| Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae | O Mother, O Mother, where is justice? |
| Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae | In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here. |
| Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae | Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns. |
| Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae | Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle. |
| Male | |
| Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae | O Mother, O Mother, where is justice? |
தாயே தாயே தர்மம் எங்கே
பேதை வாழ்வில் சாபம் இங்கே
பாவம் ஒரு ஏழை ரோஜா முள்ளாய் போனதே
கண்ணில் தினம் கண்ணீர் வந்து தூறல் போடுதே
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
தாயே தாயே தர்மம் எங்கே
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
தெய்வம் பெண் என்று சொன்னாரே
எல்லாம் சித்தாந்தமா
பெண்ணைக் கண்ணீரில் நீராட்டி
தெருவில் விட்டாரம்மா
நாளும் பெண்மை போராடும்....ம்...
கண்ணில் கங்கை நீராடும்....ம்....
கற்பே சுமையாக ஒரு போராட்டமா
வாழும் சமுதாயம்
புது வாழ்வைத் தருமா
They said that a woman is a deity,
Is all of that just a theoretical ideology?
Bathing the woman in her own tears,
They abandoned her on the street, O mother!
Every day womanhood struggles.. mm.. mm..
The Ganges of tears flows in her eyes.
Is chastity becoming a burden and a struggle?
Will this living society
Grant her a new life?
தாயே தாயே தர்மம் எங்கே
பேதை வாழ்வில் சாபம் இங்கே
பாவம் ஒரு ஏழை ரோஜா முள்ளாய் போனதே
கண்ணில் தினம் கண்ணீர் வந்து தூறல் போடுதே
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
சீதை சிந்தாத கண்ணீரா
இன்றும் அதே நிலை
பெண்மை முன்னேறிப் போனாலும்
கண்ணீர் ஒரே விலை
எல்லாம் இங்கே பொய் வேஷம்
ஆணின் தேவை பூ வாசம்
பெண்ணே கலங்காதே இது ஆண் தேசமே
பெண்மை அரசாளும் ஒரு காலம் வருமே
Are these tears that even Sita never shed?
Even today, the condition remains the same.
Even if womanhood progresses forward,
Tears remain the only constant price.
Everything here is false pretenses,
A man's desire is merely the fragrance of a flower.
Do not despair, O woman, for this is a male-dominated land,
A time will come when womanhood shall rule.
தாயே தாயே தர்மம் எங்கே
பேதை வாழ்வில் சாபம் இங்கே
பாவம் ஒரு ஏழை ரோஜா முள்ளாய் போனதே
கண்ணில் தினம் கண்ணீர் வந்து தூறல் போடுதே
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
தாயே தாயே தர்மம் எங்கே
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Dheivam pen endru sonnaarae
They said that a woman is a deity,
Ellaam sithaanthamaa
Is all of that just a theoretical ideology?
Pennai kanneeril neeraatti
Bathing the woman in her own tears,
Theruvil vittaarammaa
They abandoned her on the street, O mother!
Naalum penmai poraadum ..mm..mm
Every day womanhood struggles.. mm.. mm..
Kannil gangai neeraadum
The Ganges of tears flows in her eyes.
Karppae sumaiyaaga oru poraattamaa
Is chastity becoming a burden and a struggle?
Vaazhum samudhaayam
Will this living society
Pudhu vaazhvai tharumaa
Grant her a new life?
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
Seethai sindhaadha kanneeraa
Are these tears that even Sita never shed?
Indrum adhae nilai
Even today, the condition remains the same.
Penmai munnaeri ponaalum
Even if womanhood progresses forward,
Kanneer orae vilai
Tears remain the only constant price.
Ellaam ingae poi vaesham
Everything here is false pretenses,
Aanin thaevai poo vaasam
A man's desire is merely the fragrance of a flower.
Pennae kalangaadhae idhu aan dhesamae
Do not despair, O woman, for this is a male-dominated land,
Penmai arasaalum oru kaalam varumae
A time will come when womanhood shall rule.
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae
In this innocent woman's life, there is only a curse here.
Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae
Pitifully, a poor rose has been turned into thorns.
Kannil dhinam kanneer vandhu thooral podudhae
Every day, tears fall from her eyes like a gentle drizzle.
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae
O Mother, O Mother, where is justice?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Thaayae thaayae dharmam engae from Anbulla Malare (1984) is a deeply emotional lament detailing the struggles, hypocrisy, and pain faced by women in society. Written by Gangai Amaran, the song questions how society idealizes women as divine beings while subjecting them to sorrow, rejection, and systemic oppression. Comparing a woman's fragile life to a rose crushed into thorns, the lyrics convey how societal norms turn even virtue into a heavy burden. Despite referencing epic sacrifices like Sita's, the track underscores that modern progress has yet to eliminate female suffering in a patriarchal world. However, it delivers an empowering message of hope, reassuring women that an era of equality and women's empowerment will eventually arise.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Paavam oru ezhai rojaa mullaai ponadhae”
Comparing the delicate life of an innocent woman to a rose (rojaa) that has transformed into sharp thorns (mullaai).
Hyperbole / Metaphor
“Kannil gangai neeraadum”
Comparing continuous, heavy crying to the holy river Ganges flowing inside the eyes.
Allusion
“Seethai sindhaadha kanneeraa”
Reference to Sita from the Ramayana to highlight that the woman's grief surpasses even epic mythic sorrow.
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Paedhai vaazhvil saabam ingae”
The second consonant 'dh' matches in 'Paedhai' and 'Rojaa' ('dhai' and 'ja' share poetic structure in context with 'Paavam').
Did you know?
Trivia
Anbulla Malare (1984) starred Vijayakanth and Nishanti (Shantipriya). The film's soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics written by his brother Gangai Amaran, who frequently explored strong social themes regarding female empowerment and plight in his lyrical works during the 1980s.
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