Thai Illamal Naan
From Adimai Penn · 1969
- Lyricist
- Lyricist Not Known
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Adimai Penn1969
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Thaai illaamal | Without a mother |
| Naan illai thaanae | I do not exist |
| Evarum pirandhadhillai | No one is ever born without one |
| Male | |
| Enakoru thaai | A mother for me |
| Irukindraal endrum | Exists forever |
| Ennai kaakindraal } (2) | And protects me |
| Male | |
| Thaai illaamal | Without a mother |
| Naan illai | I do not exist |
| Male | |
| { Jeeva nadhiyaai | No one is ever born without one |
| Varuvaal en thaagam | A mother for me |
| Theerthu magizhvaal } (2) | Exists forever |
| Male | |
| { Thavarinai porupaal | And protects me |
| Tharmathai valarpaal | Without a mother |
| Tharaniyilae valam serthiduvaal } (2) | I do not exist |
| Male | |
| Thaai illaamal | Like a perennial river |
| Naan illai | She will come and quench my thirst |
| Male | |
| { Thooya nilamaai | And rejoice in doing so |
| Kidapaal than tholil | Like a perennial river |
| Ennai sumapaal } (2) | She will come and quench my thirst |
| Male | |
| { Thanmaiyilaamal | And rejoice in doing so |
| Naan mithithaalum } (2) | She will forgive my mistakes |
| Thaaimaiyilae manam kanindhiduvaal | She will nurture righteousness |
| Male | |
| Thaai illaamal | She will add prosperity to the earth |
| Naan illai | She will forgive my mistakes |
| Male | |
| { Megaveedhiyil | She will nurture righteousness |
| Nadapaal uyir | She will add prosperity to the earth |
| Moochinilae kalandhirupaal } (2) | Without a mother |
| Male | |
| { Malaimudi thoduvaal | I do not exist |
| Malar manam tharuvaal | Like pure land |
| Mangala vaazhvuku | She will lie down and on her shoulders |
| Thunaiyirupaal } (2) | She will carry me |
| Male | |
| Thaai illaamal | Like pure land |
| Naan illai | She will lie down and on her shoulders |
| Male | |
| { Aadhi andhamum | She will carry me |
| Avalthaan nammai | Even if without decency |
| Aalum needhiyum avalthaan } (2) | I step on her |
| Male | |
| { Agandhaiyai azhipaal | Even if without decency |
| Aatralai kodupaal | I step on her |
| Aval thaan annai | In her motherly warmth her heart melts with tenderness |
| Magasakthi } (2) | Without a mother |
| Male | |
| Andha thaai illaamal | I do not exist |
| Naan illai thaanae | In the pathway of clouds |
| Evarum pirandhadhillai | She walks, and in the breath of life |
| Male | |
| Enakoru thaai | She remains blended |
| Irukindraal endrum | In the pathway of clouds |
| Ennai kaakindraal | She walks, and in the breath of life |
| Male | |
| Thaai illaamal | She remains blended |
| Naan illai | She touches the mountain peaks |
{ தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை தானே
எவரும் பிறந்ததில்லை
Without a mother
I do not exist
No one is ever born without one
எனக்கொரு
தாய் இருக்கின்றாள்
என்றும் என்னை
காக்கின்றாள் } (2)
A mother for me
Exists forever
And protects me
தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை
Without a mother
I do not exist
{ ஜீவ நதியாய்
வருவாள் என் தாகம்
தீர்த்து மகிழ்வாள் } (2)
No one is ever born without one
A mother for me
Exists forever
{ தவறினை பொறுப்பாள்
தர்மத்தை வளர்ப்பாள்
தரணியிலே வளம்
சேர்த்திடுவாள் } ( 2)
And protects me
Without a mother
I do not exist
தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை
Like a perennial river
She will come and quench my thirst
{ தூய நிலமாய்
கிடப்பாள் தன் தோளில்
என்னை சுமப்பாள் } (2)
And rejoice in doing so
Like a perennial river
She will come and quench my thirst
{ தன்மையில்லாமல்
நான் மிதித்தாலும் } (2)
தாய்மையிலே மனம்
கனிந்திடுவாள்
And rejoice in doing so
She will forgive my mistakes
She will nurture righteousness
தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை
She will add prosperity to the earth
She will forgive my mistakes
{ மேக வீதியில்
நடப்பாள் உயிர் மூச்சினிலே
கலந்திருப்பாள் } (2)
She will nurture righteousness
She will add prosperity to the earth
Without a mother
{ மலை முடி
தொடுவாள் மலர்
மணம் தருவாள்
மங்கல வாழ்வுக்கு
துணை இருப்பாள் } (2)
I do not exist
Like pure land
She will lie down and on her shoulders
She will carry me
தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை
Like pure land
She will lie down and on her shoulders
{ ஆதி அந்தமும்
அவள் தான் நம்மை
ஆளும் நீதியும்
அவள் தான் } (2)
She will carry me
Even if without decency
I step on her
{ அகந்தையை
அழிப்பாள் ஆற்றலை
கொடுப்பாள் அவள்
தான் அன்னை மகாசக்தி } (2)
Even if without decency
I step on her
In her motherly warmth her heart melts with tenderness
Without a mother
அந்த இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை தானே
எவரும் பிறந்ததில்லை
I do not exist
In the pathway of clouds
She walks, and in the breath of life
எனக்கொரு
தாய் இருக்கின்றாள்
என்றும் என்னை
காக்கின்றாள்
She remains blended
In the pathway of clouds
She walks, and in the breath of life
தாய் இல்லாமல்
நான் இல்லை
She remains blended
She touches the mountain peaks
{ Thaai illaamal
Without a mother
Naan illai thaanae
I do not exist
Evarum pirandhadhillai
No one is ever born without one
Enakoru thaai
A mother for me
Irukindraal endrum
Exists forever
Ennai kaakindraal } (2)
And protects me
Thaai illaamal
Without a mother
Naan illai
I do not exist
{ Jeeva nadhiyaai
No one is ever born without one
Varuvaal en thaagam
A mother for me
Theerthu magizhvaal } (2)
Exists forever
{ Thavarinai porupaal
And protects me
Tharmathai valarpaal
Without a mother
Tharaniyilae valam serthiduvaal } (2)
I do not exist
Thaai illaamal
Like a perennial river
Naan illai
She will come and quench my thirst
{ Thooya nilamaai
And rejoice in doing so
Kidapaal than tholil
Like a perennial river
Ennai sumapaal } (2)
She will come and quench my thirst
{ Thanmaiyilaamal
And rejoice in doing so
Naan mithithaalum } (2)
She will forgive my mistakes
Thaaimaiyilae manam kanindhiduvaal
She will nurture righteousness
Thaai illaamal
She will add prosperity to the earth
Naan illai
She will forgive my mistakes
{ Megaveedhiyil
She will nurture righteousness
Nadapaal uyir
She will add prosperity to the earth
Moochinilae kalandhirupaal } (2)
Without a mother
{ Malaimudi thoduvaal
I do not exist
Malar manam tharuvaal
Like pure land
Mangala vaazhvuku
She will lie down and on her shoulders
Thunaiyirupaal } (2)
She will carry me
Thaai illaamal
Like pure land
Naan illai
She will lie down and on her shoulders
{ Aadhi andhamum
She will carry me
Avalthaan nammai
Even if without decency
Aalum needhiyum avalthaan } (2)
I step on her
{ Agandhaiyai azhipaal
Even if without decency
Aatralai kodupaal
I step on her
Aval thaan annai
In her motherly warmth her heart melts with tenderness
Magasakthi } (2)
Without a mother
Andha thaai illaamal
I do not exist
Naan illai thaanae
In the pathway of clouds
Evarum pirandhadhillai
She walks, and in the breath of life
Enakoru thaai
She remains blended
Irukindraal endrum
In the pathway of clouds
Ennai kaakindraal
She walks, and in the breath of life
Thaai illaamal
She remains blended
Naan illai
She touches the mountain peaks
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This classic song 'Thaai Illaamal Naan Illai' from the 1969 film Adimai Penn is a soulful tribute to motherhood and the divine maternal principle. The singer reflects on how no human life exists without a mother, describing her as an eternal guardian who nourishes like a flowing river, forgives flaws like the enduring Earth, and guides mankind toward virtue and prosperity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uwamai (Metaphor / Simile)
“Jeeva nadhiyaai / Varuvaal en thaagam”
Comparing the mother to a 'Jeeva nadhi' (perennial river) and 'Thooya nilam' (pure earth) highlights her endless nourishing capacity and patience.
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Thavarinai porupaal / Tharmathai valarpaal”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds like 'Th' across lines creating melodic resonance (Thavarinai, Tharmathai, Tharaniyilae).
Deification / Personification
“Aval thaan annai / Magasakthi”
Elevating the mother figure to 'Maha Shakti' (Supreme Divine Power) who embodies justice, destroys ego, and rules the cosmos.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics penned by Vaali, 'Thaai Illaamal Naan Illai' was sung by T. M. Soundararajan for M. G. Ramachandran in the blockbuster movie 'Adimai Penn' (1969). The song remains one of the iconic cinematic odes to motherhood in Tamil cinema.
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