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Dharmathin Thalaivan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Then Madurai Vaigai Nadhi (Sad)

From Dharmathin Thalaivan · 1988

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Susheela
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Dharmathin Thalaivan
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
3 Jul 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Dhinam paadum thamizh paattu } (2)
Theigindradhu…
Theiygindradhu pon maalai nila
Theiyaadhadhu nam aasai nila
Idhu vaanam polae vaazhum paasam
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Dhinam paadum thamizh paattu
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Pillai pola ennai ingae
Kaiyil yendhum dheivam engae
Annan nalla thandhai neeyae
Ennai kaathu nee sendraayae
Gangai pola kanneer kondu
Mangai neeyum nindraai ingae
Annai pola unnai paarthen
Anni undhan kanneer theerpen
Annan vazhi nam paadhai
Annan mozhi nam geethai
Annan uyir nammodu
Endrum varum pinnodu
Namm nesam paasam
Naalum vaazhga
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Dhinam paadum thamizh paattu
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
{Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Dhinam paadum thamizh paattu} (2)
Theiygindradhu pon maalai nila
Theiyaadhadhu nam aasai nila
Idhu vaanam polae vaazhum paasam
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
Dhinam paadum thamizh paattu
Thenmadurai vaigai nadhi
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai
sings a Tamil song every single day.
It wanes...
The golden evening moon wanes,
but the moon of our love never fades.
This bond of affection lives on like the endless sky.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai
sings a Tamil song every single day.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai...
Like a child, right here,
where is that god who carried me in his arms?
You were my brother and a good father to me,
you protected me, and now you have gone.
With tears flowing like the river Ganga,
you stand here in deep sorrow.
I have always looked upon you as my mother,
sister-in-law, I will wipe away your tears.
Our brother's path is our way forward,
our brother's words are our sacred guide.
Our brother's spirit is with us,
it will always follow and watch over us.
May our love and affection
live on forever, day after day.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai
sings a Tamil song every single day.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai...
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai
sings a Tamil song every single day.
The golden evening moon wanes,
but the moon of our love never fades.
This bond of affection lives on like the endless sky.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai
sings a Tamil song every single day.
The Vaigai river of southern Madurai...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Thenmadurai Vaigai Nadhi is a profoundly emotional song from Dharmathin Thalaivan celebrating deep fraternal bond, sacrifice, and family loyalty. The lyrics draw parallels between timeless elements of nature—such as the Vaigai river, the Tamil language, and the vast sky—and the enduring love shared among family members. The younger brother pays homage to his elder brother, viewing him not just as a sibling but as a paternal guardian whose righteous path and words serve as a guiding gospel. In times of sorrow, the younger brother reassures his sister-in-law, promising to wipe away her tears and fulfill the duties left behind by his brother. The core motif contrasts the physical moon, which wanes every night, with the family's eternal affection that remains immortal and unwavering through life's trials.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Idhu vaanam polae vaazhum paasam

Compares the vastness of fraternal love to the sky using 'polae' (pol).

Antithesis / Imagery

Theiygindradhu pon maalai nila / Theiyaadhadhu nam aasai nila

Contrasts the fading evening moon with the unyielding, non-fading moon of affection.

Simile (Upamai)

Gangai pola kanneer kondu

Compares the abundance of tears to the holy river Ganges using 'pola'.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Annan mozhi nam geethai

Directly equates the elder brother's spoken words to a holy scripture/song (Geethai).

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Annan vazhi nam paadhai / Annan mozhi nam geethai

Repetition of the initial letter 'Annan' across consecutive lines for rhythmic emphasis.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali, Dharmathin Thalaivan (1988) was a Tamil remake of the 1978 Hindi film Kasme Vaade. The song visually highlights the deep bond between Rajinikanth and Prabhu's characters and remains one of Tamil cinema's quintessential anthems on brotherly affection.

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