- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- K. S. Chithra
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Chinna Thambi
- Movie release year
- 1991
- Lyrics added on
- 14 Apr 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Thooliyilae Aadavantha is a tender lullaby from the classic 1991 Tamil film Chinna Thambi. The protagonist lovingly addresses a pure soul as a heavenly light and a precious pearl found from the ocean depths. He reflects on his innate, uneducated musical talent, expressing that his singing possesses the hyper-natural power to soothe rushing rivers, revive dead trees, and spring water from rocks. He humbly rejects any formal knowledge of ragas, pitch, or musical theory, attributing his divine gift directly to God while holding the Earth as his witness.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navirchi Ani)
“Kaattaruvi kannurangum / Pattamaram poomalarum / Paaraiyilum neer surakkum”
Exaggerating the natural impact of his singing—claims that his voice can put waterfalls to sleep, make dead trees bloom, and extract water from solid rock.
Metaphor (Uruvakam)
“Vaanaththu minvilakkae / Arpudha aanimuththae”
Comparing the beloved child directly to a sky-lamp ('Vaanaththu minvilakkae') and a rare ocean pearl ('Arpudha aanimuththae').
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Paatteduththu naan padichaa”
Use of matching second consonants in consecutive lines such as Paatteduththu / Kaattaruvi / Pattamaram / Paaraiyilum.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali, Chinna Thambi was one of the biggest silver-jubilee musical blockbusters of 1991. The male version of this iconic track was sung by Mano, winning widespread acclaim for capturing pure folk emotion.
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