Thooliyile Aada Vantha
From Chinna Thambi · 1991
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- K. S. Chithra
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Chinna Thambi1991
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| {Thooliyilae aadavantha | O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle, |
| Vaanaththu minvilakkae | O glowing lamp of the sky, |
| Aazhiyilae kandeduththa | Discovered from deep within the ocean, |
| Arpudha aanimuththae | O marvelous, flawless royal pearl! |
| Thottil melae muththu maala | A pearl garland resting above the cradle, |
| Vanna poovaa vilaiyaada | Playing like a colorful flower, |
| Chinna thambi esapaadaa} (2) | As Chinna Thambi sings his song. |
| Female | |
| {Paatteduththu naan padichaa | If I take up a song and sing, |
| Kaattaruvi kannurangum | The wild forest waterfall will fall asleep, |
| Pattamaram poomalarum | A dried dead tree will bloom with flowers, |
| Paaraiyilum neer surakkum} (2) | Even a hard rock will yield flowing water. |
| Female | |
| Raagamenna thaalamenna | What is raga, what is rhythm? |
| Arinjaa naan padichen | Did I sing knowing any of that? |
| Ezhu katta ettu katta | Pitch level seven or pitch level eight, |
| Therinjaa naan padichen | Did I sing knowing musical scales? |
| Female | |
| Naan padaicha gnyaanamellaam | All the musical wisdom I possess, |
| Yaar koduthaa saamidhaan | Who gave it to me? It was God himself! |
| Aedu eduththu padichadhilla | I have never learned from books, |
| Saatchi indha bhoomidhaan | This very Earth is witness to that. |
| Male | |
| Thottil melae muththu maala | A pearl garland resting above the cradle, |
| Vanna poovaa vilaiyaada | Playing like a colorful flower, |
| Chinna thambi esapaadaa | As Chinna Thambi sings his song. |
| Female | |
| Thooliyilae aadavantha | O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle, |
| Vaanaththu minvilakkae | O glowing lamp of the sky, |
| Aazhiyilae kandeduththa | Discovered from deep within the ocean, |
| Arpudha aanimuththae | O marvelous, flawless royal pearl! |
{ தூளியிலே
ஆடவந்த வானத்து
மின்விளக்கே ஆழியிலே
கண்டெடுத்த அற்புத
ஆணிமுத்தே தொட்டில்
மேலே முத்து மாலை
வண்ண பூவா விளையாட
சின்னத் தம்பி எசபாட } (2)
O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle,
O glowing lamp of the sky,
Discovered from deep within the ocean,
O marvelous, flawless royal pearl!
A pearl garland resting above the cradle,
Playing like a colorful flower,
As Chinna Thambi sings his song.
{ பாட்டெடுத்து
நான் படிச்சா காட்டருவி
கண்ணுறங்கும் பட்டமரம்
பூமலரும் பாறையிலும்
நீர்சுரக்கும் } (2)
If I take up a song and sing,
The wild forest waterfall will fall asleep,
A dried dead tree will bloom with flowers,
Even a hard rock will yield flowing water.
ராகமென்ன
தாளமென்ன அறிஞ்சா
நான் படிச்சேன் ஏழு கட்ட
எட்டுக் கட்ட தெரிஞ்சா
நான் படிச்சேன்
What is raga, what is rhythm?
Did I sing knowing any of that?
Pitch level seven or pitch level eight,
Did I sing knowing musical scales?
நான் படிச்ச
ஞானம் எல்லாம் யார்
கொடுத்தா சாமிதான்
ஏடெடுத்துப் படிச்சதில்ல
சாட்சி இந்த பூமி தான்
All the musical wisdom I possess,
Who gave it to me? It was God himself!
I have never learned from books,
This very Earth is witness to that.
தொட்டில் மேலே
முத்து மாலை வண்ண
பூவா விளையாட சின்னத்
தம்பி எசபாட
A pearl garland resting above the cradle,
Playing like a colorful flower,
As Chinna Thambi sings his song.
தூளியிலே
ஆடவந்த வானத்து
மின்விளக்கே ஆழியிலே
கண்டெடுத்த அற்புத
ஆணிமுத்தே
O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle,
O glowing lamp of the sky,
Discovered from deep within the ocean,
O marvelous, flawless royal pearl!
{Thooliyilae aadavantha
O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle,
Vaanaththu minvilakkae
O glowing lamp of the sky,
Aazhiyilae kandeduththa
Discovered from deep within the ocean,
Arpudha aanimuththae
O marvelous, flawless royal pearl!
Thottil melae muththu maala
A pearl garland resting above the cradle,
Vanna poovaa vilaiyaada
Playing like a colorful flower,
Chinna thambi esapaadaa} (2)
As Chinna Thambi sings his song.
{Paatteduththu naan padichaa
If I take up a song and sing,
Kaattaruvi kannurangum
The wild forest waterfall will fall asleep,
Pattamaram poomalarum
A dried dead tree will bloom with flowers,
Paaraiyilum neer surakkum} (2)
Even a hard rock will yield flowing water.
Raagamenna thaalamenna
What is raga, what is rhythm?
Arinjaa naan padichen
Did I sing knowing any of that?
Ezhu katta ettu katta
Pitch level seven or pitch level eight,
Therinjaa naan padichen
Did I sing knowing musical scales?
Naan padaicha gnyaanamellaam
All the musical wisdom I possess,
Yaar koduthaa saamidhaan
Who gave it to me? It was God himself!
Aedu eduththu padichadhilla
I have never learned from books,
Saatchi indha bhoomidhaan
This very Earth is witness to that.
Thottil melae muththu maala
A pearl garland resting above the cradle,
Vanna poovaa vilaiyaada
Playing like a colorful flower,
Chinna thambi esapaadaa
As Chinna Thambi sings his song.
Thooliyilae aadavantha
O heavenly light that came to swing in the cradle,
Vaanaththu minvilakkae
O glowing lamp of the sky,
Aazhiyilae kandeduththa
Discovered from deep within the ocean,
Arpudha aanimuththae
O marvelous, flawless royal pearl!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
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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