Unavu Sellavillai Sagiye (Sad)
From Samsarame Saranam · 1989
- Lyricist
- Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar
- Singer
- K. S. Chitra
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Details
- Samsarame Saranam1989
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Aaa……aa…….aaa…..aaah…. | Aaa... aa... aaa... aaah... |
| Aah…..aah….aaa….aa….aa….aa…. | Aah... aah... aaa... aa... aa... aa... |
| Female | |
| Unavu sellavillai sagiyae | Food does not go down, my dear friend, |
| Urakkam kollavillai | Sleep does not come to me. |
| Unavu sellavillai sagiyae | Food does not go down, my dear friend, |
| Urakkam kollavillai | Sleep does not come to me. |
| Female | |
| Manam virumbavillai sagiyae | My heart desires nothing, my dear friend, |
| Malar pidikkavillai……oo…. | I no longer take pleasure in flowers... |
| Female | |
| Unavu sellavillai sagiyae | Food does not go down, my dear friend, |
| Urakkam kollavillai….. | Sleep does not come to me... |
| Female | |
| Paalum kasanthathadi sagiyae | Even milk tastes bitter to me, my dear friend, |
| Padukkai nonthathadi | The bed causes me pain, |
| Kolak kili mozhiyum seviyil | Even the sweet speech of the lovely parrot |
| Kuththal eduththathadi… | Pierces my ears like a thorn... |
| Female | |
| Naalu vayiththiyarum inimael | Four doctors have said that hereafter |
| Nambutharkillai endraar | There is no hope for recovery, |
| Paalaththu joshiyanum giragam | The astrologer at the bridge said |
| Paduththum endru vittaan…mmm m…. | That malevolent planets are tormenting me... |
| Female | |
| Unavu sellavillai sagiyae | Food does not go down, my dear friend, |
| Urakkam kollavillai | Sleep does not come to me. |
| Unavu sellavillai sagiyae | Food does not go down, my dear friend, |
| Urakkam kollavillai…… | Sleep does not come to me... |
ஆஅ......ஆ.....ஆஅ......ஆஹ்....
ஆஹ்....ஆஹ்....ஆஅ......ஆ.....ஆ.....ஆ.....
Aaa... aa... aaa... aaah...
Aah... aah... aaa... aa... aa... aa...
உணவு செல்லவில்லை சகியே
உறக்கம் கொள்ளவில்லை......
உணவு செல்லவில்லை சகியே
உறக்கம் கொள்ளவில்லை.....
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Sleep does not come to me.
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Sleep does not come to me.
மணம் விரும்பவில்லை சகியே
மலர் பிடிக்க வில்லை......ஓ.....
My heart desires nothing, my dear friend,
I no longer take pleasure in flowers...
உணவு செல்லவில்லை சகியே
உறக்கம் கொள்ளவில்லை....
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Sleep does not come to me...
பாலும் கசந்தடி சகியே
படுக்கை நொந்ததடி....
கோலக் கிளிமொழியும் செவியில்
குத்தலெடுத்ததடி.........ஈ......
Even milk tastes bitter to me, my dear friend,
The bed causes me pain,
Even the sweet speech of the lovely parrot
Pierces my ears like a thorn...
நாலு வயித்தியரும் இனிமேல்
நம்புதற்கில்லை என்றார்
பாலத்துச் சோசியனும் கிரகம்
படுத்தும் என்று விட்டான்......ம்ம்ம் ம்......
Four doctors have said that hereafter
There is no hope for recovery,
The astrologer at the bridge said
That malevolent planets are tormenting me...
உணவு செல்லவில்லை சகியே
உறக்கம் கொள்ளவில்லை......
உணவு செல்லவில்லை சகியே
உறக்கம் கொள்ளவில்லை......
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Sleep does not come to me.
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Sleep does not come to me...
Aaa……aa…….aaa…..aaah….
Aaa... aa... aaa... aaah...
Aah…..aah….aaa….aa….aa….aa….
Aah... aah... aaa... aa... aa... aa...
Unavu sellavillai sagiyae
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Urakkam kollavillai
Sleep does not come to me.
Unavu sellavillai sagiyae
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Urakkam kollavillai
Sleep does not come to me.
Manam virumbavillai sagiyae
My heart desires nothing, my dear friend,
Malar pidikkavillai……oo….
I no longer take pleasure in flowers...
Unavu sellavillai sagiyae
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Urakkam kollavillai…..
Sleep does not come to me...
Paalum kasanthathadi sagiyae
Even milk tastes bitter to me, my dear friend,
Padukkai nonthathadi
The bed causes me pain,
Kolak kili mozhiyum seviyil
Even the sweet speech of the lovely parrot
Kuththal eduththathadi…
Pierces my ears like a thorn...
Naalu vayiththiyarum inimael
Four doctors have said that hereafter
Nambutharkillai endraar
There is no hope for recovery,
Paalaththu joshiyanum giragam
The astrologer at the bridge said
Paduththum endru vittaan…mmm m….
That malevolent planets are tormenting me...
Unavu sellavillai sagiyae
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Urakkam kollavillai
Sleep does not come to me.
Unavu sellavillai sagiyae
Food does not go down, my dear friend,
Urakkam kollavillai……
Sleep does not come to me...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song, based on a classic poem by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar, expresses the intense affliction of a woman experiencing deep love-sickness (viraha thapam). She confides in her female companion (sagi) that basic life routines like eating food and sleeping have become impossible. Sensory pleasures have turned into sources of discomfort: milk tastes bitter, a soft bed feels painful, flowers bring no joy, and even the sweet babble of a pet parrot hurts her ears like a sharp prick. Her condition is so severe that four physicians have declared her beyond medical cure, while an astrologer attributes her agonizing state to adverse planetary alignments.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Paalum kasanthathadi sagiyae / Padukkai nonthathadi”
Matching first letters in words within the same line or consecutive lines, such as 'Paalum' and 'Padukkai' starting with the 'Pa' sound.
Hyperbole & Sensory Inversion
“Kolak kili mozhiyum seviyil / Kuththal eduththathadi”
Depicting pleasant things like sweet milk, a soft bed, flowers, and parrot speech as bitter, painful, and piercing to emphasize the depths of love-sickness.
Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Unavu sellavillai sagiyae / Urakkam kollavillai”
The refrain 'Unavu sellavillai sagiyae / Urakkam kollavillai' is repeated continuously to underscore the persistent loss of appetite and insomnia.
Did you know?
Trivia
This text comes from Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar's iconic poem detailing 'Viraha' (pain of separation). Beyond film adaptations, this poem is a popular choice in Carnatic music concerts, often rendered in emotive ragas such as Kapi or Senchurutti.
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