Unmaikku Veliyittu
From Dheiva Thaai · 1964
- Lyricist
- Aalangudi Somu
- Singer
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Dheiva Thaai1964
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Unmaiyai vaeli ittu | Fencing in the truth, |
| Unarchigalai karuga vittu | Letting her emotions scorch to ashes, |
| Penmai por anikalamaai | Wearing womanhood as a shield, |
| Pillai nalam kaathirundhaal | She protected the well-being of her child, |
| Pillai nalam kaathirundhaal | She protected the well-being of her child, |
| Male | |
| Kadhai mudiyum munnaalae | Before the story reached its end, |
| Kannai moodinaal | She closed her eyes in eternal sleep, |
| Sondha kadamaiyilae | Through her steadfast devotion to duty, |
| Thaai kulathin deivam aaginaal | She became a deity among all mothers, |
| Male | |
| Vaazhvin kadhai mudiyum munnaalae | Before life's story reached its conclusion, |
| Kannai moodinaal | She closed her eyes, |
| Sondha kadamaiyilae | Through her steadfast devotion to duty, |
| Thaai kulathin deivam aaginaal | She became a deity among all mothers, |
| Male | |
| Padhi mugathai paarthirukkum | Even while gazing upon her husband's face, |
| Vidhavai aaginaal ival | She became a widow, this woman, |
| Badhil alikka mudiyaatha | An unanswerable, |
| Kaelvi aaginaal | Question she became, |
| Male | |
| Vidhi vagutha paadhaiyilae | Along the path carved out by destiny, |
| Viraindhu odinaal | She rushed forward, |
| Unmai veliyaagum naerathilae | At the precise moment the truth was to be revealed, |
| Oomai aaginaal | She became silent forever, |
| Ival deivathaai | She is a divine mother, |
| Ival deivathaai | She is a divine mother, |
| Ival deivathaai | She is a divine mother. |
உண்மையை வேலி இட்டு
உணர்ச்சிகளை கருக விட்டு
பெண்மைக்கோர் அணிகலமாய்
பிள்ளை நலம் காத்திருந்தாள்
பிள்ளை நலம் காத்திருந்தாள்
Fencing in the truth,
Letting her emotions scorch to ashes,
Wearing womanhood as a shield,
She protected the well-being of her child,
She protected the well-being of her child,
கதை முடியும் முன்னாலே
கண்ணை மூடினாள்
கொண்ட கடமையிலே
தாய் குலத்தின் தெய்வம் ஆகினாள்
Before the story reached its end,
She closed her eyes in eternal sleep,
Through her steadfast devotion to duty,
She became a deity among all mothers,
வாழ்வின் கதை முடியும் முன்னாலே
கண்ணை மூடினாள்
கொண்ட கடமையிலே
தாய் குலத்தின் தெய்வம் ஆகினாள்
Before life's story reached its conclusion,
She closed her eyes,
Through her steadfast devotion to duty,
She became a deity among all mothers,
பதி முகத்தை பார்த்திருக்கும்
விதவை ஆகினாள் இவள்
பதில் அளிக்க முடியாத
கேள்வி ஆகினாள்
Even while gazing upon her husband's face,
She became a widow, this woman,
An unanswerable,
Question she became,
விதி வகுத்த பாதையிலே
விரைந்து ஓடினாள்
உண்மை வெளியாகும் நேரத்திலே
ஊமை ஆகினாள்
இவள் தெய்வத்தாய்
இவள் தெய்வத்தாய்
இவள் தெய்வத்தாய்
Along the path carved out by destiny,
She rushed forward,
At the precise moment the truth was to be revealed,
She became silent forever,
She is a divine mother,
She is a divine mother,
She is a divine mother.
Unmaiyai vaeli ittu
Fencing in the truth,
Unarchigalai karuga vittu
Letting her emotions scorch to ashes,
Penmai por anikalamaai
Wearing womanhood as a shield,
Pillai nalam kaathirundhaal
She protected the well-being of her child,
Pillai nalam kaathirundhaal
She protected the well-being of her child,
Kadhai mudiyum munnaalae
Before the story reached its end,
Kannai moodinaal
She closed her eyes in eternal sleep,
Sondha kadamaiyilae
Through her steadfast devotion to duty,
Thaai kulathin deivam aaginaal
She became a deity among all mothers,
Vaazhvin kadhai mudiyum munnaalae
Before life's story reached its conclusion,
Kannai moodinaal
She closed her eyes,
Sondha kadamaiyilae
Through her steadfast devotion to duty,
Thaai kulathin deivam aaginaal
She became a deity among all mothers,
Padhi mugathai paarthirukkum
Even while gazing upon her husband's face,
Vidhavai aaginaal ival
She became a widow, this woman,
Badhil alikka mudiyaatha
An unanswerable,
Kaelvi aaginaal
Question she became,
Vidhi vagutha paadhaiyilae
Along the path carved out by destiny,
Viraindhu odinaal
She rushed forward,
Unmai veliyaagum naerathilae
At the precise moment the truth was to be revealed,
Oomai aaginaal
She became silent forever,
Ival deivathaai
She is a divine mother,
Ival deivathaai
She is a divine mother,
Ival deivathaai
She is a divine mother.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant song from the film 'Dheiva Thaai' honors the supreme sacrifice, silence, and dutiful resilience of a mother. To protect her child's future, she suppresses her deep-seated emotions and keeps a life-altering truth guarded, enduring immense hardship, widowhood, and the cruelty of fate. Ultimately, her tragic death right before the truth comes to light elevates her to the status of a divine, worshipped mother.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Moonaal (Initial Alliteration)
“Unmaiyai vaeli ittu / Unarchigalai karuga vittu”
Matching initial vowel sounds across consecutive lines ('Unmaiyai' and 'Unarchigalai').
Metaphor
“Badhil alikka mudiyaatha Kaelvi aaginaal”
Comparing the tragic nature of her character and life to an unanswerable question ('Kaelvi aaginaal').
Anaphora (Repetition)
“Ival deivathaai”
Repetition of 'Ival deivathaai' at the end to emphasize her divine status through sacrifice.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Dheiva Thaai' (1964), directed by P. Madhavan and starring M.G. Ramachandran, featured veteran actress Pandari Bai in the title role of the sacrificial mother. Seerkazhi Govindarajan's grand, emotive vocal performance set to Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy's composition became an iconic ode to motherly sacrifice in Tamil cinema history.
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