Unnai Naan Ariven
From Gunaa · 1991
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Aaaa…haaaa…aaaa…haaaa… | Aaaa…haaaa…aaaa…haaaa… |
| Haaa.haa.haaa… | Haaa.haa.haaa… |
| Female | |
| Unnai naan ariven | I know who you truly are, |
| Ennai andri yaar arivar | Who else knows you besides me? |
| Kannil neer vazhinthaal | If tears stream down from your eyes, |
| Ennai andri yaar thudaippar | Who else besides me will wipe them away? |
| Female | |
| Yaar ivargal | Who are these people? |
| Maayum maanidargal | Mortal humans destined to perish, |
| Aattivaithaal aadum | Mere characters in a play |
| Paathirangal | Who dance only when manipulated. |
| Female | |
| Unnai naan ariven | I know who you truly are, |
| Ennai andri yaar arivar | Who else knows you besides me? |
| Kannil neer vazhinthaal | If tears stream down from your eyes, |
| Ennai andri yaar thudaippar | Who else besides me will wipe them away? |
| Female | |
| Devan endral devan alla | If called a deity, you are not quite a god, |
| Tharai mel unthan jananam | For your birth took place upon this earth. |
| Jeevan endral jeevan alla | If called a living soul, you are not an ordinary one, |
| Ennai pol illai salanam | For you lack the restless turmoil that I possess. |
| Female | |
| Neeyo vaanam vittu | As for you, leaving the high heavens behind, |
| Mannil vantha thaaragai | You are a divine star that descended onto the earth. |
| Naano yaarum vanthu | As for me, I am like an inn or mansion |
| Thangi chellum maaligai | Where anyone can come, stay briefly, and leave. |
| Female | |
| Yen thaan piranthayo | Why on earth were you born? |
| Ingae valarnthayo | Why did you grow up in this place? |
| Kaatrae nee yen setrin | O pure breeze, why must you |
| Vaadai kolla vendum | Acquire the foul stench of mud? |
| Female | |
| Unnai naan ariven | I know who you truly are, |
| Ennai andri yaar arivar | Who else knows you besides me? |
| Kannil neer vazhinthaal | If tears stream down from your eyes, |
| Ennai andri yaar thudaippar | Who else besides me will wipe them away? |
| Male | |
| Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaaa… | Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaaa… |
ஆஆ ஹா
ஆஆ ஹா ஹா
ஹா ஹா
Aaaa…haaaa…aaaa…haaaa…
Haaa.haa.haaa…
உன்னை நான்
அறிவேன் என்னை
அன்றி யாா் அறிவார்
கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால்
என்னை அன்றி யார்
துடைப்பார்
I know who you truly are,
Who else knows you besides me?
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
யார் இவர்கள்
மாயும் மானிடர்கள்
ஆட்டிவைத்தால் ஆடும்
பாத்திரங்கள்
Who are these people?
Mortal humans destined to perish,
Mere characters in a play
Who dance only when manipulated.
உன்னை நான்
அறிவேன் என்னை
அன்றி யாா் அறிவார்
கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால்
என்னை அன்றி யார்
துடைப்பார்
I know who you truly are,
Who else knows you besides me?
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
தேவன் என்றால்
தேவன் அல்ல தரைமேல்
உந்தன் ஜனனம் ஜீவன்
என்றால் ஜீவன் அல்ல
என்னைப்போல் இல்லை
சலனம்
If called a deity, you are not quite a god,
For your birth took place upon this earth.
If called a living soul, you are not an ordinary one,
For you lack the restless turmoil that I possess.
நீயோ வானம்
விட்டு மண்ணில் வந்த
தாரகை நானோ யாரும்
வந்து தங்கி செல்லும்
மாளிகை
As for you, leaving the high heavens behind,
You are a divine star that descended onto the earth.
As for me, I am like an inn or mansion
Where anyone can come, stay briefly, and leave.
ஏன் தான்
பிறந்தாயோ இங்கே
வளர்ந்தாயோ காற்றே
நீ ஏன் சேற்றின் வாடை
கொள்ள வேண்டும்
Why on earth were you born?
Why did you grow up in this place?
O pure breeze, why must you
Acquire the foul stench of mud?
உன்னை நான்
அறிவேன் என்னை
அன்றி யாா் அறிவார்
கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால்
என்னை அன்றி யார்
துடைப்பார்
I know who you truly are,
Who else knows you besides me?
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
ஆஆஆஆ
ஆஆஆஆ ஆஆ
Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaaa…
Aaaa…haaaa…aaaa…haaaa…
Aaaa…haaaa…aaaa…haaaa…
Haaa.haa.haaa…
Haaa.haa.haaa…
Unnai naan ariven
I know who you truly are,
Ennai andri yaar arivar
Who else knows you besides me?
Kannil neer vazhinthaal
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Ennai andri yaar thudaippar
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
Yaar ivargal
Who are these people?
Maayum maanidargal
Mortal humans destined to perish,
Aattivaithaal aadum
Mere characters in a play
Paathirangal
Who dance only when manipulated.
Unnai naan ariven
I know who you truly are,
Ennai andri yaar arivar
Who else knows you besides me?
Kannil neer vazhinthaal
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Ennai andri yaar thudaippar
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
Devan endral devan alla
If called a deity, you are not quite a god,
Tharai mel unthan jananam
For your birth took place upon this earth.
Jeevan endral jeevan alla
If called a living soul, you are not an ordinary one,
Ennai pol illai salanam
For you lack the restless turmoil that I possess.
Neeyo vaanam vittu
As for you, leaving the high heavens behind,
Mannil vantha thaaragai
You are a divine star that descended onto the earth.
Naano yaarum vanthu
As for me, I am like an inn or mansion
Thangi chellum maaligai
Where anyone can come, stay briefly, and leave.
Yen thaan piranthayo
Why on earth were you born?
Ingae valarnthayo
Why did you grow up in this place?
Kaatrae nee yen setrin
O pure breeze, why must you
Vaadai kolla vendum
Acquire the foul stench of mud?
Unnai naan ariven
I know who you truly are,
Ennai andri yaar arivar
Who else knows you besides me?
Kannil neer vazhinthaal
If tears stream down from your eyes,
Ennai andri yaar thudaippar
Who else besides me will wipe them away?
Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaaa…
Aaaaa….aaaa….aaaaa…
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song expresses deep emotional intimacy, protective empathy, and a profound spiritual connection between two individuals. The narrator claims to be the only person who truly understands the subject's divine purity and pain, contrasting their innocent nature with the hollow, puppet-like existence of the worldly mortals around them.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagaimai)
“Aattivaithaal aadum Paathirangal”
Compares human beings to puppets or stage characters ('Aattivaithaal aadum paathirangal') manipulated by fate or circumstance.
Celestial Metaphor
“Mannil vantha thaaragai”
Compares the beloved to a celestial star ('thaaragai') that descended from heaven to earth.
Contrast / Antithesis
“Neeyo vaanam vittu Mannil vantha thaaragai Naano yaarum vanthu Thangi chellum maaligai”
Contrasts the divinity of the beloved ('Neeyo vaanam... thaaragai') with the narrator's transient, open-house-like existence ('Naano... thangi chellum maaligai').
Rhetorical Question
“Kaatrae nee yen setrin Vaadai kolla vendum”
Uses philosophical questioning to highlight the tragedy of an innocent, pure soul suffering in a corrupt world.
Did you know?
Trivia
While famously associated with classical Tamil cinema nostalgia, 'Unnai Naan Ariven' originally belongs to the film 'Annai Illam' (1963) composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics by Kannadasan, sung by T. M. Soundararajan. Its intense philosophical theme of understanding an isolated, pure soul echoes deeply through psychological Tamil dramas.
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