Unnai Yen Sandhithen
From Idhaya Thamarai · 1990
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Sankar Ganesh
- Details
- Idhaya Thamarai1990
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
| Naanaaga naan maarava | Should I change back to myself? |
| Illai veraaga naan maarava | Or should I become someone else? |
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
| Female | |
| Deivangal paarkaathathu | Unseen even by the gods, |
| En thunbam | Is my immense suffering. |
| Seethaavum kaanadhadhu | Unexperienced even by Sita, |
| En raaman yaar endru thaan | Is my plight of knowing who my Rama is. |
| Ippodhu en jeevan mandraadudhu | Now my soul begs and pleads. |
| Female | |
| Illadha thaali undaanathu | A non-existent sacred thread was formed, |
| Ippodhu thaali rendaanathu | Now there are two sacred threads. |
| En vaazhkkai thalladudhu pinnenna | My life stumbles, what happens next? |
| En saelai mullaanathu | My saree has turned into a bed of thorns. |
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
| Naanaaga naan maarava | Should I change back to myself? |
| Illai veraaga naan maarava | Or should I become someone else? |
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
| Female | |
| Uyiraana kannaalanaa | Is it the beloved who was my very life? |
| Pinnaalil uravaana manavazhanaa | Or the husband who became family later on? |
| Iru thaeril oru dhegama | Is it a single body riding on two chariots? |
| Penn vaazhvil | In a woman's life, |
| Idhu enna pudhu vedhamaa | What kind of new torment is this? |
| Female | |
| Oru kannai moodi naan thoongavoo | Shall I sleep closing only one eye? |
| Edhu needhi endru yaar solvadho | Who will tell me what justice is? |
| Anbenna poi aagumoo | Will true love turn into a lie? |
| Uppukkal azhudhaalum thaenaagumaa | Even if salt crystals weep, can they ever turn to honey? |
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
| Naanaaga naan maarava | Should I change back to myself? |
| Illai veraaga naan maarava | Or should I become someone else? |
| Female | |
| Unnai yen sandhiththaen | Why did I meet you? |
| Oomai naan sindhiththaen | I pondered silently like a mute. |
| Oru theervu illaiyaa | Is there no solution? |
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
நானாக நான் மாறவா இல்லை
வேறாக நான் மாறவா.......
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
Should I change back to myself?
Or should I become someone else?
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
தெய்வங்கள் பார்க்காதது
என் துன்பம்
சீதாவும் காணாதது
என் ராமன் யார் என்றுதான்
இப்போது என் ஜீவன் மன்றாடுது
Unseen even by the gods,
Is my immense suffering.
Unexperienced even by Sita,
Is my plight of knowing who my Rama is.
Now my soul begs and pleads.
இல்லாத தாலி உண்டானது
இப்போது தாலி ரெண்டானது
என் வாழ்க்கை தள்ளாடுது பின்னென்ன
என் சேலை முள்ளானது.....
A non-existent sacred thread was formed,
Now there are two sacred threads.
My life stumbles, what happens next?
My saree has turned into a bed of thorns.
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
நானாக நான் மாறவா இல்லை
வேறாக நான் மாறவா.......
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
Should I change back to myself?
Or should I become someone else?
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
உயிரான கண்ணாளனா
பின்னாளில் உறவான மணவாளனா
இரு தேரில் ஒரு தேகமா
பெண் வாழ்வில்
இது என்ன புது வேதமா
Is it the beloved who was my very life?
Or the husband who became family later on?
Is it a single body riding on two chariots?
In a woman's life,
What kind of new torment is this?
ஒரு கண்ணை மூடி நான் தூங்கவோ
எது நீதி என்று யார் சொல்வதோ
அன்பென்ன பொய்யாகுமோ உப்புக்கல்
அழுதாலும் தேனாகுமோ......
Shall I sleep closing only one eye?
Who will tell me what justice is?
Will true love turn into a lie?
Even if salt crystals weep, can they ever turn to honey?
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
நானாக நான் மாறவா இல்லை
வேறாக நான் மாறவா.......
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
Should I change back to myself?
Or should I become someone else?
உன்னை ஏன் சந்தித்தேன்
ஊமை நான் சிந்தித்தேன்
ஒரு தீர்வு இல்லையா
Why did I meet you?
I pondered silently like a mute.
Is there no solution?
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Naanaaga naan maarava
Should I change back to myself?
Illai veraaga naan maarava
Or should I become someone else?
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Deivangal paarkaathathu
Unseen even by the gods,
En thunbam
Is my immense suffering.
Seethaavum kaanadhadhu
Unexperienced even by Sita,
En raaman yaar endru thaan
Is my plight of knowing who my Rama is.
Ippodhu en jeevan mandraadudhu
Now my soul begs and pleads.
Illadha thaali undaanathu
A non-existent sacred thread was formed,
Ippodhu thaali rendaanathu
Now there are two sacred threads.
En vaazhkkai thalladudhu pinnenna
My life stumbles, what happens next?
En saelai mullaanathu
My saree has turned into a bed of thorns.
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Naanaaga naan maarava
Should I change back to myself?
Illai veraaga naan maarava
Or should I become someone else?
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Uyiraana kannaalanaa
Is it the beloved who was my very life?
Pinnaalil uravaana manavazhanaa
Or the husband who became family later on?
Iru thaeril oru dhegama
Is it a single body riding on two chariots?
Penn vaazhvil
In a woman's life,
Idhu enna pudhu vedhamaa
What kind of new torment is this?
Oru kannai moodi naan thoongavoo
Shall I sleep closing only one eye?
Edhu needhi endru yaar solvadho
Who will tell me what justice is?
Anbenna poi aagumoo
Will true love turn into a lie?
Uppukkal azhudhaalum thaenaagumaa
Even if salt crystals weep, can they ever turn to honey?
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Naanaaga naan maarava
Should I change back to myself?
Illai veraaga naan maarava
Or should I become someone else?
Unnai yen sandhiththaen
Why did I meet you?
Oomai naan sindhiththaen
I pondered silently like a mute.
Oru theervu illaiyaa
Is there no solution?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Unnai Yen Sandhiththaen' captures the deep emotional torment and moral dilemma of a woman caught between her past love and her present marital reality. She questions the twist of fate that brought her former lover back into her life, leaving her feeling helpless, mute, and unable to find a clear path forward.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Emoni / Rhyme (Egal / Rhyming Endings)
“Unnai yen sandhiththaen / Oomai naan sindhiththaen”
Repetition of the sound 'thaen' in 'sandhiththaen' and 'sindhiththaen' creates rhythmic harmony across lines.
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“En saelai mullaanathu”
Comparing her comforting saree to a bed of thorns ('saelai mullaanathu') visually and emotionally represents her constant agony.
Rhetorical Question
“Uppukkal azhudhaalum thaenaagumaa”
The speaker asks whether weeping salt can turn into honey, illustrating the impossibility of altering her tragic reality through grief alone.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with poignant lyrics penned by Vairamuthu, this song from the movie Idhaya Thamarai (1990) features a memorable vocal performance by S. Janaki capturing intense sorrow and ethical conflict.
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