Uyire Mappillai Thedi
From Santhosa Kanavugal · 1985
- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Singer
- Vani Jairam
- Music director
- Shyam
- Details
- Santhosa Kanavugal1985
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Uyirae.. mappillai thedi… manamaalai soodi | Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland |
| Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam | The good fortune of going on a procession through every street |
| Unakkedhu paavam | What sin have you committed to not get it? |
| Pogindra yogam unakkedhu paavam | What sin have you committed to miss the fortune of going on a procession? |
| Uyire mappillai thedi… manamaalai soodi | Oh my life, searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland |
| Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam | The good fortune of going on a procession through every street |
| Unakkedhu paavam unakkedhu paavam..uyirae… | What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life... |
| Female | |
| Aasthikku aanum aasaikku pennum | A son for property, a daughter for desire |
| Ena sollum dhesam ingu samaneedhi yedhu | In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice? |
| Aasthikku aanum aasaikku pennum | A son for property, a daughter for desire |
| Ena sollum dhesam ingu samaneedhi yedhu | In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice? |
| Vilakkettra pogindrom irulaaga vaazhgindrom | We go to light the lamp, yet we live in darkness |
| Sugamenna naam kandom oru naalum illai | What happiness have we ever seen? Not even for a single day |
| Female | |
| Poo choodi vandhom sarugaagi povom | We arrived adorned with flowers, but we will turn into withered leaves |
| Naam endru vaazhvom | When will we truly live for ourselves? |
| Idhu pennin jenmam | This is the birth of a woman |
| Idhu pennin jenmam…. uyirae | This is the birth of a woman... oh my life |
| Female | |
| Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram ondru | A business with zero investment |
| Kalyanam endru oor sollum indru | Is what the world calls marriage today |
| Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram ondru | A business with zero investment |
| Kalyanam endru oor sollum indru | Is what the world calls marriage today |
| Ponn kettu vandhaargal porul kettu vandhaargal | They came asking for gold, they came asking for wealth |
| Pen kettu aan pillai evan ingu vandhaan | Which man ever came here asking just for the woman? |
| Female | |
| Penn ennum selvam nadamaadum deivam | "Woman is a treasure, a walking goddess" |
| Podhu medai pechu | Is merely public stage speech rhetoric |
| Kaatrodu pochu… kaatrodu pochu | It vanished with the wind... vanished with the wind |
| Female | |
| Uyirae …mappillai thedi …manamaalai soodi | Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland |
| Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam | The good fortune of going on a procession through every street |
| Unakkedhu paavam unakkedhu paavam… uyirae | What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life |
உயிரே மாப்பிள்ளை தேடி மணமாலை சூடி
தெருவெங்கும் ஊர்வலம் போகின்ற யோகம்
உனக்கேது பாவம்
போகின்ற யோகம் உனக்கேது பாவம்
உயிரே மாப்பிள்ளை தேடி மணமாலை சூடி.....
தெருவெங்கும் ஊர்வலம் போகின்ற யோகம்
உனக்கேது பாவம் ..உனக்கேது பாவம் ..உயிரே
Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
What sin have you committed to not get it?
What sin have you committed to miss the fortune of going on a procession?
Oh my life, searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life...
ஆஸ்திக்கு ஆணும் ஆசைக்கு பெண்ணும்
எனச் சொல்லும் தேசம் இங்கு சமநீதி ஏது
ஆஸ்திக்கு ஆணும் ஆசைக்கு பெண்ணும்
எனச் சொல்லும் தேசம் இங்கு சமநீதி ஏது
விளக்கேற்ற போகின்றோம் இருளாக வாழ்கின்றோம்
சுகமென்ன நாம் கண்டோம் ஒருநாளுமில்லை
A son for property, a daughter for desire
In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice?
A son for property, a daughter for desire
In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice?
We go to light the lamp, yet we live in darkness
What happiness have we ever seen? Not even for a single day
பூச்சூடி வந்தோம் சருகாகி போவோம்
நாம் என்று வாழ்வோம்
இது பெண்ணின் ஜென்மம்
இது பெண்ணின் ஜென்மம்....உயிரே.......
We arrived adorned with flowers, but we will turn into withered leaves
When will we truly live for ourselves?
This is the birth of a woman
This is the birth of a woman... oh my life
முதலீடு இல்லா வியாபாரம் ஒன்று
கல்யாணம் என்று ஊர் சொல்லும் இன்று
முதலீடு இல்லா வியாபாரம் ஒன்று
கல்யாணம் என்று ஊர் சொல்லும் இன்று
பொன் கேட்டு வந்தார்கள் பொருள் கேட்டு வந்தார்கள்
பெண் கேட்டு ஆண்பிள்ளை எவன் இங்கு வந்தான்
A business with zero investment
Is what the world calls marriage today
A business with zero investment
Is what the world calls marriage today
They came asking for gold, they came asking for wealth
Which man ever came here asking just for the woman?
பெண் என்னும் செல்வம் நடமாடும் தெய்வம்
பொது மேடை பேச்சு
காற்றோடு போச்சு... காற்றோடு போச்சு
"Woman is a treasure, a walking goddess"
Is merely public stage speech rhetoric
It vanished with the wind... vanished with the wind
உயிரே மாப்பிள்ளை தேடி மணமாலை சூடி
தெருவெங்கும் ஊர்வலம் போகின்ற யோகம்
உனக்கேது பாவம்... உனக்கேது பாவம்...உயிரே ..
Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life
Uyirae.. mappillai thedi… manamaalai soodi
Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
Unakkedhu paavam
What sin have you committed to not get it?
Pogindra yogam unakkedhu paavam
What sin have you committed to miss the fortune of going on a procession?
Uyire mappillai thedi… manamaalai soodi
Oh my life, searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
Unakkedhu paavam unakkedhu paavam..uyirae…
What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life...
Aasthikku aanum aasaikku pennum
A son for property, a daughter for desire
Ena sollum dhesam ingu samaneedhi yedhu
In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice?
Aasthikku aanum aasaikku pennum
A son for property, a daughter for desire
Ena sollum dhesam ingu samaneedhi yedhu
In a country that preaches this, where is equal justice?
Vilakkettra pogindrom irulaaga vaazhgindrom
We go to light the lamp, yet we live in darkness
Sugamenna naam kandom oru naalum illai
What happiness have we ever seen? Not even for a single day
Poo choodi vandhom sarugaagi povom
We arrived adorned with flowers, but we will turn into withered leaves
Naam endru vaazhvom
When will we truly live for ourselves?
Idhu pennin jenmam
This is the birth of a woman
Idhu pennin jenmam…. uyirae
This is the birth of a woman... oh my life
Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram ondru
A business with zero investment
Kalyanam endru oor sollum indru
Is what the world calls marriage today
Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram ondru
A business with zero investment
Kalyanam endru oor sollum indru
Is what the world calls marriage today
Ponn kettu vandhaargal porul kettu vandhaargal
They came asking for gold, they came asking for wealth
Pen kettu aan pillai evan ingu vandhaan
Which man ever came here asking just for the woman?
Penn ennum selvam nadamaadum deivam
"Woman is a treasure, a walking goddess"
Podhu medai pechu
Is merely public stage speech rhetoric
Kaatrodu pochu… kaatrodu pochu
It vanished with the wind... vanished with the wind
Uyirae …mappillai thedi …manamaalai soodi
Oh my life... searching for a groom, wearing the wedding garland
Theruvengum oorvalam pogindra yogam
The good fortune of going on a procession through every street
Unakkedhu paavam unakkedhu paavam… uyirae
What sin have you committed, what sin have you committed... oh my life
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song from Santhosa Kanavugal (1985) is a poignant lament on the plight of women and the societal evils of the dowry system in marriage. Written with sharp socio-political awareness by Pulamaipithan, the song questions patriarchal norms that treat sons as assets for property and daughters as mere emotional fulfillments, exposing the hypocrisy of a society that claims to respect women as goddesses while reducing marriage to an investment-free business transaction for gold and material goods. Through Vani Jairam's soulful rendition, the protagonist grieves over how women enter households to spread light yet end up living in darkness, withering away like dry leaves. The lyrics powerfully highlight that lofty speeches praising women are empty words that blow away with the wind, leaving women to silently endure systemic injustice.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Irony and Social Satire
“Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram ondru / Kalyanam endru oor sollum indru”
Marriage is ironically characterized as an 'investment-free business' ('Mudhaleedu illaa vyabaaram') to mock the greedy practice of demanding dowry without giving anything in return.
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Poo choodi vandhom sarugaagi povom”
Women wearing flowers at marriage are metaphorically contrasted with dry withered leaves ('sarugu'), symbolizing how marriage drains their life and happiness.
Monai (Initial Rhyme) & Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Ponn kettu vandhaargal porul kettu vandhaargal / Pen kettu aan pillai evan ingu vandhaan”
Uses phonetic matching in Tamil traditional prosody across words ('Ponn' / 'Porul' / 'Pen') to build rhythm and contrast material demands against human relationships.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Shyam with lyrics by veteran poet Pulamaipithan, this song stands out in 1980s Tamil cinema for its bold and direct attack on the dowry system. Director R. C. Sakthi, known for directing realistic and socially conscious dramas (including Kamal Haasan's early films), commissioned this song to highlight the real-world socio-economic struggles faced by middle-class women regarding marriage.
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