Uyirum Neeyae
From Pavithra · 1994
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Unnikrishnan
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Pavithra1994
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| {Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae | You are the life, you are the body |
| Uravum neeyae thaayae}(2) | You are all relationships, oh mother! |
| {Thaan udalil sumanthu uyirai pagirnthu | Carrying within your body and sharing your life |
| Uruvam tharuvaai neeyae} (2) | You are the one who gives physical form |
| Male | |
| {Un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli pothum | Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough |
| Kadalum urugum thaayae} (2) | Even the ocean will melt, oh mother! |
| Un kaaladi mattum tharuvai thaayae | Just give me the place at your feet, mother |
| Sorgam enbathu poiyae…. | To call heaven a paradise is a lie... |
| Male | |
| Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae | You are the life, you are the body |
| Uravum neeyae thaayae | You are all relationships, oh mother! |
| Male | |
| {Vinnai padaithaan mannai padaithaan | He created the sky, he created the earth |
| Katrum mazhaiyum oliyum padaithaan} (2) | He created the wind, the rain, and the light |
| Male | |
| : Boomikku athanaal nimmathi illai | Because of that, the earth had no peace |
| Boomikku athanaal nimmathi illai | Because of that, the earth had no peace |
| Sami thavithaan…sami thavithaan | God struggled... God struggled |
| Thaayai padaithan… | And so, He created Mother... |
| Male | |
| {Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae | You are the life, you are the body |
| Uravum neeyae thaayae}(2) | You are all relationships, oh mother! |
| {Thaan udalil sumanthu uyirai pagirnthu | Carrying within your body and sharing your life |
| Uruvam tharuvaai neeyae} (2) | You are the one who gives physical form |
| Male | |
| {Un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli pothum | Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough |
| Kadalum urugum thaayae} (2) | Even the ocean will melt, oh mother! |
| Un kaaladi mattum tharuvai thaayae | Just give me the place at your feet, mother |
| Sorgam enbathu poiyae…. | To call heaven a paradise is a lie... |
| Male | |
| Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae | You are the life, you are the body |
| Uravum neeyae thaayae | You are all relationships, oh mother! |
{ உயிரும் நீயே
உடலும் நீயே உறவும்
நீயே தாயே } (2)
{ தன் உடலில் சுமந்து
உயிரைப் பகிர்ந்து
உருவம் தருவாய்
நீயே } (2)
You are the life, you are the body
You are all relationships, oh mother!
Carrying within your body and sharing your life
You are the one who gives physical form
{ உன் கண்ணில்
வழியும் ஒரு துளி போதும்
கடலும் உருகும் தாயே } (2)
உன் காலடி மட்டும்
தருவாய் தாயே
சொர்க்கம் என்பது
பொய்யே
Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough
Even the ocean will melt, oh mother!
Just give me the place at your feet, mother
To call heaven a paradise is a lie...
உயிரும் நீயே
உடலும் நீயே உறவும்
நீயே தாயே
You are the life, you are the body
You are all relationships, oh mother!
{ விண்ணைப்
படைத்தான் மண்ணைப்
படைத்தான் காற்றும்
மழையும் ஒலியும்
படைத்தான் } (2)
He created the sky, he created the earth
He created the wind, the rain, and the light
பூமிக்கு அதனால்
நிம்மதி இல்லை பூமிக்கு
அதனால் நிம்மதி இல்லை
சாமி தவித்தான் சாமி
தவித்தான் தாயைப்
படைத்தான்
Because of that, the earth had no peace
Because of that, the earth had no peace
God struggled... God struggled
And so, He created Mother...
{ உயிரும் நீயே
உடலும் நீயே உறவும்
நீயே தாயே } (2)
{ தன் உடலில் சுமந்து
உயிரைப் பகிர்ந்து
உருவம் தருவாய்
நீயே } (2)
You are the life, you are the body
You are all relationships, oh mother!
Carrying within your body and sharing your life
You are the one who gives physical form
{ உன் கண்ணில்
வழியும் ஒரு துளி போதும்
கடலும் உருகும் தாயே } (2)
உன் காலடி மட்டும்
தருவாய் தாயே
சொர்க்கம் என்பது
பொய்யே
Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough
Even the ocean will melt, oh mother!
Just give me the place at your feet, mother
To call heaven a paradise is a lie...
உயிரும் நீயே
உடலும் நீயே உறவும்
நீயே தாயே
You are the life, you are the body
You are all relationships, oh mother!
{Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae
You are the life, you are the body
Uravum neeyae thaayae}(2)
You are all relationships, oh mother!
{Thaan udalil sumanthu uyirai pagirnthu
Carrying within your body and sharing your life
Uruvam tharuvaai neeyae} (2)
You are the one who gives physical form
{Un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli pothum
Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough
Kadalum urugum thaayae} (2)
Even the ocean will melt, oh mother!
Un kaaladi mattum tharuvai thaayae
Just give me the place at your feet, mother
Sorgam enbathu poiyae….
To call heaven a paradise is a lie...
Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae
You are the life, you are the body
Uravum neeyae thaayae
You are all relationships, oh mother!
{Vinnai padaithaan mannai padaithaan
He created the sky, he created the earth
Katrum mazhaiyum oliyum padaithaan} (2)
He created the wind, the rain, and the light
: Boomikku athanaal nimmathi illai
Because of that, the earth had no peace
Boomikku athanaal nimmathi illai
Because of that, the earth had no peace
Sami thavithaan…sami thavithaan
God struggled... God struggled
Thaayai padaithan…
And so, He created Mother...
{Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae
You are the life, you are the body
Uravum neeyae thaayae}(2)
You are all relationships, oh mother!
{Thaan udalil sumanthu uyirai pagirnthu
Carrying within your body and sharing your life
Uruvam tharuvaai neeyae} (2)
You are the one who gives physical form
{Un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli pothum
Just a single drop flowing from your eyes is enough
Kadalum urugum thaayae} (2)
Even the ocean will melt, oh mother!
Un kaaladi mattum tharuvai thaayae
Just give me the place at your feet, mother
Sorgam enbathu poiyae….
To call heaven a paradise is a lie...
Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae
You are the life, you are the body
Uravum neeyae thaayae
You are all relationships, oh mother!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Uyirum Neeye is a deeply moving ode celebrating the unparalleled devotion, sacrifice, and divine stature of a mother. The song posits that a mother is the very foundation of an individual's existence—giving both body and spirit, sharing her own life force to nurture her child. In comparison to a mother's grace, traditional concepts of heaven are rendered meaningless.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Hyperbole (Atisayokthi)
“Un kannil vazhiyum oru thuli pothum / Kadalum urugum thaayae”
Exaggerating that a single teardrop from a mother is powerful enough to melt an entire ocean to highlight the depth of maternal emotion.
Second-letter Rhyme (Ethukai)
“Vinnai padaithaan mannai padaithaan”
The second consonant sound 'nn' matches in 'Vinnai' and 'Mannai', establishing classic Tamil poetic rhythm.
Anaphora / Epistrophe (Repetition)
“Uyirum neeyae udalum neeyae / Uravum neeyae thaayae”
The recurring emphasis on 'neeyae' at the end of clauses reinforces the central theme that the mother is everything.
Metaphor
“Un kaaladi mattum tharuvai thaayae / Sorgam enbathu poiyae….”
Comparing the mother's feet to true paradise while dismissing the mythic concept of heaven as false.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by A. R. Rahman for the 1994 film Pavithra, this iconic song was sung by P. Unnikrishnan with lyrics by Vairamuthu. Unnikrishnan won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for his rendition of songs in 1994, which included tracks from Pavithra and Karuthamma.
Keep listening
More from Pavithra
Pavithra
Pavithra
Pavithra
Pavithra