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Isaimozhi
Appu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Vaada Vaa

From Appu · 2000

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Shankar Mahadevan, Unnikrishnan
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Appu
Movie release year
2000
Lyrics added on
12 Nov 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Hai haiii
Ambathu ruba thaan
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nanba en thaevai ellam
Naalukku oru
Ambathu ruba thaan
Vaada vaa
Nee vaada vaa
Aasai illai avasthai illaiyae
Nee vaada vaa
Aasthi illai acham illaiyae
Nee vaada vaa
Un oru naalai
Un muzhuvaazhvaai
Kondaadu vaa…aa….
Oh paadhathukku serupirundhaal
Paadhai ellam meththaidhaan
Chorus :Haai haaiii
Male :Podhum endra manam irundhaal
Bhoomi ellaam thottam dhaan
Chorus :Haai haaiii
Ambathu ruba thaan
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nanba en thaevai ellam
Naalukku oru
Ambathu ruba thaan
Chorus :Haai haaiii
Chunchana chunchanajham
Chunchana chunchanajham
Taratha taratha thara
Taarariri raaraa raaraa raa
…………………….
Haai haaiii
Vayiru ennum pallathukullae
Vaazhaiya tholaichom
Vaazhaiya tholaichoam
Vaiyitha vittu idhayam ennum
Veetukku varuvom
Veetukku varuvom
Theipirayaal thaan
Pournamikku perumai
Thunbathukkul irrukku
Vaazhkaiyin inimai
Oh budhi ulla aalukku oo
Thottadhellam dhool appa
Paravaikku vaanathil oh
Medu pallam yedhappa
Oh oh…
Lakshiyam yethum illa
Annanaikku vaazha paarappa
Nee vaada vaa
Nee vaada vaa
Un oru naalai
Un muzhuvaazhvaai
Kondaadu vaa…aa….
Nee vaa da vaa
Ambathu ruba thaan
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nanba en thaevai ellam
Naalukku oru
Ambathu ruba thaan
Chorus :Haai haaiii
………………………..
Kuzhandhaigalaai irrukaiyilae
Kollai aasai illaiyae
Kollai aasai illaiyae
Kuzhandhai manam tholaindhathanaal
Vandhathu indha thollaiyae
Vandhathu indha thollaiyae
Naragathil inbam kaanum
Kuzhandhaiyin vayasu
Sorgathilum thunbam kaanum
Manidhanin manathu
Yeh eh bhoomi ellaam
Kadal endraal nee
Meenaga thaan vaazhanum
Vaazhkai unnai soodu vaithaal nee
Pulankuzhal aaganum
Ambathu ruba thaan
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nanba en thaevai ellam
Naalukku oru
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nee vaada vaa
Nee vaada vaa
Aasai illai avasthai illaiyae
Nee vaada vaa
Aasthi illai acham illaiyae
Nee vaada vaa
Un oru naalai
Un muzhuvaazhvaai
Kondaadu vaa…aa….
Thaa tara raa raa
Ambathu ruba thaan
Ambathu ruba thaan
Nanba en thaevai ellam
Naalukku oru
Ambathu ruba thaan
Chorus :Haai haaiii
Hi, hi!
Just fifty rupees,
just fifty rupees!
My friend, all I ever need is,
for each day,
just fifty rupees!
Come on, friend, come on!
You come on, friend, come on!
No desires, so there is no distress!
You come on, friend, come on!
No wealth, so there is no fear!
You come on, friend, come on!
Treat your single day
as your entire lifetime,
and come celebrate it!
Oh, if you have slippers on your feet,
the whole path feels like a soft mattress!
Chorus: Hi, hi!
Male: If you have a contented heart,
the whole earth is like a blooming garden!
Chorus: Hi, hi!
Just fifty rupees,
just fifty rupees!
My friend, all I ever need is,
for each day,
just fifty rupees!
Chorus: Hi, hi!
Chunjana chunchanajam
Chunjana chunchanajam
Tharatha tharatha thara
Thaarariri raara raara raa
...
Hi, hi!
Into the deep pit of our bellies,
we lost our life's joy.
We lost our life's joy!
Leaving the stomach behind, to the home
called the heart, let us return!
Let us return to that home!
Only because of the waning moon,
the full moon has its glory.
Hidden deep within hardship
is the true sweetness of life!
Oh, for a clever person,
everything they touch turns into a triumph!
For a bird flying in the sky, oh,
what bumps or ditches are there?
Oh, oh...
With no burden of grand ambitions,
just try living each day as it comes, my friend!
You come on, friend, come on!
You come on, friend, come on!
Treat your single day
as your entire lifetime,
and come celebrate it!
You come on, friend, come on!
Just fifty rupees,
just fifty rupees!
My friend, all I ever need is,
for each day,
just fifty rupees!
Chorus: Hi, hi!
...
Back when we were children,
we had no endless greed.
We had no endless greed!
Because we lost that childlike heart,
all these troubles came upon us.
All these troubles came upon us!
Finding joy even in hell
is the innocence of childhood.
Finding misery even in heaven
is the nature of the grown human mind!
Hey, hey, if the whole earth
were a vast ocean,
you must learn to live like a fish.
If life brands you with burning heat,
you must turn into a sweet flute!
Just fifty rupees,
just fifty rupees!
My friend, all I ever need is,
for each day,
just fifty rupees!
You come on, friend, come on!
You come on, friend, come on!
No desires, so there is no distress!
You come on, friend, come on!
No wealth, so there is no fear!
You come on, friend, come on!
Treat your single day
as your entire lifetime,
and come celebrate it!
Dha thara raa raa
Just fifty rupees,
just fifty rupees!
My friend, all I ever need is,
for each day,
just fifty rupees!
Chorus: Hi, hi!
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from the movie Appu (2000) is a lighthearted yet deeply philosophical track extolling the virtues of minimalist living and contentedness. The protagonist expresses that fifty rupees a day is more than enough to fulfill daily basic needs. Free from the burden of wealth, property, and burning ambitions, one can live without fear or distress. The lyrics advocate living in the present moment, treating each day as a full lifetime to be celebrated. Through vivid metaphors, lyricist Vairamuthu highlights how human misery stems from losing childlike innocence and accumulating excessive desires. The song encourages resilience—just as bamboo becomes a sweet flute when hollowed out and burned, a human can transform life's suffering into art and joy through contentment.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamanai)

“Vayiru ennum pallathukullae”

Compares the human stomach to a pit ('Vayiru ennum pallam') and the heart to a home ('idhayam ennum veedu').

Contrast / Juxtaposition

“Naragathil inbam kaanum Kuzhandhaiyin vayasu / Sorgathilum thunbam kaanum Manidhanin manathu”

Contrasts the child's perspective (finding bliss in hell) with an adult's restless mind (finding trouble even in paradise).

Metaphor & Imagery

“Vaazhkai unnai soodu vaithaal nee Pulankuzhal aaganum”

Compares enduring pain and burn marks of life to turning into a hollowed bamboo flute ('Pulankuzhal') that creates music.

Rhyme / Alliteration (Emoni & Ethirhai)

“Aasai illai avasthai illaiyae / Aasthi illai acham illaiyae”

Use of matching sound structures like 'Aasai' (Desire) and 'Aasthi' (Property) paired with 'Avasthai' (Distress) and 'Acham' (Fear).

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Appu' (2000) was directed by Vasanth and starred Prashanth and Devayani. The song's soundtrack was composed by Deva, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The song presents an upbeat philosophy of 'simple living, high thinking', echoing classical Tamil literary concepts of 'Pothum Endra Maname Pon Seyyum Marunthu' (A contented mind is a golden medicine).

Keep listening

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