Vaazhvil Nee
From Boologa Rambai – 1958 · 1958
- Lyricist
- Villiputhan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- C. N. Pandurangan
- Details
- Boologa Rambai – 19581958
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Vaazhvil nee mani magudam | You are the jeweled crown of my life, |
| Valarum idam siraikoodam | Yet the place where you grow is a prison. |
| Kadavul seyal yaar arivaar | Who can truly understand the ways of God? |
| Kaalamenum oonjalilae | On the swing of passing time, |
| Kadhiravanae thoongugindraai | O my radiant Sun, you fall asleep. |
| Kannae nee kann valaraai | My precious child, close your eyes and sleep. |
| Female | |
| Thendral thamizh kaaviyame | O gentle breeze, O epic of Tamil literature, |
| Androru naal un thandhai | On that day in the past, your father... |
| Kannal kaadhal solaiyilae | In the sweet garden of love, |
| Sonna unmai veen kanavo | Was the truth he spoke merely a futile dream? |
| Kannae nee kann valaraai | My precious child, close your eyes and sleep. |
| Female | |
| Needhi devan sodhanaiyo | Is this a trial sent by the Lord of Justice? |
| Naanariyaen thaen thuliyae | I do not know, my sweet drop of honey. |
| Oomaiyaagi un thandhai | Having been struck mute, your father |
| Ulaga needhi thavari vittar | Failed to uphold the justice of the world. |
| Kannae nee kann valaraai | My precious child, close your eyes and sleep. |
| Female | |
| Jodhi nila thadhiyargal | Handmaidens like radiant moons |
| Soozhndhirunthae thaalatta | Should surround you and sing lullabies, |
| Soozhnilaiyin kolamada | Yet such is the cruel design of circumstances, |
| Thoongukindraai mann maedhae | That you lie asleep on a mound of earth. |
| Kannae nee kann valaraai | My precious child, close your eyes and sleep. |
| Female | |
| Vaanamugil panjanaiyil | On a soft bed of sky clouds, |
| Vairamani thaaragaigal | With diamond-bright stars shimmering, |
| Kaana kuyil isai thazhuvum | Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos, |
| Kaana kuyil isai thazhuvum | Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos, |
| Kaalam maari ponadhada | Alas, those times have completely changed, my child. |
| Kannae nee kann valaraai | My precious child, close your eyes and sleep. |
| Haaa..aaa.aaa | Haaa... aaa... aaa... |
| Vaazhvil nee mani magudam | You are the jeweled crown of my life, |
| Valarum idam siraikoodam | Yet the place where you grow is a prison. |
வாழ்வில் நீ மணிமகுடம்
வளரும் இடம் சிறைக்கூடம்
கடவுள் செயல் யாரறிவார்
காலமெனும் ஊஞ்சலிலே
கதிரவனே தூங்குகின்றாய்
கண்ணே நீ கண் வளராய்........
You are the jeweled crown of my life,
Yet the place where you grow is a prison.
Who can truly understand the ways of God?
On the swing of passing time,
O my radiant Sun, you fall asleep.
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
தென்றல் தமிழ்க் காவியமே
அன்றொரு நாள் உன் தந்தை
கன்னல் காதல் சோலையிலே
சொன்ன உண்மை வீண் கனவோ
கண்ணே நீ கண் வளராய்........
O gentle breeze, O epic of Tamil literature,
On that day in the past, your father...
In the sweet garden of love,
Was the truth he spoke merely a futile dream?
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
நீதி தேவன் சோதனையோ
நானறியேன் தேன் துளியே
ஊமையாகி உன் தந்தை
உலக நீதி தவறி விட்டார்
கண்ணே நீ கண் வளராய்........
Is this a trial sent by the Lord of Justice?
I do not know, my sweet drop of honey.
Having been struck mute, your father
Failed to uphold the justice of the world.
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
ஜோதி நிலா தாதியர்கள்
சூழ்ந்திருந்தே தாலாட்ட
சூழ்நிலையின் கோலமடா
தூங்குகின்றாய் மண் மீதே
கண்ணே நீ கண் வளராய்........
Handmaidens like radiant moons
Should surround you and sing lullabies,
Yet such is the cruel design of circumstances,
That you lie asleep on a mound of earth.
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
வானமுகில் பஞ்சணையில்
வைரமணித் தாரகைகள்
கானக் குயில் இசைத் தழுவும்
கானக் குயில் இசைத் தழுவும்
காலம் மாறிப் போனதடா
கண்ணே நீ கண் வளராய்........
ஹா ஆஅ ஆஅ
வாழ்வில் நீ மணிமகுடம்
வளரும் இடம் சிறைக்கூடம்
On a soft bed of sky clouds,
With diamond-bright stars shimmering,
Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos,
Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos,
Alas, those times have completely changed, my child.
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Haaa... aaa... aaa...
You are the jeweled crown of my life,
Yet the place where you grow is a prison.
Vaazhvil nee mani magudam
You are the jeweled crown of my life,
Valarum idam siraikoodam
Yet the place where you grow is a prison.
Kadavul seyal yaar arivaar
Who can truly understand the ways of God?
Kaalamenum oonjalilae
On the swing of passing time,
Kadhiravanae thoongugindraai
O my radiant Sun, you fall asleep.
Kannae nee kann valaraai
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Thendral thamizh kaaviyame
O gentle breeze, O epic of Tamil literature,
Androru naal un thandhai
On that day in the past, your father...
Kannal kaadhal solaiyilae
In the sweet garden of love,
Sonna unmai veen kanavo
Was the truth he spoke merely a futile dream?
Kannae nee kann valaraai
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Needhi devan sodhanaiyo
Is this a trial sent by the Lord of Justice?
Naanariyaen thaen thuliyae
I do not know, my sweet drop of honey.
Oomaiyaagi un thandhai
Having been struck mute, your father
Ulaga needhi thavari vittar
Failed to uphold the justice of the world.
Kannae nee kann valaraai
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Jodhi nila thadhiyargal
Handmaidens like radiant moons
Soozhndhirunthae thaalatta
Should surround you and sing lullabies,
Soozhnilaiyin kolamada
Yet such is the cruel design of circumstances,
Thoongukindraai mann maedhae
That you lie asleep on a mound of earth.
Kannae nee kann valaraai
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Vaanamugil panjanaiyil
On a soft bed of sky clouds,
Vairamani thaaragaigal
With diamond-bright stars shimmering,
Kaana kuyil isai thazhuvum
Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos,
Kaana kuyil isai thazhuvum
Embraced by the music of wild cuckoos,
Kaalam maari ponadhada
Alas, those times have completely changed, my child.
Kannae nee kann valaraai
My precious child, close your eyes and sleep.
Haaa..aaa.aaa
Haaa... aaa... aaa...
Vaazhvil nee mani magudam
You are the jeweled crown of my life,
Valarum idam siraikoodam
Yet the place where you grow is a prison.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant lullaby from the movie Boologa Rambai expresses a mother's tragic predicament as she rocks her child to sleep inside a prison cell. Addressing her child as the ultimate crown of her life, she grieves over the ironic twist of fate that leaves a royal child sleeping on a heap of dirt rather than on cloud beds surrounded by moon-like maidens and celestial music. She reflects on her past sweet days with her husband and wonders if justice itself has failed them.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Rupakam)
“Vaazhvil nee mani magudam”
The child is directly equated to a jeweled crown ('mani magudam') and a drop of honey ('thaen thuli'), while time is depicted as a swing ('kaalamenum oonjal').
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Vaazhvil nee mani magudam / Valarum idam siraikoodam”
Repetition of starting phonetic sounds across adjacent words/lines, such as 'Vaazhvil' and 'Valarum'.
Anaphora / Refrain
“Kannae nee kann valaraai”
The comforting phrase 'Kannae nee kann valaraai' is repeated continuously at the end of stanzas, grounding the piece in traditional Tamil lullaby cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
Featured in the 1958 mythological fantasy film 'Boologa Rambai' starring Gemini Ganesan and Anjali Devi, this song was composed by C. N. Pandurangan with lyrics by Villiputhan and rendered by legendary playback singer P. Susheela.
Keep listening
More from Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958
Boologa Rambai – 1958