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Lyrics & meaning

Vaigaraiyil Vaigaikaraiyil

From Payanangal Mudivathillai · 1982

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Payanangal Mudivathillai1982

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal varuven un arugilIf you come, I will come near you
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal varuven un arugilIf you come, I will come near you
Un ninaivil nenjam vaan veliyilIn your thoughts, my heart conducts processions
Naalum nadathum oorvalangalIn the vast expanse of the sky every day
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal varuven un arugilIf you come, I will come near you
Male
Un ninaivae enakkor surudhiYour memory is my musical pitch
Un kanavae enakkor kirudhiYour dream is my song composition
Un unarvil manamae urugiMelting away in your emotions, my mind
Vaadudhammaa malar pol karugiIs wilting and burning away like a flower
Pala pala jenmam naan eduppenI will take many, many births
Paadalgal kodi naan padippenI will sing millions of songs
Anbae unakkae kaathiruppen…My love, I will wait only for you...
Aah..aa.. aaah….aa….aaa…aaa…aaa…Ah..aa.. aaah....aa....aaa...aaa...aaa...
Male
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal varuven un arugilIf you come, I will come near you
Male
Aayiram aayiram aasaigalaiThousands and thousands of desires
Aasaiyil unnidam pesa vandhenI came to speak with you out of longing
Aaviyil maeviya saedhigalaiThe messages that dwell deep in my soul
Kaelena nenjidam koora vandhenI came to tell your heart to listen to
Male
Ninaivugal engo alaigiradhaeMemories wander off somewhere
Kanavugal yeno kalaigiradhaeWhy do dreams shatter and disperse?
Nizhal pol unnai thodargiradhae…It follows you like a shadow...
Aah..aa.. aaah….aa….aaa…aaa…aaa…Ah..aa.. aaah....aa....aaa...aaa...aaa...
Male
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal varuven un arugilIf you come, I will come near you
Un ninaivil nenjam vaan veliyilIn your thoughts, my heart conducts processions
Naalum nadathum oorvalangalIn the vast expanse of the sky every day
Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyilAt dawn, on the banks of river Vaigai
Vandhaal… varuven… un arugil….If you come... I will come... near you....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song expresses eternal, profound love through musical metaphors and poignant longing. The singer promises to meet their beloved on the tranquil riverbanks at dawn, describing how their entire world revolves around the thoughts of their lover. The lover's memory is compared to a pitch (surudhi) and dreams to a musical composition (kirudhi), illustrating that love forms the very essence of their musical soul. Even as memories wander and dreams shatter in pain, the singer vows eternal devotion—promising to wait through multiple lifetimes and sing millions of songs just to be near their beloved, following them faithfully like a shadow.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monaai (Initial Alliteration)

Vaigaraiyil vaigaikkaraiyil / Vandhaal varuven un arugil

Repetition of the initial 'Va' sound across words creates melodic rhythm.

Edughai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Un ninaivae / Un kanavae / Un unarvil

The second consonant 'na' (ன) is repeated across consecutive line openings.

Metaphor (Uvamaai)

Un ninaivae enakkor surudhi / Un kanavae enakkor kirudhi

The lover's memory and dream are directly equated to fundamental elements of Carnatic music: 'surudhi' (pitch/drone) and 'kirudhi' (composition/kriti).

Simile (Uvamanai)

Vaadudhammaa malar pol karugi

The heart's agony and wilting are explicitly compared to a burning flower using the comparison word 'pol'.

Did you know?

Trivia

Payanangal Mudivathillai (1982), directed by R. Sundarrajan and starring Mohan and Poornima Jayaram, was a massive blockbuster renowned for its timeless soundtrack composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The male version of 'Vaigaraiyil' was sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and the female version by S. Janaki, earning iconic status for its classical musical themes.

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