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Lyrics & meaning

Veedu Manaivi Makkal

From Veedu Manaivi Makkal · 1988

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Veedu Manaivi Makkal1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Veedu manaivi makkalHouse, wife, and children
Moondrum vaazhvil sikkalThese three are complications in life
Karppanai kalainthathadaaImagination has dissolved, my friend
Kanavugal mudinthathadaaDreams have come to an end, my friend
Vidhaippavan manithanadaaMan is the one who sows the seed
Aruppavan oruvanadaa….But another one reaps the harvest...
Male
Veedu manaivi makkal…..House, wife, and children...
Male
Aayirang kaalaththu payirondruA crop cultivated for a thousand years
Indru aruvadai aanathuHas been harvested today
Vidhaiththavan vaazhkkaiThe life of the one who sowed
Kanneeril neeraaduthuIs bathing in tears
Male
Udhiraththil pirantha kuruvigalellaamAll the birds born from his own blood
Uravai maranthathuHave forgotten their relationship
Sontham intha veettilKinship in this house
Kadal meedhu mazhaiyaanathuHas become like rain falling over the sea
Male
Oviyam vaangi vanthaanHe bought a painting
Kangalai kaanavillaiBut could not find his eyes
Throndru vaangi vanthaanHe bought a chariot
Paadhaiyai kaanavillaiBut could not find the path
Poojaigal seiyaa vanthaanHe came to perform rituals of worship
Than koyilai kaanavillaiBut could not find his temple
Male
Veedu manaivi makkal…..House, wife, and children...
Veedu manaivi makkal…..House, wife, and children...
Male
Kooraikku vangiya moongilil indruIs the bamboo bought for the roof
Kolliyaa vaippathuBeing used as a funeral torch today?
Thottu mattum vaiththaenI merely touched it gently
Vaerenna nee kandathuWhat else did you witness?
Male
Thookkaththil paadhi yaekkaththil paadhiHalf in sleep, half in longing
Vaazhkkaithaan ponathuLife has just slipped away
Yaezhaiyin sontham eppothum thappaanathuA poor man's relationships are always misunderstood
Male
Kodondru mudiyum munnaeBefore completing a single stroke
Kuruvi paranthathadaaThe bird flew away, my friend
Kuruvi paranthathanaal koodum sarinthathadaaBecause the bird flew away, the nest collapsed, my friend
Pallavi thodangum munnaeBefore the refrain even began
Un saranam mudinthathadaa….Your verse came to an end, my friend...
Male
Veedu manaivi makkalHouse, wife, and children
Moondrum vaazhvil sikkalThese three are complications in life
Karppanai kalainthathadaaImagination has dissolved, my friend
Kanavugal mudinthathadaaDreams have come to an end, my friend
Vidhaippavan manithanadaaMan is the one who sows the seed
Aruppavan oruvanadaa….But another one reaps the harvest...
Male
Veedu manaivi makkal…..House, wife, and children...
Veedu manaivi makkal…..House, wife, and children...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Veedu Manaivi Makkal' reflects deeply on the tragic ironies and emotional heartbreaks of family life. It portrays a family man who dedicated his life to building a home, raising children, and securing a future, only to find himself abandoned and unappreciated in his old age. The lyrics lament how human efforts often go in vain when destiny and ungrateful relationships dismantle one's lifelong achievements, rendering personal sacrifices futile.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Karppanai kalainthathadaa / Kanavugal mudinthathadaa

Matching initial consonant sounds in 'Karppanai' and 'Kanavugal' emphasize the sudden collapse of hopes.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Sontham intha veettil / Kadal meedhu mazhaiyaanathu

'Kadal meedhu mazhaiyaanathu' compares squandered familial love to rain falling wastefully over the ocean.

Parallelism and Irony

Oviyam vaangi vanthaan / Kangalai kaanavillai

Repetitive sentence structures ('vaangi vanthaan... kaanavillai') accentuate the cruel paradoxes of life where rewards are missed despite effort.

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 1988 Tamil comedy-drama film 'Veedu Manaivi Makkal' directed by T. P. Gajendran, this melancholic track features lyrics by Vairamuthu and music composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh, sung powerfully by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.

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