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Lyrics & meaning

Vethala Madichi (Sad)

From Paatti Sollai Thattathe · 1988

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
Music director
Chandrabose
Details
Paatti Sollai Thattathe1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Veththala madichchu koduththa pombalaThe woman who folded and gave betel leaf,
Veettukullae purusanaiyae nambalaDoes not trust her husband inside her own house.
Female :Kadhalichcha vaazhkkaiyenna kasakalaamaaFemale: Can a life born of love be crushed and ruined?
Kaadhukulla aani vachchu adikkalaamaaCan you hammer a nail right into one's ear?
Male
Veththala madichchu koduththa pombalaThe woman who folded and gave betel leaf,
Veettukullae purusanaiyae nambalaDoes not trust her husband inside her own house.
Male
Pooveduththu monthamunnaaIf you bring a flower close to smell it,
Vaasam vanthu serumaeIts fragrance will reach you.
Female :Theeyeduththu monthamunnaFemale: If you bring fire close to smell it,
Mookavinthu pogumaeYour nose will get burnt away.
Male
Pooveduththu monthamunnaaIf you bring a flower close to smell it,
Vaasam vanthu serumaeIts fragrance will reach you.
Female :Theeyeduththu monthamunnaFemale: If you bring fire close to smell it,
Mookavinthu pogumaeYour nose will get burnt away.
Male
Santhegam enbathu puttrunoi aagumaeSuspicion is like a cancerous disease.
Female :Sandaigal adhanaal thottrunoi aagumaeFemale: Fights arising from it become a contagious disease.
Male
Santhegam enbathu theeyai moottumaeSuspicion lights up a fire,
Female :Santharppam enbathu ennei oottrumaeFemale: And circumstances pour oil onto it.
Male
Veththala madichchu koduththa pombalaThe woman who folded and gave betel leaf,
Veettukullae purusanaiyae nambalaDoes not trust her husband inside her own house.
Female
Naalu mozha selakattiDraped in a simple four-cubit saree,
Nambi vantha paavamaaIs it a sin that I trusted you and came?
Male :Saathi sanam maranthu vanthuMale: Forgetting my own kin and clan,
Thaali thantha paavamaaIs it a sin that I tied the sacred thread?
Female
Nellaththaan vedhaichchenI sowed only paddy seeds,
Mullu mattum molaikkuthuYet only thorns sprout up.
Male :Kanjithaan kudichchen kallaaga nenaikkuthuMale: I drank only simple rice porridge, but she thinks it is liquor.
Female
Oomai kanda kanavithuThis plight is like a dream seen by a mute person,
Yaarukitta solluvathuTo whom can I explain it?
Male :Indru nettru vanthathaaMale: Did this issue begin today or yesterday?
Thondru thottu vanthathuIt has been coming down since time immemorial!
Male
Veththala madichchu koduththa pombalaThe woman who folded and gave betel leaf,
Veettukullae purusanaiyae nambalaDoes not trust her husband inside her own house.
Female :Kadhalichcha vaazhkkaiyenna kasakalaamaaFemale: Can a life born of love be crushed and ruined?
Kaadhukulla aani vachchu adikkalaamaaCan you hammer a nail right into one's ear?
Male
Veththala madichchu koduththa pombalaThe woman who folded and gave betel leaf,
Veettukullae purusanaiyae nambalaDoes not trust her husband inside her own house.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a lively and humorous marital dispute duet between a husband and wife. Both partners exchange lighthearted yet sharp accusations about suspicion, lack of trust, and the petty squabbles that erode marital happiness. The lyrics highlight how ungrounded suspicion acts like a cancer that ignites conflict, while everyday misunderstandings act as fuel added to the fire. Through folk-inspired imagery—such as drinking simple rice water mistaken for alcohol, sowing paddy only to reap thorns, or trying to smell fire instead of flowers—lyricist Vairamuthu captures the absurdities and deep-seated frustrations of marital friction with colloquial wit.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Santhegam enbathu puttrunoi aagumae

Compares suspicion directly to cancer ('puttrunoi') and the escalating quarrels to an infectious disease ('thottrunoi').

Idiom / Proverbial Allusion (Uvamai)

Oomai kanda kanavithu

Uses the traditional idiom 'Oomai kanda kanavu' (a dream seen by a mute person) to symbolize an agonizing plight that cannot be communicated to anyone.

Initial Rhyme / Monai

Veththala madichchu koduththa pombala

The starting letters 'Ve' rhyme across the opening lines ('Veththala' and 'Veettukullae').

Second Letter Rhyme / Edhai

Santhegam enbathu theeyai moottumae

The second consonant 'th' rhymes between 'Santhegam' and 'Santharppam'.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song comes from the hit 1988 Tamil comedy film 'Paatti Sollai Thattathe', directed by Rajasekhar. The soundtrack was composed by Chandrabose, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The film starred Manorama, Pandiarajan, and Urvashi in lead roles.

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