Vetri Meethu Vetri
From Thedi Vandha Mappillai · 1970
- Lyricist
- Lyricist Not Known
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Details
- Thedi Vandha Mappillai1970
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Vetri meedhu | Upon victory, |
| Vetri vandhu ennai serum | victory comes to join me, |
| Adhai vaangi thandha | but all the pride and credit |
| Perumai ellam unnai serum } (2) | for bringing it belongs to you. |
| Male | |
| { Petreduthu | Giving birth to me, |
| Peyar kodutha annai | and giving me a name, O mother, |
| Allavo nee pesugindra | aren't you a living, |
| Deivam enbadhu unmai allavo } (2) | speaking deity? Isn't that the truth? |
| Male | |
| Vetri meedhu | Upon victory, |
| Vetri vandhu ennai serum | victory comes to join me, |
| Adhai vaangi thandha | but all the pride and credit |
| Perumai ellam unnai serum | for bringing it belongs to you. |
| Male | |
| { Thaai paalil | In a mother's milk, |
| Veeram kanden | I saw valor, |
| Thaalaatil thamizhai kanden } (2) | in her lullaby, I saw Tamil. |
| Male | |
| { Unnaamal | Without eating, |
| Iruka kanden | I saw you fast, |
| Urangaamal vizhika kanden } (2) | without sleeping, I saw you stay awake. |
| Male | |
| Matravarku | For the sake of others, |
| Vaazhugindra ullam | a heart that lives, |
| Ennavo adhu unnidathil | whatever it is, from you |
| Naan arindha paadam allavo | isn't that a lesson I learned? |
| Male | |
| Vetri meedhu | Upon victory, |
| Vetri vandhu ennai serum | victory comes to join me, |
| Adhai vaangi thandha | but all the pride and credit |
| Perumai ellam unnai serum | for bringing it belongs to you. |
| Male | |
| { Annai sindhum | All the tears |
| Kanneer ellam | shed by a mother |
| Pillaiyinaal panneer aagum } (2) | turn into fragrant rosewater because of her child. |
| Male | |
| { Aasai tharum | All the desirable |
| Kanavugal ellam | dreams she held |
| Avanaaldhaan nenavugal aagum } (2) | become reality only through him. |
| Male | |
| Andru thottu | Since those early days, |
| Nee ninaitha ennam | the noble thoughts you had, |
| Ennamma adhai indru | what are they, dear mother? |
| Thottu naan mudikum | Look at how I accomplish them today, |
| Vannam paaramma | witness the grand way, mother! |
| Male | |
| Vetri meedhu | Upon victory, |
| Vetri vandhu ennai serum | victory comes to join me, |
| Adhai vaangi thandha | but all the pride and credit |
| Perumai ellam unnai serum | for bringing it belongs to you. |
{ வெற்றி மீது
வெற்றி வந்து என்னை
சேரும் அதை வாங்கித்தந்த
பெருமை எல்லாம்
உன்னைச்சேரும் } (2)
Upon victory,
victory comes to join me,
but all the pride and credit
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ பெற்றெடுத்து
பெயா் கொடுத்த அன்னை
அல்லவோ நீ பேசுகின்ற
தெய்வம் என்பது உண்மை
அல்லவோ } (2)
Giving birth to me,
and giving me a name, O mother,
aren't you a living,
speaking deity? Isn't that the truth?
வெற்றி மீது
வெற்றி வந்து என்னை
சேரும் அதை வாங்கித்தந்த
பெருமை எல்லாம்
உன்னைச்சேரும்
Upon victory,
victory comes to join me,
but all the pride and credit
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ தாய் பாலில்
வீரம் கண்டேன்
தாலாட்டில் தமிழை
கண்டேன் } (2)
In a mother's milk,
I saw valor,
in her lullaby, I saw Tamil.
{ உண்ணாமல்
இருக்கக் கண்டேன்
உறங்காமல் விழிக்க
கண்டேன் } (2)
Without eating,
I saw you fast,
without sleeping, I saw you stay awake.
மற்றவர்க்கு
வாழுகின்ற உள்ளம்
என்னவோ அது
உன்னிடத்தில் நான்
அறிந்த பாடம் அல்லவோ
For the sake of others,
a heart that lives,
whatever it is, from you
isn't that a lesson I learned?
வெற்றி மீது
வெற்றி வந்து என்னை
சேரும் அதை வாங்கித்தந்த
பெருமை எல்லாம்
உன்னைச்சேரும்
Upon victory,
victory comes to join me,
but all the pride and credit
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ அன்னை சிந்தும்
கண்ணீரெல்லாம்
பிள்ளையினால்
பன்னீராகும் } (2)
All the tears
shed by a mother
turn into fragrant rosewater because of her child.
{ ஆசை தரும்
கனவுகளெல்லாம்
அவனால்தான்
நினவுகளாகும் } (2)
All the desirable
dreams she held
become reality only through him.
அன்று தொட்டு
நீ நினைத்த எண்ணம்
என்னம்மா அதை இன்று
தொட்டு நான் முடிக்கும்
வண்ணம் பாரம்மா
Since those early days,
the noble thoughts you had,
what are they, dear mother?
Look at how I accomplish them today,
witness the grand way, mother!
வெற்றி மீது
வெற்றி வந்து என்னை
சேரும் அதை வாங்கித்தந்த
பெருமை எல்லாம்
உன்னைச்சேரும்
Upon victory,
victory comes to join me,
but all the pride and credit
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ Vetri meedhu
Upon victory,
Vetri vandhu ennai serum
victory comes to join me,
Adhai vaangi thandha
but all the pride and credit
Perumai ellam unnai serum } (2)
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ Petreduthu
Giving birth to me,
Peyar kodutha annai
and giving me a name, O mother,
Allavo nee pesugindra
aren't you a living,
Deivam enbadhu unmai allavo } (2)
speaking deity? Isn't that the truth?
Vetri meedhu
Upon victory,
Vetri vandhu ennai serum
victory comes to join me,
Adhai vaangi thandha
but all the pride and credit
Perumai ellam unnai serum
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ Thaai paalil
In a mother's milk,
Veeram kanden
I saw valor,
Thaalaatil thamizhai kanden } (2)
in her lullaby, I saw Tamil.
{ Unnaamal
Without eating,
Iruka kanden
I saw you fast,
Urangaamal vizhika kanden } (2)
without sleeping, I saw you stay awake.
Matravarku
For the sake of others,
Vaazhugindra ullam
a heart that lives,
Ennavo adhu unnidathil
whatever it is, from you
Naan arindha paadam allavo
isn't that a lesson I learned?
Vetri meedhu
Upon victory,
Vetri vandhu ennai serum
victory comes to join me,
Adhai vaangi thandha
but all the pride and credit
Perumai ellam unnai serum
for bringing it belongs to you.
{ Annai sindhum
All the tears
Kanneer ellam
shed by a mother
Pillaiyinaal panneer aagum } (2)
turn into fragrant rosewater because of her child.
{ Aasai tharum
All the desirable
Kanavugal ellam
dreams she held
Avanaaldhaan nenavugal aagum } (2)
become reality only through him.
Andru thottu
Since those early days,
Nee ninaitha ennam
the noble thoughts you had,
Ennamma adhai indru
what are they, dear mother?
Thottu naan mudikum
Look at how I accomplish them today,
Vannam paaramma
witness the grand way, mother!
Vetri meedhu
Upon victory,
Vetri vandhu ennai serum
victory comes to join me,
Adhai vaangi thandha
but all the pride and credit
Perumai ellam unnai serum
for bringing it belongs to you.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Vetri Meedhu Vetri Vandhu' is an emotionally resonant Tamil song celebrating maternal devotion, sacrifice, and filial gratitude. The protagonist attributes all his life accomplishments and victories solely to his mother, whom he considers a living goddess on earth. He acknowledges her sacrifices—how she endured hunger and sleepless nights to raise him—and recalls how she infused him with courage and love for the Tamil language.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Vetri meedhu / Vetri vandhu ennai serum”
Repetition of the 'V' consonant sound at the start of adjacent lines.
Edugai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Unnaamal / Urangaamal vizhika kanden”
Matching second letter 'n' in 'Unnaamal' and 'Urangaamal'.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Kanneer ellam / Pillaiyinaal panneer aagum”
Rhyming word endings with 'Kanneer' and 'Panneer', as well as 'Kanavugal' and 'Nenavugal'.
Metaphor
“Allavo nee pesugindra / Deivam enbadhu unmai allavo”
Comparing the mother to a speaking, living deity ('pesugindra Deivam').
Did you know?
Trivia
This famous track from the movie 'Thedi Vandha Mappillai' (1970) stars M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa. The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan, sung by T. M. Soundararajan, with lyrics authored by Vaali.
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