Vidu Kathaiya
From Muthu · 1995
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Hariharan
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Muthu1995
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai | Is this life a riddle? |
| Vidaitharuvar yaro | Who will give the answer? |
| Male | |
| Enathu kai ennai adipathuvo | Is my own hand striking me? |
| Enathu viral kannai kedupathuvo | Is my own finger poking out my eye? |
| Azhuthu ariyatha en kangal | My eyes that never knew how to cry, |
| Aaru kulamaga maruvatho | Will they now turn into rivers and ponds? |
| Male | |
| Yen endru ketkavum nathiyillai | There is no protector to ask 'why?'. |
| Ezhaiyin neethikku kannundu parvaiyillai | Justice for the poor has eyes, but no sight. |
| {Pasuvinai pambendru satchi solla mudiyum | {One can give witness calling a cow a snake, |
| Kambinil visham enna karakkava mudiyum} (2) | Can poison be milked from a wooden stick?} (2) |
| Male | |
| Udambil vazhinthodum | Flowing through the body, |
| Uthiram unaikketkum | The blood will ask you, |
| Nan seitha theengu enna | What harm have I done? |
| Nan seitha theengu enna | What harm have I done? |
| Male | |
| Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai | Is this life a riddle? |
| Vidaitharuvar yaro | Who will give the answer? |
| Male | |
| Vanthu vizhugindra mazhaithuligal | The raindrops that come falling down, |
| Entha idam serum yar kandar | Who knows where they will end up? |
| Manithar kondadum uravugalo | The relationships celebrated by humans, |
| Entha manam serum yar kandar | Who knows which heart they will reach? |
| Male | |
| Malai thanil thondruthu | Originating on the mountain, |
| Gangai nathi | Is the river Ganges; |
| Athu kadal sendru servadhu kalan vithi | Its joining the sea is the decree of fate. |
| {Ivanukku ival endru ezhuthiya kanakku | {The calculation written pairing this man with this woman, |
| Kanakkugal puriyamal kanavukkul vazhakku} (2) | Without understanding the math, a dispute arises in a dream.} (2) |
| Male | |
| Uravin marattam | The deception in relationships, |
| Urimai porattam | The struggle for rights, |
| Irandum theervatheppo | When will both of these be resolved? |
| Irandum theervatheppo | When will both of these be resolved? |
| Male | |
| Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai | Is this life a riddle? |
| Vidaitharuvar yaro | Who will give the answer? |
| Male | |
| Unathu rajangam ithuthanae | Is this not your kingdom? |
| Othungakkoodathu nallavanae | Good man, you should not step aside! |
| Thondugal seiya nee irunthal | If you stay to do service, |
| Thollai nerathu thooyavanae | Trouble will never occur, pure one. |
| Male | |
| Kaigalil ponnalli nee koduthai | You gave handfuls of gold with your hands, |
| Indru kangalil kanneer en koduthai | Why did you give tears in our eyes today? |
| {Kaviyangal unai paada kathirukkum pozhuthu | {When epics are waiting to sing your praise, |
| Kaviyudai nee kondaal ennavagum manathu} (2) | If you don saffron robes, what will become of our hearts?} (2) |
| Male | |
| Vazhvai nee thedi vadakkae nee ponal | If you go north in search of life, |
| Nangal povathengae | Where will we go? |
| Nangal povathengae | Where will we go? |
விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை
விடை தருவார் யாரோ
Is this life a riddle?
Who will give the answer?
எனது கை என்னை அடிப்பதுவோ
எனது விரல் கண்ணை கெடுப்பதுவோ
அழுது அறியாத என் கண்கள்
ஆறு குளமாக மாறுவதோ
Is my own hand striking me?
Is my own finger poking out my eye?
My eyes that never knew how to cry,
Will they now turn into rivers and ponds?
ஏன் என்று கேட்கவும் நாதியில்லை
ஏழையின் நீதிக்கு கண் உண்டு பார்வையில்லை
{பசுவினை பாம்பென்று சாட்சி சொல்லமுடியும்
காம்பினில் விஷம் என்ன கறக்கவா முடியும்} (2)
There is no protector to ask 'why?'.
Justice for the poor has eyes, but no sight.
{One can give witness calling a cow a snake,
Can poison be milked from a wooden stick?} (2)
உடம்பில் வழிந்தோடும்
உதிரம் உனைக் கேட்கும்
நான் செய்த தீங்கு என்ன
நான் செய்த தீங்கு என்ன
Flowing through the body,
The blood will ask you,
What harm have I done?
What harm have I done?
விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை
விடை தருவார் யாரோ
Is this life a riddle?
Who will give the answer?
வந்து விழுகின்ற மழைத்துளிகள்
எந்த இடம் சேரும் யார் கண்டார்
மனிதர் கொண்டாடும் உறவுகளோ
எந்த மனம் சேரும் யார் கண்டார்
The raindrops that come falling down,
Who knows where they will end up?
The relationships celebrated by humans,
Who knows which heart they will reach?
மலைதனில் தோன்றுது கங்கை நதி
அது கடல் சென்று சேர்வது காலன் விதி
{இவனுக்கு இவள் என்று எழுதிய கணக்கு
கணக்குகள் புரியாமல் கனவுக்குள் வழக்கு} (2)
Originating on the mountain,
Is the river Ganges;
Its joining the sea is the decree of fate.
{The calculation written pairing this man with this woman,
Without understanding the math, a dispute arises in a dream.} (2)
உறவின் மாறாட்டம்
உரிமைப் போராட்டம்
இரண்டும் தீர்வதெப்போ
இரண்டும் தீர்வதெப்போ
The deception in relationships,
The struggle for rights,
When will both of these be resolved?
When will both of these be resolved?
விடுகதையா இந்த வாழ்க்கை
விடை தருவார் யாரோ
Is this life a riddle?
Who will give the answer?
உனது ராஜாங்கம் இதுதானே
ஒதுங்க கூடாது நல்லவனே
தொண்டுகள் செய்ய நீ இருந்தால்
தொல்லை நேராது தூயவனே
Is this not your kingdom?
Good man, you should not step aside!
If you stay to do service,
Trouble will never occur, pure one.
கைகளில் பொன் அள்ளி
நீ கொடுத்தாய்
இன்று கண்களில் கண்ணீர்
ஏன் கொடுத்தாய்
You gave handfuls of gold with your hands,
Why did you give tears in our eyes today?
{When epics are waiting to sing your praise,
If you don saffron robes, what will become of our hearts?} (2)
{காவியங்கள் உனைப் பாட
காத்திருக்கும் பொழுது
காவியுடை நீ கொண்டால்
என்னவாகும் மனது} (2)
If you go north in search of life,
Where will we go?
Where will we go?
வாழ்வை நீ தேடி
வடக்கே நீ போனால்
நாங்கள் போவதெங்கே
நாங்கள் போவதெங்கே
Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai
Is this life a riddle?
Vidaitharuvar yaro
Who will give the answer?
Enathu kai ennai adipathuvo
Is my own hand striking me?
Enathu viral kannai kedupathuvo
Is my own finger poking out my eye?
Azhuthu ariyatha en kangal
My eyes that never knew how to cry,
Aaru kulamaga maruvatho
Will they now turn into rivers and ponds?
Yen endru ketkavum nathiyillai
There is no protector to ask 'why?'.
Ezhaiyin neethikku kannundu parvaiyillai
Justice for the poor has eyes, but no sight.
{Pasuvinai pambendru satchi solla mudiyum
{One can give witness calling a cow a snake,
Kambinil visham enna karakkava mudiyum} (2)
Can poison be milked from a wooden stick?} (2)
Udambil vazhinthodum
Flowing through the body,
Uthiram unaikketkum
The blood will ask you,
Nan seitha theengu enna
What harm have I done?
Nan seitha theengu enna
What harm have I done?
Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai
Is this life a riddle?
Vidaitharuvar yaro
Who will give the answer?
Vanthu vizhugindra mazhaithuligal
The raindrops that come falling down,
Entha idam serum yar kandar
Who knows where they will end up?
Manithar kondadum uravugalo
The relationships celebrated by humans,
Entha manam serum yar kandar
Who knows which heart they will reach?
Malai thanil thondruthu
Originating on the mountain,
Gangai nathi
Is the river Ganges;
Athu kadal sendru servadhu kalan vithi
Its joining the sea is the decree of fate.
{Ivanukku ival endru ezhuthiya kanakku
{The calculation written pairing this man with this woman,
Kanakkugal puriyamal kanavukkul vazhakku} (2)
Without understanding the math, a dispute arises in a dream.} (2)
Uravin marattam
The deception in relationships,
Urimai porattam
The struggle for rights,
Irandum theervatheppo
When will both of these be resolved?
Irandum theervatheppo
When will both of these be resolved?
Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai
Is this life a riddle?
Vidaitharuvar yaro
Who will give the answer?
Unathu rajangam ithuthanae
Is this not your kingdom?
Othungakkoodathu nallavanae
Good man, you should not step aside!
Thondugal seiya nee irunthal
If you stay to do service,
Thollai nerathu thooyavanae
Trouble will never occur, pure one.
Kaigalil ponnalli nee koduthai
You gave handfuls of gold with your hands,
Indru kangalil kanneer en koduthai
Why did you give tears in our eyes today?
{Kaviyangal unai paada kathirukkum pozhuthu
{When epics are waiting to sing your praise,
Kaviyudai nee kondaal ennavagum manathu} (2)
If you don saffron robes, what will become of our hearts?} (2)
Vazhvai nee thedi vadakkae nee ponal
If you go north in search of life,
Nangal povathengae
Where will we go?
Nangal povathengae
Where will we go?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Vidukathaiya Intha Vazhkkai' is a deeply emotional and philosophical song from the 1995 Tamil movie Muthu, composed by A. R. Rahman, written by Vairamuthu, and rendered by Hariharan. The song reflects on betrayal, destiny, and the agonizing riddles of human existence. The protagonist laments being betrayed by his own kin, questioning how justice fails the innocent and comparing life's unpredictability to falling rain or the Ganges flowing toward the sea.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)
“Aaru kulamaga maruvatho”
Compares crying eyes to overflowing rivers and ponds ('Aaru kulamaga maruvatho'), and falsehood to calling a gentle cow a venomous snake.
Rhetorical Question
“Vidu kathaiya intha vazhkkai / Vidaitharuvar yaro”
Framing life as a riddle with unanswered existential questions to highlight helplessness and confusion.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kaigalil ponnalli nee koduthai / Indru kangalil kanneer en koduthai”
Repetition of initial consonant sounds such as 'Ka' in Kaigalil and Kangalil.
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Uravin marattam / Urimai porattam”
The second letter 'ra' rhymes across adjacent lines ('Uravin' / 'Urimai').
Did you know?
Trivia
Although listed as Unknown in the prompt, the music was composed by A. R. Rahman and sung by Hariharan. This iconic track plays during the flashback climax of Muthu, where the elder Rajinikanth's character renounces his wealth to embrace ascetism. Lyricist Vairamuthu won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Lyricist for his evocative work on this song.
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