Vidai Kodu Engal Naade - Kannathil Muthamittaal

Set against the ethnic conflict between the Tamils and the Sinhalese in Tamilnadu, Kannathil Muthamittaal is a touching story of a little girl and her adoptive parents in search of the girl’s real mother. An idealistic father, a girl who has become increasingly distant from her adoptive parents after learning that she was adopted, and the mother who provides equal love are scripted in various dimensions by Maniratnam. Along with Vairamuthu and Rahman, they produce another relevant masterpiece.


The setting for this song is in Sri Lanka. The Tamils are being driven away again by conflict. The song is granted to a person with a coarse voice - a fitting choice that gives a certain authenticity. The singer is heartbroken in being separated from his homeland. He bids his farewell but distantly hopes that one day, maybe, he’ll be back again. The song is of two parallel stories - the separation of a child and her mother as much as the separation of a man and his motherland, both separated by conflict.

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vidai kodu engal naade

grant me farewell my land

kadal vaasal thelikkum veede

where the sea washes against our doorstep

Sri Lanka is an island, and within that the Tamils occupied mostly the northern region that hugged the coast

panai mara kaadae, paravaigal koode

you, the forests of palm and you pigeons

marumurai oru murai paarpoma?

will I ever see you again?

udhattil punnagai pudhaithom

as we part, let us spread a smile across our lips

uyirai udambukkuL pudhaithom

let us hide our soul in our bodies

verum koodugaL mattum oorvalam pogindrom

we are journeying from here only as empty shells

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell

kandhal aanaalum thaai madi pol
oru sugham varuma? varuma? (2)

even if our mother is dressed in rags, is there anything more comforting than her lap?

it is very common to personify the country as one's mother - motherland being an obvious portmanteau

sorgam sendralum sondha oor pol
oru sudhandhiram varuma? varuma?

even if we go to heaven, will it ever be as comfortable as our own village

kaN thirandha desam ange

in this country I opened my eyes

kaN moodum desam enge? (2)

but I know not where they will shut

pirivoam nadhighale pizhaithaal varugirom

let us break up now you rivers, and if errors are made I shall try to come back

meendum thaayagam azhaithaal varugirom

if my motherland weeps again, I shall come try to back

kanneer thiraiyil pirandha mannai
kadaisiyaaga paarkindrom

this land that was born on a floor of tears, is this the last time we shall see each other?

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell

engaL sangeetham piLLaiyin azhugaiyile tholaithom (2)

our music has been lost among the cries of our children

engaL iLam thingaL vedikuNdu pudhaiyile pudhaithom

our !tbd! Has been lost among the noise of bombs

mun nilavil malaril kidandhom,

we used to sleep in the moonlight on flowers

pin iravil mullil kizhindhom

now we spend the night on thorns

kadal neer paravai dhaan irundhaal sandhippom

you sea gulls, if you remain maybe we'll meet again

vaname malaigaLe vaazhndhaal sandhippom

you rivers and mountains, if you survive we'll meet again

thalaiyil konjam nenjil adhigam

with little in our hands, but much weight in our hearts

sumaigaL sumandhu pogindrom

we are leaving with our baggage

vidai kodu...

grant me farewell