Give Me Permission, Our Country

‘Vidai Kodu Naade’ by Jessica on the Super Singer Junior TV program in Chennai from the film 2002 “Kannathil Muthamittal” with music written by A.R. Rahman

This is a song sung by an Eelam Tamil teenager Jessica living with her parents in Tamil Nadu for her grandmother, who is currently living in Canada. Jessica’s song is dedicated to her grandmother  who is dreaming of going back to her homeland. Many who left their homeland have this urge.  The song “Vidai Kodu Naade by Jessica” is in Tamil, as is the conversation.  The song title can be translated as “Give Me Permission, Our  Country”.  The YouTube segment is 12 minutes long and includes a critique of the song by the judges, and a short talk by both Jessica’s mother and grandmother.

Lyric of Vidai Kodu Naade in Tamil & English

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 occupy mostly the northeastern region that hugs 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?
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

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Further reading:

  1. M.I.A.’s New Book
  2. Archaeological Sites Plundered
  3. Tamil American Tribute to Youths of Tamil Nadu

No Responses to “Give Me Permission, Our Country”

  1. v k

    A star is born, But get your head down and study to become an engineer or doctor. Singing will take you to wrong people and end up back room singers to corrupt film produces or artists with other ideas. Talent of eelam tamil is not to be wasted with wrong crowd.God bless whoever the singer is. corrupt india has a hand in the genocide of eelam tamils and that’s why the are scared and side with the Sinhalese leaders who know its corrupt an inhuman ways towards eelam tamils wherever they are;