This song is from a movie called Amarkalam, starring Ajit and Shalini. The song is sung by SPB and supposed to have been breathless in the movie. I’m not sure this is possible in real life. In the movie Ajit has written a poem on the rock which Shalini tries to put to tune. He doesn’t like it and she asks him to sing instead, thinking he won’t be able to. I recommend you watch this video from 1:23 time point.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dFfc4JbKtY
saththam illaadha thanimai kaettaen
I asked for solitude without noise
yuththam illaadha ulagam kaettaen
I asked for a world without war
raththaththil enRenRum vaegam kaettaen
I asked for my pulse to race
ragasiyamillaa uLLam kaettaen
I asked for a heart without secrets
.
uyiraikkiLLaadha uRavaik kaettaen
I asked for a relationship which won’t pinch at the soul
otRaik kaNNeerth thuLiyaik kaettaen
I asked for one tear drop
valigaL seyyaadha vaarththaik kaettaen
I asked for words that won’t wound
vayadhukkuch chariyaana vaazhkkaik kaettaen
I asked for a life appropriate for one’s age
.
idigaL illaadha maegam kaettaen
I asked for clouds without thunder
iLamai kedaadha moagam kaettaen
I asked for an attraction which won’t take away innocence
paRandhu paRandhu naesam kaettaen
I asked so much for compassion
paasaangillaadha paasam kaettaen
I asked for affection without an expiry date
.
pullin nuniyil paniyaik kaettaen
I asked for the dew drops on the tip of a blade of grass
poovin madiyil padukkaik kaettaen
****I asked to lay in a flower
thaanae uRangum vizhiyaik kaettaen
I asked for eyes that would easily close with drowsiness
thalaiyaik koadhum viralaik kaettaen
I asked for finger that can sooth my head
.
nilavil nanaiyum soalaik kaettaen
I asked for trees that would drench in moonlight
neelak kuyilin paadal kaettaen
****I asked for the song of a blue cuckoo
nadandhu poaga nadhikkarai kaettaen
I asked for a river bank to walk on
kidandhu uruLap pulveLi kaettaen
I asked for a meadow to lie and roll around in
.
thottup padukka nilavaik kaettaen
****I asked for a moon within reach before I sleep
ettip pidikka viNmeen kaettaen
I asked for the fish I can reach and pluck
dhukkam maRandha thookkam kaettaen
I asked for sleep that can make me forget my sorrows
thookkam maNakkum kanavaik kaettaen
I asked for dreams that will adorn my sleep
.
bhoomikkellaam oru pagal kaettaen
****I asked for one day time for the whole earth
poovukkellaam aayuL kaettaen
****I asked for a lifetime for all the flowers
manidharkkellaam oru manam kaettaen
I asked for a common heart for all humans
paRavaikkellaam thaay mozhi kaettaen
I asked for a mother tongue for all birds
.
ulagukkellaam sama mazhai kaettaen
I asked for equal rain for the whole world
oorukkellaam oru nadhi kaettaen
****I asked for one river for every town
vaanam muzhukka nilavaik kaettaen
I asked for a moon that will fill up the whole sky
vaazhumboadhae svarggam kaettaen
I asked for heaven when one is still alive
.
eNNam ellaam uyarak kaettaen
****I asked for all consciousness to rise
eriyum theeyaay kavidhai kaettaen
I asked for a poem as passionate as fire
kaNNeer kadandha njaanam kaettaen
I asked for wisdom after tears
kaamam kadandha yoagam kaettaen
I asked for union beyond desire
.
sutRum kaatRin sudhandhiram kaettaen
I asked for freedom in my surrounding air
sittuk kuruviyin siRagaik kaettaen
****I asked for the wings of a sparrow
uchchandhalaimael mazhaiyaik kaettaen
I asked for rain on the top of my head
uLLangaalil nadhiyaik kaettaen
I asked for a river in the soles of my feet
.
paNkoNda paadal payilak kaettaen
I asked for the song (?)
paRavaikkirukkum vaanam kaettaen
I asked for the skies of a bird
nanRi kedaadha natpaik kaettaen
I asked for a loyal friendship
nadungavidaadha selvam kaettaen
I asked for wealth that won’t make me fearful
.
malaril oru naaL vasikkak kaettaen
I asked to live in a flower for one day
mazhaiyin sangeedham rusikkak kaettaen
I asked to enjoy the music of the rain
nilavil nadhiyil kuLikkak kaettaen
I asked to bathe in the moon’s river
ninaivil sandhanam maNakkak kaettaen
I asked for my thoughts to smell like Sandal wood
vizhundhaal nizhal poal vizhavae kaettaen
I asked, if I was to fall, to fall like a shadow
azhudhaal mazhai poal azhavae kaettaen
I asked, if I was to cry, to cry like the rain
.
aegaandham ennoadu vaazhak kaettaen
I asked for Oneness to live with me
eppoadhum sirikkinRa udhadugaL kaettaen
I asked for favours which come with smiles
paniththuLi poal oru sooriyan kaettaen
I asked for a Sun which was like a dew drop
sooriyan poal oru paniththuLi kaettaen
And a dew drop like the Sun
.
raajaraajanin vaaLaik kaettaen
I asked to live like a king
vaLLuvan ezhudhiya koalaik kaettaen
I asked for the scripts that Valluvar wrote
bhaaradhiyaarin sollaik kaettaen
****I asked for the sayings of Bharathiyar
paarththiban thoduththa villaik kaettaen
And the bow of Arjun ( the archer of the Pandavas)
maayak kaNNan kuzhalaik kaettaen
****I asked for the flute of Krishna (the god)
madhurai meenaakshi kiLiyaik kaettaen
I asked for the parrot of Meenakshi of Madhurai
.
sondha uzhaippil soaRaik kaettaen
I asked for food from what I earnt
thottuk koLLa paasam kaettaen
I asked for mercy I could touch
mazhaiyaip poanRa poRumaiyaik kaettaen
I asked for the patience of rain
pullaip poanRa paNivaik kaettaen
I asked for the humility of grass
.
puyalaip poanRa thuNivaik kaettaen
I asked for the conviction of a storm
idiyaith thaangum thoLgaLk kaettaen
I asked for the shoulders that can bear thunder
izhivaith thaangum idhayam kaettaen
I asked for a heart that can bear impermanence
dhroagam thaangum valimai kaettaen
I asked for a pain threshold to withstand betrayal
.
tholaindhuvidaadha poRumaiyaik kaettaen
I asked for patience that can’t be lost
sonnadhu kaetkum uLLam kaettaen
I asked for a heart which will follow instructions
sonnaal saagum vaegam kaettaen
I asked for the obedience of excitement
kayavarai aRiyum kaNgal kaettaen
I asked for eyes that can see border lines
.
kaalam kadakkum kaalgaL kaettaen
****I asked for legs that can stand through time
chinnach chinna thoalvigaL kaettaen
I asked for small failures
seekkiram aaRum kaayam kaettaen
I asked for wounds that heal quickly
.
moodiyillaadha mugangaL kaettaen
I asked for faces without masks
poaliyillaadha punnagai kaettaen
I asked for smiles that are not fake
.
thavazhum vayadhil thaayppaal kaettaen
When I was old enough to crawl, I asked for my mother’s milk
thaavum vayadhil bommaigaL kaettaen
****When I was old enough to leap, I asked for toys
aindhu vayadhil puththagam kaettaen
****When I was five, I asked for books
aaRaam viralaay paenaa kaettaen
When I was six, I asked for a pen
kaasae vaendaam karuNai kaettaen
I wanted no money at all, only kindness
thalaiyaNai vaendaam thaaymadi kaettaen
I wanted no pillow, just my mother’s lap
koottukkiLipoal vaazhak kaettaen
****I asked to live like a pet bird
kuRaindhapatcha anbaik kaettaen
I just for a little affection
.
iththanai kaettum kidaikkavillai
I asked for all this and didn’t get any of it
idhilae edhuvum nadakkavillai
****None of these things ever happened
vaazhvae vaazhvae vaendaamenRu
I didn’t want to live at all so
maraNam maraNam maraNam kaettaen
I asked for death death death!