Thillai Ambalam | Bharatanatyam Shiva Shabdam | Lyrics & Meaning

Shabdam is a Bharatanatyam Item in which the Expressions (or Abhinaya) are introduced for the first time in the repertoire. The song (saahityam) is usually separated into stanzas and between each stanza, you'll have a simple Korvai (nritta steps). To read more about a Shabdam in Bharatanatyam, please click here.

source: Nataraja

"Thillai Ambalam" is a Shabdam on Lord Shiva. This Shabdam depicts a female devotee, who is amazed and enamored by the dance of Lord Shiva and describes the myriad feelings and dreams that she experiences in the hopes of uniting with him. The 'Naayika' wonders if Lord Nataraja, the one who dances at the golden temple of Chidambaram, would ever realize her love and accept her as his own

Thillai Ambalam free downloadble mp3 song - Click Here

THILLAI AMBALAM SHABDAM LYRICS

Ragam: Ragamalika
Thaalam: Misra Chapu
Composer: Thanjavur Arunachalam Pillai

Thaa Aa Aaa Thai Thuh Uh Tha Thaam
Tha Thaiyaa Thai Thuh Thuh Thaam
DhalaanguthOm Tha Dhin Gina ThOm

Stanza 1 | Ragam: Kamboji
Tha Dhana Dhan Dhana | Tha Jhonu Jhonu Dhimi
Tha ThOm DhaNa KiNa  | Tha Dhimi Dhimi Kita
Thaa --- Aa Thai | Tha Tha Thaam
Aa...
 
Thillai Ambalam ThannilE NaTam | SeidhiDum Nataraajan En
Ellai Etra Kaadhal Nenjinnai | EppO Dhaan ArivaarO Dee

Sakhi Ingu Dhaan VaruvaarO Dee (repeat)

Dhalaangu Thom Thaka Tha Dhingina Thom

Stanza 2 | Ragam: Shanmugapriya
Tha Dhana Dhan Dhana | Tha Jhonu Jhonu Dhimi
Tha ThOm DhaNa KiNa  | Tha Dhimi Dhimi Kita

Karpanaikkum YettiDaa Uyar | Gaganatthil Nindraadidum
Arpudha Natam Nenjil NinRennai | Aatti Vaippadhum Yenadi?

Sakhi | Aavi ShOrvardhum Yenadi? (repeat)

Dhalaangu Thom Thaka Tha Dhingina Thom

Stanza 3 | Ragam: Bageshri
Tha Dhana Dhan Dhana | Tha Jhonu Jhonu Dhimi
Tha ThOm DhaNa KiNa  | Tha Dhimi Dhimi Kita

Svappannatthil Kanda Daivam (or Devan) | Sondha Nayagan AavanO (or AavarO)?
Arpapédaiyin Aasai Ambalattha | AadumO Ullam ThédumO

sakhi | VaaDum en uLLam TérumO (repeat)

Dhalaangu Thom Thaka Tha Dhingina Thom

Stanza 4 | Ragam: Hamsaanandi
Tha Dhana Dhan Dhana | Tha Jhonu Jhonu Dhimi
Tha ThOm DhaNa KiNa  | Tha Dhimi Dhimi Kita

That dhi Thaam Dhimi, Dhi Dhi ThOm Ena | ThaaLa MéLam muzhaNgiDa
Ardhan en uLLaththaaduvon Ingu | Aavalaai VaruvaarOdee

Idharkku AaruDal mozhi sollaDI (or kooradi) (repeat)

Dhalaangu Thom Thaka Tha Dhingina Thom

Tha Dhinnam Thakun Dhari Kita Thaka
Thaka Dhinnam Thakun Dhari Kita Thaka
Thak Tha Dhin Gina ThOm (3)

Finish: KambOji
Thaa Thaiyyaa Thaiyyum | Tha Tha Thaam

Thillai Ambalam Shabdam Lyrics MEANING

Stanza 1
(Thillai Ambalam ---- VaruVaarodi?)
The lovelorn heroine asks: 
"When will Lord Nataraja, who dances in the temple/hall at cidambaram, come to understand/realize in his heart my boundless love for him?
Oh friend, will he at least come here"'

Stanza 2
(Karpanaikkum ---- Yendai?)
The heroine wonders:
"Why is it that his amazing dance, performed in the skies above that is even beyond my imagination, has entrenched (fixed) itself in my heart and is torturing me so?
Oh friend, why does my spirit suffer so?"

Stanza 3
(Svappanatthil ---- TherumO) 
She continues to wonder: 
"Will the God that I beheld in my dreams ever become my very own husband/Lord? Will the desire of this insignificant and foolish woman ever reach the heart of the one who dances in the hall (of Chidambaram)?
Oh friend, will my grieving heart be reassured ?"

Stanza 4
(Tha Dhi ---- Kooradee)
She beseeches:
"As the Thaalams and the drums resound to SollukaTTu that go "That dhi Thaam Dhimi, Dhi Dhi ThOm", will Ardhanaareeswara (Lord Shiva), the Lord who rules my heart, come to me with eager anticipation? Please tell me the (astrological) signs that foretell this.

TABLE SHOWING WORD BY WORD MEANINGS

(Please note that the meaning of the word in context of the whole sentence / stanza may change)

Thillai	Chidambaram
Ambalam	Hall / Temple
Thannilé	In
NaTam SeidhiDum	Dancing (doing the dance)
Natarajan	Lord Shiva
En	My
Ellai Etra	Boundless
Kaadhal	Love
Nenjinnai	In his Heart
Eppo Dhaan	When
ArivaarO	Realize
Sakhi	Friend (female)
Ingu Dhaan	Here
VaruvaarO	Come
Karpanaikkum	Imagination
YettiDaa	Beyond
Uyar	Above (lofty)
Gaganatthil	Skies (in the sky)
Ninru	Stand
AadiDum	Dancing
Arpudha	Amazing
Nenjil	Heart
Aati Vaippadhum	Torturing
Yénadi	Why
Avi	Soul
SOrvadhum	Suffer
Svappanatthil	In the Dreams
Kanda	Saw (seen)
Daivam / Devan	Lord
Sondha	My Own
Naathanum / Nayagan	Lord (husband)
AavanO	Become
Arpa	Insignificant
Pédhayin	Foolish Woman
Aasai	Desire
Ambalatthu	Golden Hall (of Chidambaram)
AadumO	Dance
Ullam	Heart
ThérumO	Reassure (will it heal?)
VaaDum	Grieving
ThaaLa MéLam	Beats & Drums
Muzhangida	Resound
Ardhan	Ardhanaareeswara (Lord Shiva)
uLLaththaaduvon	Rules my heart
Aavalaai	Anticipation
Varuvaanodee	Will he come?

Here is a video of the Dance -