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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aalilalilo

From Rocky · 2020

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singer
Chinmayi Sripada
Music director
Darbuka Siva
Details
Rocky2020

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
Kann thorandhu thoonguSleep with your eyes open
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
En chukkae en chundaeMy guiding star, my darling lips
Female
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
Kaanomae kizhakkaeThe east is nowhere to be seen
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
En thoongaa villakaeMy sleepless lamp
Female
Naadu kaadu koodellaamThe country, forest, and nests all together
Thee thinnu pochidhaeHave been consumed by fire
Un kannukkulla dhaanOnly inside your eyes
En vaazhkka kedakkaeMy life now resides
Female
Oh…Oh...
Female
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
Kann thorandhu thoonguSleep with your eyes open
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
En chukkae en chundaeMy guiding star, my darling lips
Female
Vadivae…aee…Oh beautiful form...
Vidivae… aeee…Oh bright dawn...
En seelaiyae un menmethaiyaaIs my saree your soft bed?
Konja eeramae un pattaadaiyaaIs this slight moisture your silk garment?
Female
En meenae thoongadiSleep, my precious fish
Vizhi rendum moodamaa anbaeWithout closing both eyes, my beloved
En kanneer unmel veezhumpothumEven when my tears fall upon you
Yennu kekkaamaWithout asking why
Female
Ellaamae maari pogumEverything will change and pass
Indha veruma varumaWill this emptiness last?
Pazhagi pogumWe will get used to it
Un chinna paarvaiyaalaWith just a simple glance from you
En ulagam vadivaagum…My world takes shape...
Female
Oh…Oh...
Female
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
Vaanam paarthu thoonguSleep looking up at the sky
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
En kannae en mannaeMy eye, my precious treasure
Female
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
Ulagellam unakkaeThe whole world belongs to you
Aalilaalilo…Aalilaalilo...
En thoongaa villakaeMy sleepless lamp
Female
Poovu mullu kaambethaThe flower, the thorn, and the stem together
Thee thinnu pochidhaeHave been consumed by fire
Un kannukkulla dhaanOnly inside your eyes
En verae kedakkaeMy root lies deep
Female
Oh…Oh...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Aalilaalilo is a deeply emotional, melancholy lullaby set against the backdrop of destruction, grief, and survival. The singer comforts a loved one in the aftermath of total ruin, where fire has consumed everything—the land, forests, flowers, and stems. Despite the surrounding devastation and darkness, the beloved remains the speaker's sole beacon of hope, described metaphorically as an unextinguished, sleepless lamp and a guiding star. The song explores themes of grief, maternal/protective affection, and resilience. It emphasizes that even when tears fall and emptiness threatens to swallow everything, the gentle gaze of the loved one gives structure, meaning, and roots to a shattered world.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

En thoongaa villakae

The speaker addresses the beloved as 'En thoongaa villakae' (My sleepless lamp) and 'En chukke' (My guiding star), directly assigning illuminating qualities to them amidst total darkness.

Personification / Vivid Imagery

Poovu mullu kaambetha Thee thinnu pochidhae

Fire is personified as a consuming entity that 'eats' (thee thinnu pochidhae) the land, forest, nests, flowers, and thorns.

Rhyme & Assonance (Edhugai / Monai)

Naadu kaadu koodellaam

The pairing of 'Naadu kaadu' and 'Poovu mullu' uses internal rhyming and rhythmic assonance to emphasize total, non-discriminatory destruction.

Did you know?

Trivia

Aalilaalilo is from the critically acclaimed Tamil neo-noir action drama Rocky (2020), directed by Arun Matheswaran. Composed by Darbuka Siva with lyrics penned by Madhan Karky, the song acts as a striking emotional anchor contrasting the gritty violence of the film.

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