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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aasa Vecha

From Vallal · 1997

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Deva
Details
Vallal1997

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Aasai vecha annakiliyeO beloved swan-like parrot on whom I set my desires
Unna maalaiyida kaathirundhenI was waiting to place a garland around your neck
Male
Maalai onnu vaangi varaTo purchase a flower garland
Naanum poo kadaikku poyirundhenI had gone to the flower shop myself
Male
Maaliyum kaiyumaagaWith garland in my hands
Naanum avndha naalinilaeOn that day when I returned
Maamara pacha kiliThe green parrot of the mango tree
Ver oruthan tholinilaeWas sitting on someone else's shoulder
Kanneer vittu ninnen naerinilaeI stood right there shedding tears
Kaalam venneera vittadhenna verinilaeWhy did fate pour boiling water on my roots?
Male
Kili pechu kettu kettuListening repeatedly to the parrot's sweet talk
Kirakkam thaan yeri ponenI became completely intoxicated with delusion
Natpukku kaadhal arthamInterpreting pure friendship as love
Karpitha muttaal aanenI became a fool who fooled himself
Male
Kaaveri thaneer endruMistaking a mirage
Kaanala naan nenachenFor the sweet waters of Kaveri river
Kaanlil thoondiyathaanCasting a fishing hook into that mirage
Pottu naan meen pudichenI tried to catch fish from it
Male
Thappaaga kanakku pottuHaving miscalculated everything wrongly
Ippa thaan kann mulichen raasathi…Only now have my eyes opened, my princess...
Male
Ennaasa rathinameO precious gem of my desires
Un kaaval naan iruppenI will remain as your guardian angel
Engae nee vaazhndha ennaWherever you live, how does it matter?
Nee vaazha paateduppenI will sing songs wishing for your prosperity
Male
Pottodum poovodum neeWith vermilion mark and flowers in full glory
Pallaandu vaazha vendumMay you live happily for countless years
Oru kodi inbam endrumA crore of endless joys
Unaithaan soozha venumMust surround your life forever
Male
Nalla nee irundha podhumAs long as you are living well and happy
Enakkingae enna venum raasathiWhat else could I possibly need here, my princess?
Male
Aasai vecha annakiliyeO beloved swan-like parrot on whom I set my desires
Unna maalaiyida kaathirundhenI was waiting to place a garland around your neck
Male
Maaliyum kaiyumaagaWith garland in my hands
Naanum avndha naalinilaeOn that day when I returned
Maamara pacha kiliThe green parrot of the mango tree
Ver oruthan tholinilaeWas sitting on someone else's shoulder
Kanneer vittu ninnen naerinilaeI stood right there shedding tears
Kaalam venneera vittadhenna verinilaeWhy did fate pour boiling water on my roots?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Aasai vecha annakiliye' from the movie Vallal portrays the deep sorrow and emotional maturity of a man who realizes his love was one-sided. Having prepared to express his love and unite with his beloved, he is heartbroken to discover she belongs to another man. He admits his own foolishness in confusing friendly warmth for romantic love, comparing his actions to casting a fishing line into a mirage expecting to catch fish. Despite the intense pain of betrayal and crushed dreams, the protagonist chooses the high road of nobility. Rather than expressing anger or bitterness, he sincerely blesses her for a long, happy married life filled with prosperity, promising to stand silently as her protector from afar as long as she lives happily.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Kaaveri thaneer endru Kaanala naan nenachen Kaanlil thoondiyathaan Pottu naan meen pudichen

The speaker compares his mistaken expectation of love to mistaking a desert mirage for the Kaveri river and trying to catch fish in it.

Visual Imagery

Maamara pacha kili Ver oruthan tholinilae

Depicting the beloved woman as a green mango-tree parrot perched on another man's shoulder creates a vivid visual representation of heartbreak.

Idiomatic Metaphor

Kaalam venneera vittadhenna verinilae

Pouring hot water on tree roots is a classic Tamil idiom representing the complete destruction of one's foundational hopes and life.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Kirakkam thaan yeri ponen / Karpitha muttaal aanen

The second consonant sound 'r' aligns across successive words/lines creating rhythmic harmony (Kirakkam / Karpitha).

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by 'Thenisai Thendral' Deva and written by the veteran lyricist Vaali, this poignant song is sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. Vaali's lyrics stand out for using simple, rural folk imagery—flower shops, river waters, mirages, and mango trees—to capture the noble depth of unrequited love and selflessness.

Keep listening

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