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IsaimozhiLyrics · Translation · Meaning

Lyrics & meaning

Aasai Vachen

From Natpu · 1986

Lyricist: Vairamuthu
Singer: P. Susheela
Music director: Ilayaraja
Movie name: Natpu
Movie release year: 1986
Lyrics added on: 31 Dec 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics

↻ English translation

Aasa vachen un mela

Machaan arali vachen kollaiyila

Aasa vachen un mela

Machaan arali vachen kollaiyila

Aadharichaa nalladhaiyaa

Illa arali vedha ulladhaiyaa

Arali vedha ulladhaiyaa

Aasa vachen…

Un mela un mela

Sanda potta kenda meenu

Rendum serndhu onnaachu

Rendum serndhu konjum podhu

Yeri thanni thaenaachu

Thoondiyilae sikkavilla

Suthi vara kokkum illa

Meenu rendum thoongayila

Akkam pakkam yaarum illa

Rendu meenum kan muzhichaa

Yeriyila thanni illa yeriyila thanni illa

Aasa vachen un mela

Machaan arali vachen kollaiyila

Aasa vachen un mela..un mela

Thennanthoppil enna paathu

Sonna vaartha ennaachu

Appan pesum pecha kettu

Kaadhu rendum punnaachu

Rekkai ellaam vetti puttu

Nikkudhaiyaa pacha kili

Oorukkulla omalippu

Vaadudhaiyaa vanji kodi

Kattililae thaengi nikkum

Kanneer mattum rendu padi

Kanneer mattum rendu padi

Aasa vachen un mela

Machaan arali vachen kollaiyila

Aasa vachen un mela

Machaan arali vachen kollaiyila

Aadharichaa nalladhaiyaa

Illa arali vedha ulladhaiyaa

Arali vedha ulladhaiyaa

Aasa vachen…

Un mela un mela

I set my heart on you,

my dear, and planted oleander in the backyard.

I set my heart on you,

my dear, and planted oleander in the backyard.

If you accept my love, it will be wonderful,

if not, the oleander seed is waiting right there.

Yes, the oleander seed is right there.

I set my heart...

on you, only on you.

The two carp fish that used to fight

came together and became one.

When the two were softly romancing,

the lake water turned sweet as honey.

They never got caught in any fishing hook,

and no crane was circling around them.

While both fish were sound asleep,

there was no one nearby at all.

Yet when the two fish opened their eyes,

there was no water left in the lake, no water in the lake!

I set my heart on you,

my dear, and planted oleander in the backyard.

I set my heart on you... on you.

Looking at me in the coconut grove,

what happened to the promises you made?

Hearing the harsh words my father speaks,

both my ears have become sore with pain.

With its wings completely clipped,

the poor green parrot stands helpless.

Amid the gossip and mockery of the village,

this tender vine of a girl is withering away.

Lying pooled upon the bed,

my shed tears alone measure two whole cups.

My shed tears alone measure two whole cups.

I set my heart on you,

my dear, and planted oleander in the backyard.

I set my heart on you,

my dear, and planted oleander in the backyard.

If you accept my love, it will be wonderful,

if not, the oleander seed is waiting right there.

Yes, the oleander seed is right there.

I set my heart...

on you, only on you.

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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Aasa Vachen Un Mela is a tragic Tamil folk song expressing deep romantic longing, helplessness, and emotional anguish. The protagonist laments to her lover about her intense devotion while issuing a stark ultimatum: if he abandons her, she will end her life using the poisonous oleander (arali) seeds she grew in her backyard. The lyrics contrast the initial sweetness of their love with the tragic present caused by parental disapproval and societal ridicule. Through vivid folk metaphors—such as fish left stranded when a lake suddenly dries up and a green parrot whose wings have been clipped—the song paints a poignant picture of a young woman trapped by her circumstances, crying measures of tears in isolation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Sanda potta kenda meenu ... Yeriyila thanni illa”

Compares the lovers to two fish whose union makes lake water taste like honey, only to wake up to a dried lake, representing sudden loss and heartbreak.

Metaphor

“Rekkai ellaam vetti puttu nikkudhaiyaa pacha kili”

Compares the helpless, trapped heroine to a green parrot whose wings have been cut off.

Imagery & Cultural Symbolism

“Illa arali vedha ulladhaiyaa”

Uses 'arali vedha' (oleander seeds), a traditional rural Tamil symbol for tragic love and heartbreak, creating a stark sense of despair.

Hyperbole

“Kanneer mattum rendu padi”

Exaggerates the volume of tears shed on the bed using 'rendu padi' (two traditional volumetric measuring units) to emphasize extreme grief.

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 1986 film Natpu with music composed by Sankar-Ganesh and lyrics by Vairamuthu, this song prominently features classic Tamil rural folk motifs. Oleander seeds ('arali vedha') are culturally recognized in Tamil folk tradition as a deadly substance associated with tragic romantic despair, a motif frequently employed in 1980s Tamil cinema to highlight extreme emotional stakes.

Keep listening

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From the same album

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