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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aele Aele Female

From Pasumpon · 1995

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Swarnalatha
Music director
Vidyasagar
Details
Pasumpon1995

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aelae aelae maayiOh mother, oh mother,
Padachavan yendaa manasa padachaanWhy did the Creator create a heart?
Aelaa sella thaayiOh beloved mother,
Porandhavan yendi manasa odachaanWhy did the child born to me break my heart?
Female
Garbathula ulla mattumOnly as long as the child is inside the womb,
Andha pulla sondha pullaIs that child truly one's own child.
Thoppul kodi vetti puttaaOnce the umbilical cord is severed,
Sondham illa bandham illaThere is no kinship, there is no bond.
Female
Aelae aelae maayiOh mother, oh mother,
Padachavan yendaa manasa padachaanWhy did the Creator create a heart?
Female
Aelae aelae maayiOh mother, oh mother,
Padachavan yendaa manasa padachaanWhy did the Creator create a heart?
Aelaa sella thaayiOh beloved mother,
Porandhavan yendi manasa odachaanWhy did the child born to me break my heart?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This melancholic song from the film Pasumpon expresses profound maternal grief and emotional disillusionment. The speaker questions the divine purpose behind human emotions and the heart, lamenting how a child raised with utmost love ends up breaking the parent's heart. It highlights a tragic philosophy: the absolute closeness between a mother and her child exists uninterrupted only within the protection of the womb; once the physical umbilical cord is severed, earthly distance and emotional detachment inevitably take over.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question

Padachavan yendaa manasa padachaan

The lyrics repeatedly question the Creator's intent behind endowing humans with emotional hearts that are prone to heartbreak.

Metaphor

Thoppul kodi vetti puttaa / Sondham illa bandham illa

The umbilical cord ('Thoppul kodi') serves as a powerful metaphor for the intrinsic biological and emotional bond that connects a mother and child.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Andha pulla sondha pulla / Sondham illa bandham illa

The lines end with rhyming patterns like 'sondha pulla' and 'bandham illa' to enhance rhythmic oral tradition.

Did you know?

Trivia

The soundtrack for the 1995 film Pasumpon was composed by Vidyasagar, with lyrics written by Vairamuthu. The film stars Prabhu, Sivaji Ganesan, and Radhika, focusing on complex family dynamics and rural emotional ties.

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