Alai Alai Alaiyai
From Dreams · 2004
- Lyricist
- Kasthuri Raja
- Music director
- Bharathwaj
- Details
- Dreams2004
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Alai alai alaiyaai | Like waves upon waves |
| Female :Aasaigal varudhae | Female: Desires keep flowing in |
| Male :Athiradi adiyaai | Male: Like a thunderous blow |
| Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae | Female: It falls upon the heart |
| Male | |
| Narambugal therithu | Nerves are pulsating and bursting |
| Vali vali peruthae | The pain grows continuously bigger |
| Female :Ilamai vizhikkum | Female: Youth awakens |
| Oli ingu eluthae | Light rises here |
| Male | |
| Alai alai alaiyaai | Like waves upon waves |
| Female :Aasaigal varudhae | Female: Desires keep flowing in |
| Male :Athiradi adiyaai | Male: Like a thunderous blow |
| Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae | Female: It falls upon the heart |
| Male | |
| Kangal | The eyes |
| Female :Kaamam kaamam | Female: Lust, lust |
| Ketkkum paarvai | A demanding gaze |
| Male :Melum melum thaakkum | Male: Attacks again and again |
| Male | |
| Penmaiyaana poo ondru | A feminine delicate flower |
| Mella mella modhi | Bumping gently, bit by bit |
| Paadhiyil thee udakiradhae | Sparks a fire halfway through |
| Female : Penmai ennum noi paravi | Female: The affliction called womanhood spreads |
| Konjam konjamaai ezhumbhi | Rising up little by little |
| Thadai suvarai kadakiradhae | Surmounting the barrier wall |
| Male | |
| Kathiyindri rathamindri | Without a sword, without blood |
| Ingu oru porkalam dhaan | This place becomes a battlefield |
| Ninuvugal ranakkalam dhaan | Memories turn into a realm of wounds |
| Male | |
| Alai alai alaiyaai | Like waves upon waves |
| Alai alai alaiyaai | Like waves upon waves |
| Female :Aasaigal varudhae | Female: Desires keep flowing in |
| Aasaigal varudhae | Desires keep flowing in |
| Male :Athiradi adiyaai | Male: Like a thunderous blow |
| Athiradi adiyaai | Like a thunderous blow |
| Female :Idhayaththil vizhudhae | Female: It falls upon the heart |
| Idhayaththil vizhudhae | It falls upon the heart |
| Chorus | |
| …………………………. | ... |
| Male | |
| Kaigal | The hands |
| Female :Oorndhae oorndhae poghum | Female: Creep and crawl forward |
| Female :Nagangal | Female: The nails |
| Male :Keeri kaayam aagum | Male: Scratch and cause wounds |
| Male | |
| Konjam konjam thaen oottri | Pouring honey drop by drop |
| Nanju nenjil dhaan yettri | Yet filling the heart with venom |
| Kothikalan poll kothikkiradhae | It boils furiously like a cauldron |
| Female :Suttri suttri paei kaatru | Female: Swirling round like a demon wind |
| Seeri paayum neer ootru | A rushing, roaring water fountain |
| Adhan naduvae malar padukkai | A flower bed in the middle of it all |
| Male | |
| Vakkiramai kokkarikkum | Gleaning with perverse laughter |
| Vaalibhathin vegam paarthu | Witnessing the relentless momentum of youth |
| Iru kaiyum adangiyadhae | Both hands submit and surrender |
| Male | |
| Alai alai alaiyaai | Like waves upon waves |
| Female :Aasaigal varudhae | Female: Desires keep flowing in |
| Male :Athiradi adiyaai | Male: Like a thunderous blow |
| Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae | Female: It falls upon the heart |
அலை அலை அலையாய்
ஆசைகள் வருதே
அதிரடி அடியாய்
இதயத்தில் விழுதே
Like waves upon waves
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female: It falls upon the heart
நரம்புகள் தெரித்து
வலி வலி பெருதே
இளமை விழிக்கும்
ஒலி இங்கு எழுதே
Nerves are pulsating and bursting
The pain grows continuously bigger
Female: Youth awakens
Light rises here
அலை அலை அலையாய்
ஆசைகள் வருதே
அதிரடி அடியாய்
இதயத்தில் விழுதே
Like waves upon waves
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female: It falls upon the heart
கண்கள்
காமம் காமம்
கேட்க்கும் பார்வை
மேலும் மேலும் தாக்கும்
The eyes
Female: Lust, lust
A demanding gaze
Male: Attacks again and again
பெண்மையான பூ ஒன்று
மெல்ல மெல்ல மோதி
பாதையில் தீ உடைகிறதே
A feminine delicate flower
Bumping gently, bit by bit
Sparks a fire halfway through
Female: The affliction called womanhood spreads
Rising up little by little
Surmounting the barrier wall
பெண்மை என்னும் நோய் பரவி
கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சமாய் எழும்பி
தடை சுவரை கடக்கிறதே
Without a sword, without blood
This place becomes a battlefield
Memories turn into a realm of wounds
கத்தியின்றி ரத்தமின்றி
இங்கு ஒரு போர்க்களம்தான்
நினைவுகள் ரனக்களம்தான்
Like waves upon waves
Like waves upon waves
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Desires keep flowing in
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Like a thunderous blow
Female: It falls upon the heart
It falls upon the heart
அலை அலை அலையாய்
அலை அலை அலையாய்
ஆசைகள் வருதே
ஆசைகள் வருதே
அதிரடி அடியாய்
அதிரடி அடியாய்
இதயத்தில் விழுதே
இதயத்தில் விழுதே
...
.......................................
The hands
Female: Creep and crawl forward
Female: The nails
Male: Scratch and cause wounds
கைகள்
ஊர்ந்தே ஊர்ந்தே போகும்
நகங்கள்
கீறி காயம் ஆகும்
Pouring honey drop by drop
Yet filling the heart with venom
It boils furiously like a cauldron
Female: Swirling round like a demon wind
A rushing, roaring water fountain
A flower bed in the middle of it all
கொஞ்சம் கொஞ்சம் தேன் ஊற்றி
நஞ்சு நெஞ்சில்தான் ஏற்றி
கொதிக்கலன் போல் கொதிக்கிறதே
Gleaning with perverse laughter
Witnessing the relentless momentum of youth
Both hands submit and surrender
சுற்றி சுற்றி பேய் காற்று
சீறி பாயும் நீர் ஊற்று
அதன் நடுவே மலர் படுக்கை
Like waves upon waves
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female: It falls upon the heart
வக்கிரமாய் கொக்கரிக்கும்
வாலிபத்தின் வேகம் பார்த்து
இரு கையும் அடக்கியதே
அலை அலை அலையாய்
ஆசைகள் வருதே
அதிரடி அடியாய்
இதயத்தில் விழுதே
Alai alai alaiyaai
Like waves upon waves
Female :Aasaigal varudhae
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male :Athiradi adiyaai
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae
Female: It falls upon the heart
Narambugal therithu
Nerves are pulsating and bursting
Vali vali peruthae
The pain grows continuously bigger
Female :Ilamai vizhikkum
Female: Youth awakens
Oli ingu eluthae
Light rises here
Alai alai alaiyaai
Like waves upon waves
Female :Aasaigal varudhae
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male :Athiradi adiyaai
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae
Female: It falls upon the heart
Kangal
The eyes
Female :Kaamam kaamam
Female: Lust, lust
Ketkkum paarvai
A demanding gaze
Male :Melum melum thaakkum
Male: Attacks again and again
Penmaiyaana poo ondru
A feminine delicate flower
Mella mella modhi
Bumping gently, bit by bit
Paadhiyil thee udakiradhae
Sparks a fire halfway through
Female : Penmai ennum noi paravi
Female: The affliction called womanhood spreads
Konjam konjamaai ezhumbhi
Rising up little by little
Thadai suvarai kadakiradhae
Surmounting the barrier wall
Kathiyindri rathamindri
Without a sword, without blood
Ingu oru porkalam dhaan
This place becomes a battlefield
Ninuvugal ranakkalam dhaan
Memories turn into a realm of wounds
Alai alai alaiyaai
Like waves upon waves
Alai alai alaiyaai
Like waves upon waves
Female :Aasaigal varudhae
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Aasaigal varudhae
Desires keep flowing in
Male :Athiradi adiyaai
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Athiradi adiyaai
Like a thunderous blow
Female :Idhayaththil vizhudhae
Female: It falls upon the heart
Idhayaththil vizhudhae
It falls upon the heart
………………………….
...
Kaigal
The hands
Female :Oorndhae oorndhae poghum
Female: Creep and crawl forward
Female :Nagangal
Female: The nails
Male :Keeri kaayam aagum
Male: Scratch and cause wounds
Konjam konjam thaen oottri
Pouring honey drop by drop
Nanju nenjil dhaan yettri
Yet filling the heart with venom
Kothikalan poll kothikkiradhae
It boils furiously like a cauldron
Female :Suttri suttri paei kaatru
Female: Swirling round like a demon wind
Seeri paayum neer ootru
A rushing, roaring water fountain
Adhan naduvae malar padukkai
A flower bed in the middle of it all
Vakkiramai kokkarikkum
Gleaning with perverse laughter
Vaalibhathin vegam paarthu
Witnessing the relentless momentum of youth
Iru kaiyum adangiyadhae
Both hands submit and surrender
Alai alai alaiyaai
Like waves upon waves
Female :Aasaigal varudhae
Female: Desires keep flowing in
Male :Athiradi adiyaai
Male: Like a thunderous blow
Female :Idhayathil vizhudhae
Female: It falls upon the heart
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Alai Alai Alaiyaai' vividly captures the overwhelming surge of youthful passion, sensual awakening, and psychological frenzy between lovers. Through intense and turbulent imagery—such as rising waves, thunderous impacts, bursting nerves, and battlefields—the lyrics depict passion not merely as gentle affection, but as an uncontrollable force that disrupts restraint and breaks down physical and mental barriers.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukkuthodar (Repetition)
“Alai alai alaiyaai”
Words repeated consecutively to intensify emotion, such as 'Alai alai', 'Mella mella', and 'Konjam konjamaai'.
Metaphor (Uruvagama)
“Ninuvugal ranakkalam dhaan”
Describing memories as a war zone/battleground ('Ninuvugal ranakkalam dhaan') and womanhood as an infectious affliction ('Penmai ennum noi').
Juxtaposition / Paradox
“Konjam konjam thaen oottri / Nanju nenjil dhaan yettri”
Contrasting sweetness ('thaen' / honey) directly with harm ('nanju' / poison) to depict the dual nature of intense romantic passion.
Simile (Uvamai)
“Kothikalan poll kothikkiradhae”
Comparing the internal emotional boiling to a heated cauldron ('Kothikalan poll kothikkiradhae').
Did you know?
Trivia
The song features in the 2004 Tamil romantic drama film 'Dreams', directed by Kasthuri Raja, who also penned the lyrics for the movie. The film stars his son Dhanush alongside Diya, with music composed by Bharadwaj.
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