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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Alai Alaiyaaga

From Navarasa · 2021

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singer
Karthik
Music director
Karthik
Details
Navarasa2021

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Alai alaiyaaga alai alaiyaagaWave after wave, wave after wave
Enakkullae paaigiraaiYou surge inside me
Ovvoru modhalum ovvoru kaadhalaaiEvery collision turns into love
Thuli thuliyaaga thuli thuliyaagaDrop by drop, drop by drop
Idhayathil veezhgiraaiYou fall into my heart
Ovvuru thooralum ovvuru kaadhalaaiEvery drizzle turns into love
Male
Paarkadalum panithuliyilYou say that even the ocean of milk
Adangidum engiraaiCan be contained within a drop of dew
Aruvigalai iru vizhiyilYou tell me to contain
Adakkida solgiraaiWaterfalls within my pair of eyes
Kangal moodinen kanneer agiraaiI closed my eyes, and you became tears
Male
Ovvoru thooralum ovvoru kaadhalaai…Every drizzle turns into love...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song captures the overwhelming and immersive sensation of love and emotion, depicting how feelings surge like ocean waves and fall gently like raindrops into the heart. Through vivid poetic imagery, it describes the paradoxes of emotion—how an entire ocean of feelings can fit within a single dewdrop, and how holding back vast emotions is like trying to contain waterfalls within one's eyes.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukku Thodar (Repetition)

Alai alaiyaaga alai alaiyaaga

The word 'Alai' is repeated continuously as 'Alai alaiyaaga' to express rhythmic, relentless waves.

Hyperbole (Uvaimai / Exaggeration)

Paarkadalum panithuliyil Adangidum engiraai

Poetic exaggeration is used by claiming that the vast ocean of milk (Paarkadal) can fit into a microscopic drop of dew.

Metaphor

Aruvigalai iru vizhiyil Adakkida solgiraai

Comparing the tears or overwhelming emotions in one's eyes to cascading waterfalls.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track was composed and performed by Karthik for the 2021 Netflix Tamil anthology web series 'Navarasa', created by Mani Ratnam and Jayendra Panchapakesan. Lyricist Madhan Karky penned the lyrics, capturing one of the core human emotions (rasas) explored in the series.

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