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Isaimozhi
Iyarkai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Alaiye Alaiye

From Iyarkai · 2003

Lyricist
Lyricist Not Known
Singer
Shankar Mahadevan
Music director
Vidyasagar
Movie name
Iyarkai
Movie release year
2003
Lyrics added on
13 Aug 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ohhh..hooo…hooo..hooo…
Alaiyae alaiyae
Athumeeridum alaiyae
Undhan kaadhilae
Kaadhal sonnadhu yaar
Pirandhen pirandhen
Indru marubadi pirandhen
Konja kaalamaai
Mannil naan illai
Oru thuliyaanen unnaalae
Indru kadal aanen pennaalae
En uyir ellaam thaenaaga
Oru vaarthai sonnaalae
Alaiyae alaiyae
Athumeeridum alaiyae
Undhan kaadhilae
Kaadhal sonnadhu yaar
Pirandhen pirandhen
Indru marubadi pirandhen
Konja kaalamaai
Mannil naan illai
Mottukkullae vaasam polae
Kattuppattu nindraayae
Ehhh…ehhh…hehhhh….
Mutti sellum kaatraai vandhu
Thottu thirandhu kondenae
Ehhh…ehhh…hehhhh….
Unadhu oodal theeraamal
Enadhu kadalil meen illai
Karunai paarvai nee paarthaai
Karaiyil kooda meen thollai
Muga thiraiyai kazhatrikondaai
Siragugalai anindhu konden
Muga thiraiyai kazhatrikondaai
Siragugalai anindhu konden
Alaiyaadiya alaiyaadiya karaiyil
Vizhaiyaadiya vizhaiyaadiya paravai
Madiyerudhu madiyerudhu margaliyae
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Pennae naan orr vaarthai illai
Undhan idhazhil thithikka
Ehhh…ehhh…hehhhh….
Kannae naan orr thookkam illai
Undhan kannil ottikka
Ehhh…ehhh…hehhhh….
Enadhu jeevan therndhaalum
Enadhu vaazhvu unnodu
Kilaigal veliyil ponaalum
Verin vaazhvu mannodu
Neer vizhundhaal man madiyil
Naan vizhundhaal un madiyil
Neer vizhundhaal man madiyil
Naan vizhundhaal un madiyil
Kadaloo kadal idam
Maariya pozhudhum
Nilamoo nilam
Thadumaariya pozhudhum
Piriyaadhiru piriyaadhiru punnagaiyae…
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Alaiyae alaiyae
Athumeeridum alaiyae
Undhan kaadhilae
Kaadhal sonnadhu yaar
Pirandhen pirandhen
Indru marubadi pirandhen
Konja kaalamaai
Mannil naan illai
Oru thuliyaanen unnaalae
Indru kadal aanen pennaalae
En uyir ellaam thaenaaga
Oru vaarthai sonnaalae
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Ohooo…ohoooo..ooooooohooo
Oh... ho... ho... ho...
O wave, O wave,
O wave overflowing your shores,
into your ears,
who whispered love?
I was born, I was born,
today I was born again!
For quite some time,
I had not truly lived on this earth.
I was reduced to a mere drop because of you,
and today I became a boundless ocean, all because of a woman!
Turning my whole soul into honey,
she spoke just one word.
O wave, O wave,
O wave overflowing your shores,
into your ears,
who whispered love?
I was born, I was born,
today I was born again!
For quite some time,
I had not truly lived on this earth.
Like fragrance hidden inside a flower bud,
you held yourself back.
Eh... eh... heh...
Arriving like a gust of wind,
I touched you and set you free.
Eh... eh... heh...
Until your playful sulking ended,
there were no fish in my sea.
When you looked at me with tender grace,
there were plenty of fish even on the shore!
You took off your veil,
and I put on wings to fly.
You took off your veil,
and I put on wings to fly.
On the shore where the waves danced,
the bird that fluttered and played
now rests on the lap of Margazhi (cool winter season).
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Girl, I am not a sweet word
to linger on your lips.
Eh... eh... heh...
Darling, I am not gentle sleep
to rest upon your eyes.
Eh... eh... heh...
Even if my life comes to an end,
my living is only with you.
Even if the branches reach far out,
the roots live anchored in the earth.
When rain falls, it lands in the lap of the earth;
when I fall, it is into your lap.
When rain falls, it lands in the lap of the earth;
when I fall, it is into your lap.
Even if the vast sea
shifts from its place,
even if the steady ground
trembles and gives way,
never fade away, never leave, O smile of mine...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
O wave, O wave,
O wave overflowing your shores,
into your ears,
who whispered love?
I was born, I was born,
today I was born again!
For quite some time,
I had not truly lived on this earth.
I was reduced to a mere drop because of you,
and today I became a boundless ocean, all because of a woman!
Turning my whole soul into honey,
she spoke just one word.
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Oho... oho... oho...
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
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Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Alaiyae Alaiyae is a soulful romantic track from the 2003 Tamil film Iyarkai. Set against the backdrop of the sea, the song uses rich ocean imagery to capture the transformative experience of love. The protagonist feels reborn, describing how love turned a tiny drop into a vast ocean, and how the beloved's gentle touch unlocked hidden emotions. The song celebrates deep devotion, where two souls feel intertwined like the roots of a tree with the soil, bound together regardless of changing tides or shifting lands.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Mottukkullae vaasam polae

Compares hidden love to fragrance trapped within an unopened flower bud.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Oru thuliyaanen unnaalae / Indru kadal aanen pennaalae

Metaphorically illustrates the growth of love from a tiny drop (thuli) into a vast sea (kadal).

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Neer vizhundhaal man madiyil / Naan vizhundhaal un madiyil

Repetition of initial consonant and vowel sounds ('Neer' and 'Naan') across consecutive lines.

Edukku Thodar (Repetition for Emphasis)

Pirandhen pirandhen / Alaiyae alaiyae

Repetition of words to emphasize intense emotion and rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

Iyarkai (2003), directed by S. P. Jananathan, won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil. The music was composed by Vidyasagar, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu, and the song was rendered by Srinivas and Sujatha Mohan.

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