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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Alli Poo Nirathazhaki

From Thaen · 2021

Lyricist
S. Gnanakaravel
Singer
Haricharan
Music director
Sanath Bharadwaj
Details
Thaen2021

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Alli poo nirathazhagiBeautiful one with the color of a lily flower
Aavaram poo alagiBeautiful one like the Tanner's Cassia flower
Athi mara sendu alagiBeautiful one like a cluster of fig tree blossoms
Kaanaliyae kaanaliyaeI cannot find you, I cannot find you
Male
Vella poondu pal alagiBeautiful one with garlic-clove white teeth
Vellendhi siripalagiBeautiful one with an innocent smile
Karuvandu kan alagiBeautiful one with eyes like black beetles
Kaanaliyae kaanaliyaeI cannot find you, I cannot find you
Male
Velliyora pookal ellaamAll the flowers along the silver edges
Vedhanaiyil vaaduthadiAre wilting in pain, my dear
Vennilavae nee illaamaWithout you, my bright moon
Vaanam engu ponathadi…Where has the sky gone?
Male
Velliyora pookal ellaamAll the flowers along the silver edges
Vedhanaiyil vaaduthadiAre wilting in pain, my dear
Vennilavae nee illaamaWithout you, my bright moon
Vaanam engu ponathadi…Where has the sky gone?
Male
Alli poo nirathazhagiBeautiful one with the color of a lily flower
Aavaram poo alagiBeautiful one like the Tanner's Cassia flower
Athi mara sendu alagiBeautiful one like a cluster of fig tree blossoms
Kaanaliyae kaanaliyaeI cannot find you, I cannot find you
Male
Sillaraiya un pechuLike loose change, your words
Sitharudhadi moolaiyilaScatter inside my mind
Sell aricha puthagamaLike a termite-eaten book
Aanenae naanum pullaI have become, my dear child
Male
Karuvelam kaatu vazhiAlong the path of the Karuvelam thorn forest
Thadumari ponenadiI stumbled and lost my way, my dear
Gaanam paadum moongil ellaamAll the singing bamboos
Kadhari aluvuthadi…Are wailing and weeping...
Male
Kann vilichi nan paarthaWhen I opened my eyes and looked
Kannae unna kanaladiMy darling, I could not see you
Engu nan povenoWhere will I go?
Enna kadhi aavenoWhat will become of my fate?
Nitham nitham un nenapaalEvery single day, with your thoughts
Suthi than vanthenadiI wandered in circles, my dear
Male
Usura kuduppen nu sonnavalaeThe woman who said she would give her life for me
En usura eduthu ponaalaeHas taken away my life and gone
Usura kuduppen nu sonnavalaeThe woman who said she would give her life for me
En usura eduthu ponaalaeHas taken away my life and gone
Male
Alli poo nirathazhagiBeautiful one with the color of a lily flower
Aavaram poo alagiBeautiful one like the Tanner's Cassia flower
Athi mara sendu alagiBeautiful one like a cluster of fig tree blossoms
Kaanaliyae kaanaliyae….I cannot find you, I cannot find you...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Alli Poo Nirathazhagi (Kaanaliyae) from the film Thaen (2021) is a deeply poignant lament sung by a grieving protagonist searching desperately for his lost beloved. Deeply embedded in natural imagery—comparing her tender features to lilies, Tanner's Cassia blossoms, garlic cloves, and black beetles—the song highlights the immense pain of sudden separation and loss. The protagonist describes his state of mind as a termite-eaten book and his journey as a painful trek through thorn forests where even nature mourns alongside him. Ultimately, he expresses profound despair over how the woman who promised to give her life for him ended up taking his soul and purpose away with her departure.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

Vella poondu pal alagi / Karuvandu kan alagi

Compares her eyes to black beetles ('Karuvandu kan') and her white teeth to garlic cloves ('Vella poondu pal').

Metaphor

Sell aricha puthagama / Aanenae naanum pulla

Compares his ruined mental state to a termite-eaten book ('Sell aricha puthagama aanenae').

Personification

Gaanam paadum moongil ellaam / Kadhari aluvuthadi…

Attributes human mourning actions to elements of nature like bamboo and flowers crying or wilting in agony.

Irony / Antithesis

Usura kuduppen nu sonnavalae / En usura eduthu ponaalae

Highlights the stark contrast between her promise of devotion and the painful reality of her loss.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Alli poo... / Aavaram poo... / Athi mara...

Repetition of initial vowel sounds ('A') across consecutive lines to create rhythmic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Thaen' (2021), directed by Ganesh Vinayakan, deals with the heartbreaking real-life struggles of remote hill tribe communities lacking official identity documents and access to basic healthcare. Lyricist S. Gnanakaravel heavily incorporated native flora of the Tamil hills—such as Alli (Lily), Aavaram (Tanner's Cassia), Athi (Fig), Karuvelam (Gum Arabic Tree), and Moongil (Bamboo)—to ground the tragic love song authentically in the protagonist's forest habitat.

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