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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Amma Endralle

From Nandha · 2001

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Nandha2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Haaaa….aaaaaa…..Haaaa….aaaaaa…..
Haaaa….aaaaaa…..Haaaa….aaaaaa…..
Haaaa….aaa aaa…..Haaaa….aaa aaa…..
Male
Amma endraalaeIf someone calls out Mother
Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaathoCan you not even hear it?
Aaroo aarirooA lullaby tune
Athai paadavum unnaal mudiyaathoCan you not even sing it?
Male
Yaaro yaar yaaroLike complete strangers
Endrae thaayum seiyum iruppaaro..oo…Will a mother and her child remain like this?
Vidaiyae illaamalWithout any answers
Intha jenmam muzhuthum vaalvaaroWill they live their entire life like this?
Male
Amma endraalaeIf someone calls out Mother
Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaathoCan you not even hear it?
Male
Dheivamum neeyumBoth God and you
Unnmaigal pesaaAre you both mute beings
Oomaigalthaano sol unn vaalvilWho do not speak the truth? Tell me, in your life
Nee konda sogamThe sorrow you bore
Nee konda mounamThe silence you maintained
Theernthidum naal varumaeA day will come when it all ends
Male
Antho unn thalai melaeAlas, right over your head
Peridipolae kaalanum vanthaanaeDeath arrived like a massive thunderbolt
Antha kaalanin perai ketkirapodhoWhen hearing the name of that God of Death
Unn magan perthaanaeIt is none other than your son's name
Male
Amma endraalaeIf someone calls out Mother
Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaathoCan you not even hear it?
Chorus
Haaa…aaaa…aaaa……Haaa…aaaa…aaaa……
Aaaa….Aaaa….
Haaa…aaaa…aaaa……Haaa…aaaa…aaaa……
Aaaa….Aaaa….
Male
Sei kural kettaalIf she hears her child's voice
Thaai uyiroduDeep inside the mother's soul
Or vali yerpadumae thaalaattaA pain arises prompting her to sing a lullaby
Annai illaatha pillaigal kannilIn the eyes of motherless children
Yaarum illaa verumaiThere is an emptiness with no one to call their own
Male
Mannil nun uyirkoodaOn this earth, even tiny organisms
Thannuyir thanthaThat gave life to their offspring
Thaay uyir thedaathaa….Would they not search for their mother's spirit?
Amma unn madiyoduMother, upon your lap
En thalai saainthaalIf my head comes to rest
Maaivathil or sugamaeThere is sweet pleasure even in perishing
Male
Amma endraalaeIf someone calls out Mother
Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaathoCan you not even hear it?
Aaroo aarirooA lullaby tune
Athai paadavum unnaal mudiyaathoCan you not even sing it?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Amma Endraale from the movie Nandha (2001) is a heart-wrenching song that captures the deep anguish and yearning of a son seeking acceptance and love from his estranged mother. The lyrics convey the tragedy of a broken maternal bond, asking why a mother remains silent to her child's distress when even the smallest creatures in nature harbor maternal affection. It reflects the tragic irony of the protagonist's life, where his very presence brings painful memories of death to his mother, yet resting his head on her lap remains his ultimate desire for solace.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vinah)

Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaatho

Repeatedly asking 'Athai ketkavum unnaal aagaatho' (Can you not even hear it?) to highlight emotional grief and disbelief at the mother's cold silence.

Simile (Uwamai)

Peridipolae kaalanum vanthaanae

'Peridipolae' compares the sudden, terrifying arrival of fate/death to a massive bolt of thunder.

Anaphora / Parallelism

Nee konda sogam / Nee konda mounam

Repetition of 'Nee konda' at the beginning of consecutive lines emphasizes the heavy burdens of sorrow and silence carried by the mother.

Metaphor

Dheivamum neeyum ... Oomaigalthaano

Comparing the unresponsive God and mother to 'Oomaigal' (mute beings) who refrain from speaking the truth.

Did you know?

Trivia

This deeply emotional track from Director Bala's 'Nandha' (2001) was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and written by veteran lyricist Pulamaipithan. Notably, the song was sung by Yuvan's father, maestro Ilaiyaraaja, whose soulful voice elevated the tragic theme of maternal alienation central to the film.

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