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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Anbe Anbe

From Ullam Kollai Poguthae · 2001

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Unnikrishnan
Music director
Karthik Raja
Details
Ullam Kollai Poguthae2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Kaadhal oru paritchai thaanaeLove is indeed an examination
Ezhudhidavae naanum vandhenI too came to write it
Innoruvar perilthaanaeIn someone else's name
Thervezhuthi sendrenaeI wrote the exam and left
Rayil payanam thaanae kaadhalLove is indeed a train journey
Naanum adhil payanam seidhenI too traveled on it
Iranga cholli kaadhal ketkaWhen love asked me to step down
Naan irangi sendrenaeI stepped down and left
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Siluvai sumanthaanaeHe carried the cross
Avan indha kaadhalil vizhundhirunthaalIf he had fallen in this love
Siluvai valiyendruThat the cross was painful
Vaarthayil vaai vazhi solvaanaWould he have spoken through his mouth in words?
Male
Idhayam orunaalOne day the heart
Irandaaga odaiyumWill break into two
Andru vandu paarCome and see on that day
Un bimbam theriyumYour reflection will be visible
Kanneerilae kadal seidhu vaithenI created an ocean out of tears
Nee vanduthaan neeraadi pooYou just come, bathe in it, and go
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Mullaai nee vandhaalIf you come as a thorn
Kangalai thiranthu kaathiruppenI will keep my eyes open and wait
Theeyaai nee vandhaalIf you come as fire
Ennaiyum thiriyaai naan tharuvenI will offer myself as the wick
Male
Konjam konjamaaiLittle by little
Yen ennai kondraaiWhy did you kill me?
Karunai kolaithaanA mercy killing
Seiyaamal sendraaiYou left without performing
Malarmaalaiyaai maaridavae ninaithenI thought of turning into a wedding flower garland
Malarvalayamaai naan maarinenI turned into a funeral wreath instead
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Kaadhal oru paritchai thaanaeLove is indeed an examination
Ezhudhidavae naanum vandhenI too came to write it
Innoruvar perilthaanaeIn someone else's name
Thervezhuthi sendrenaeI wrote the exam and left
Rayil payanam thaanae kaadhalLove is indeed a train journey
Naanum adhil payanam seidhenI too traveled on it
Iranga cholli kaadhal ketkaWhen love asked me to step down
Naan irangi sendrenaeI stepped down and left
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?
Male
Anbae anbaeMy beloved, my beloved
En kannae neethaanaeAre you not my eyes?
Moochu kaatraai naan vandhuI entered like the breath of air
Veliyae sendren sarithaanaeAnd went out, is that right?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song expresses the deep heartache and selfless sacrifice of a lover. The protagonist feels like a fleeting breath in their beloved's life, or like someone who wrote an exam for someone else's benefit and quietly departed. Love is described as a journey where the protagonist willingly steps off when asked, sacrificing their own happiness for the sake of the other person. Through intense visual metaphors—such as turning into a funeral wreath instead of a garland, offering oneself as a wick to fire, and creating an ocean of tears—the lyrics capture the tragic essence of unrequited love and silent suffering.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Moochu kaatraai naan vandhu / Veliyae sendren sarithaanae

Comparing oneself to breath entering and leaving the body, symbolizing a momentary, life-giving, yet fleeting presence.

Analogy (Upamai)

Kaadhal oru paritchai thaanae... / Rayil payanam thaanae kaadhal

Comparing love to an examination written under someone else's name and to a train journey where one must disembark.

Contrast / Irony (Muran)

Malarmaalaiyaai maaridavae ninaithen / Malarvalayamaai naan maarinen

Contrasting the hope of becoming a festive flower garland (Malarmaalai) with the tragic reality of becoming a funeral wreath (Malarvalayam).

Self-Sacrificial Imagery

Theeyaai nee vandhaal / Ennaiyum thiriyaai naan tharuven

Offering oneself as a wick to burn in the fire brought by the beloved.

Did you know?

Trivia

The soundtrack for 'Ullam Kollai Poguthae' (2001), starring Prabhu Deva and Anjala Zaveri, was composed by Karthik Raja, the eldest son of Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics written by Pa. Vijay highlight the theme of noble sacrifice, which aligns closely with the movie's plot.

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