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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Anjali Anjali

From Duet · 1994

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Duet1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Female
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Lalalaalala[Vocalizing] Lalalaalala
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Lalalaalala[Vocalizing] Lalalaalala
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Female
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Laalalaa laalalaa[Vocalizing] Laalalaa laalalaa
Laalaalalaalaa…[Vocalizing] Laalaalalaalaa…
Female
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Lalalaalala[Vocalizing] Lalalaalala
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Lalalaalala[Vocalizing] Lalalaalala
Lala lalla lal la laa[Vocalizing] Lala lalla lal la laa
Male
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Male
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Male
Kaadhal vandhu theendum varaiUntil love touched us,
Iruvarum thani thaniWe both were alone and separate.
Kaadhalin pon sangiliThe golden chain of love
Inaithadhu kanmaniBound us together, my darling.
Male
Kadalilae mazhaiveezhndhapinOnce the raindrop falls into the ocean,
Endha thuli mazhai thuliWhich drop is the raindrop anymore?
Kaadhalil adhupola naanIn love, just like that,
Kalandhitten kaadhaliI have blended with you, my beloved.
Male
Thirumagal thiruppaadhamThe holy feet of the Goddess of Fortune,
PidithuvittenI have held on to them.
Dhinamoru pudhuppaadalA brand new song every day,
PadiththuvittenI have learned to sing.
Anjali anjali ennuyir kaadhaliAnjali, Anjali, my soul's love!
Male
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Male
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Female
Hmm ahaa[Humming] Hmm ahaa
Hmm ..mmm…mm…[Humming] Hmm ..mmm…mm…
Aaa…aa….aaa…aaa..[Vocalizing] Aaa…aa….aaa…aaa..
Haaa.aaa..aaaaa…[Vocalizing] Haaa.aaa..aaaaa…
Aaaa…aaa…aaa…aa..[Vocalizing] Aaaa…aaa…aaa…aa..
Female
Seedhaiyin kaadhal andruSita's love back then
Vizhi vazhi nuzhaindhadhuEntered through her eyes.
Kodhaiyin kaadhal indruKodhai's (Andal's) love today
Sevi vazhi pugundhadhuEntered through her ears.
Female
Ennavo en nenjilaeI know not what happened, but in my heart,
Isai vandhu thulaithadhuMusic came and pierced through.
Isai vandha paadhai vazhiAlong the pathway opened by music,
Thamizh mella nuzhaindhadhuTamil language gently entered.
Female
Isai vandha dhisai paarthuLooking towards the direction music came from,
Manam kuzhaindhenMy heart softened.
Thamizh vandha dhisai paarthuLooking towards the direction Tamil came from,
Uyir kasindhenMy soul wept with delight.
Anjali anjali ival kalaikkaadhali…Anjali, Anjali, she is the lover of art...
Female
Anbae un anbukku pushpaanjaliO beloved, an offering of flowers to your love!
Nanba un karuthukku nadanaanjaliO friend, an offering of dance to your thought!
Kanna un isai vaazha geethaanjaliO sweet one, an offering of songs for your music to thrive!
Kaviyae un thamizh vaazha kavithaanjaliO poet, an offering of poetry for your Tamil to thrive!
Male
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Male
Azhagiyae unai polavaeO beautiful one, like you,
Adhisayam illaiyaeThere is no wonder in this world.
Anjali perai chonnenThe moment I uttered the name Anjali,
Avizhndhadhu mullaiyaeThe jasmine flower blossomed.
Male
Kaarthigai maadham ponaalOnce the month of Kaarthigai passes,
Kadum mazhai illaiyaeThere is no heavy rain.
Kanmani neeyillaiyelMy sweet child, if you are not there,
Kavidhaigal illaiyaeThere is no poetry.
Male
Neeyenna nilavoduWere you born along with the moon,
Pirandhavalaa..Or were you formed as a fetus inside a flower and grown?
Poovukkul karuvaagiAnjali, Anjali, my soul's love!
Valarndhavalaa…O flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Anjali anjali ennuyir kaadhali…O golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Male
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjaliAnjali, Anjali, offering of flowers...
Male
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliO flower, an offering of flowers at your feet!
Anjali anjali pushpaanjaliO golden one, an offering of gold to your name!
Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjaliO darling, an offering of songs to your voice!
Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjaliAn offering of poetry to unseen beauty!
Kannae un kuralukku geethaanjali
Kan kaanaa azhagirkku kavithaanjali

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Anjali Anjali Pushpaanjali is a soul-stirring romantic hymn from K. Balachander's 1994 film Duet, composed by A. R. Rahman and written by Vairamuthu. The song centers around poetic devotion and praise towards a loved one, drawing parallels between romantic devotion and spiritual worship ('anjali'). The protagonist offers flowers to her feet, gold to her name, music to her voice, and poetry to her ethereal beauty. The lyrics brilliantly contrast traditional love at first sight with love born through music and intellect. It evokes rich imagery, comparing the union of lovers to rain merging indistinguishably into the vast ocean, and comparing love entering through the ears to Andal's divine love for Lord Vishnu.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Emoni / Ezhuthu Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Poovae un paadhathil pushpaanjali / Ponnae un peyarukku ponnaanjali

The repeating starting sounds in consecutive word endings or line starts created harmony, such as 'Poovae' / 'Ponnae' and 'Kaadhal' / 'Kadalilae'.

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Kadalilae mazhaiveezhndhapin / Endha thuli mazhai thuli

Comparing the union of two lovers to a raindrop merging completely into the ocean.

Allusion (Tholkappiya / Puranic Mythological Reference)

Seedhaiyin kaadhal andru vizhi vazhi nuzhaindhadhu / Kodhaiyin kaadhal indru sevi vazhi pugundhadhu

Contrasting Sita's love (sighted love) with Kodhai's (Andal's) love through hearing divine music.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although the song features saxophone renditions by Kadri Gopalnath, A.R. Rahman composed this masterpiece using a fusion of Western orchestral arrangements and Indian classical ragas (mainly Maand). Kadri Gopalnath's sax interludes became iconic and established a benchmark for instrumental film music in Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

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