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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Azhagaana Pookal

From Anbe Odi Vaa · 1984

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Anbe Odi Vaa1984

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thananaana thaanaa thana naananaa[Rhythmic vocalizations]
Thananaana naa… naa naanaana naa ho ho ho[Rhythmic vocalizations]
Male
Azhagaana pookkal malarndhaadumaeBeautiful flowers blossom and dance
Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumaeIf you come and stand before them, they shut their mouths in silence
Pon maanae senthaenae vandhenaeOh golden deer, oh sweet honey, I have arrived
Un kannil kandenae ennai naanaeIn your eyes, I saw my own reflection
Male
Azhagaana pookkal malarndhaadumaeBeautiful flowers blossom and dance
Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumaeIf you come and stand before them, they shut their mouths in silence
Male
Kaalangalae sollungalaeOh passing times, please speak
Kaadhal oru vedhamLove is a sacred Veda
Vedhangalin saarangalaiThe core essence of all Vedas
Naan paaduven naalumI shall sing every single day
Odai karai pookkal ellam un peraiyae paadumAll the flowers on the bank of the stream will sing your name
Odai karai pookkal ellam in peraiyae paadumAll the flowers on the bank of the stream will sing your name
Nee soodum poovellaam motcham pogumaaDo all the flowers adorned by you attain ultimate salvation?
Jeevan thodum dhevan magal yaar adhu neeyaaWho is this divine maiden who touches the soul—is it you?
Male
Azhagaana pookkal malarndhaadumaeBeautiful flowers blossom and dance
Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumaeIf you come and stand before them, they shut their mouths in silence
Male
Laalaa lalaa lalaa lalaa[Vocalizing melodic notes]
aalaa lalaa lalaa lalaalaL[Vocalizing melodic notes]
Laala laa laa laa laa haa haa…[Vocalizing melodic notes]
Male
Megangalil oonjal kattiTie a swing among the clouds
Aadi vidu thozhiAnd swing away, my beloved friend
Aagaayathil poo pookkattumLet flowers blossom up in the sky
Aanai idu dheviGive the command, my goddess
Maunangalae un baashaiyaaIs silence your true language?
Thaangaadhadi aaviMy soul can bear this silence no longer
Naan paadum gaanangal kaadhil ketkumaaWill the melodies I sing reach your ears?
Naan paadum gaanangal kaadhil ketkumaaWill the melodies I sing reach your ears?
Kaadhal tharum kaaman magal yaar adhu neeyaaWho is this daughter of Kamadeva who bestows love—is it you?
Male
Azhagaana pookkal malarndhaadumaeBeautiful flowers blossom and dance
Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumaeIf you come and stand before them, they shut their mouths in silence
Pon maanae senthaenae vandhenaeOh golden deer, oh sweet honey, I have arrived
Un kannil kandenae ennai naanaeIn your eyes, I saw my own reflection
Male
Azhagaana pookkal malarndhaadumaeBeautiful flowers blossom and dance
Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumae haa haa haaIf you come and stand before them, they shut their mouths in silence, ha ha ha

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song is a poetic expression of adoration and romantic enchantment. The protagonist praises the heroine's extraordinary beauty, claiming that even the finest flowers in full bloom become muted and humbled in her presence. He compares love to a sacred Veda and sees her as a heavenly maiden capable of bringing nature itself under her spell—whether by making flowers bloom in the sky or granting salvation to the blossoms she wears. In the second half, the lover urges her to swing amongst the clouds and give voice to her feelings, expressing how her silence stirs his spirit. The lyricist Vaali uses rich metaphors linking divine beings, celestial elements, and natural beauty to elevate romantic devotion to a spiritual level.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uruvagamm (Metaphor)

Pon maanae senthaenae vandhenae

Comparing love directly to a holy scripture ('Kaadhal oru vedham') and the beloved to golden deer and sweet honey ('Pon maanae senthaenae').

Uyarvu Navirtchi Ani (Hyperbole)

Nee vandhu nindraal vaai moodumae

Exaggerating her beauty by claiming that real flowers shut their mouths in awe when she arrives, and that she can command flowers to bloom in the sky.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Un kannil kandenae ennai naanae

Matching end sounds in lines like 'vandhenae' and 'naanae' to create a melodious rhythmic cadence.

Personification

Odai karai pookkal ellam un peraiyae paadum

Attributing human actions like singing a person's name to stream-side flowers ('Odai karai pookkal ellam un peraiyae paadum').

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Anbe Odi Vaa' (1984) starred Mohan and Urvashi. Vaali wrote several romantic songs for Mohan during the 1980s that relied heavily on nature imagery and hyperbole to match Mohan's popular screen persona as a romantic lead.

Keep listening

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