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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Chinan Chinnang Kattula

From Thenmerku Paruvakaatru · 2010

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Shankar Mahadevan
Music director
N. R. Raghunanthan
Details
Thenmerku Paruvakaatru2010

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
……………………………Only the face was partially visible,
Male
Moonji moonji therinjathuAh, who has seen her completely?
Ada muzhusa yaaru paathathuShe is a young girl from the Kallar region,
Kalla naattu sirukkithaanSeeing her eyes made me break into a sweat.
Ava kanna kandathum verththathuI wanted to ask her name,
Male
Pera ketkka nenachenMy mind went completely topsy-turvy.
En buththi perandu pochuI wanted to ask her town's name,
Oora ketkka nenachenMy life force dried up.
En usuru vaththi pochuAre you an aspect of an enemy?
Male
Nee pagaiyaali amsamoOr do you belong to a friendly kin lineage?
Illa pangaali vamsamoShedding skin like a new snake,
Puthu paambaagaCome to me as a ray of light!
Oliyaaga vaadiIn this tiny, small forest,
Male
Chinaan chinnaan kaattulaWill my little sunbird get trapped?
En kunnaan kuruvi sikkumaWhat was seen in the washerman's hand,
Vannan karathil paathathuWill it come and stand along my path?
En vazhiyae vanthu nikkumaA fox that preyed on a goat,
Male
Aadu thinnum nariyoWill naturally grab its neck first.
Mudhalil kazhuthai thaanae kavvumOh beauty that consumes my soul,
Aavi thinnum azhagaeYou naturally capture my eyes first!
Mudhalil kannai thaanae kavvumFlapping like a butterfly,
Male
Pattaamboochi adikkumHow can I ever forget those two eyes?
Rendu kannu eppadi marakkumEven if I touch you with the middle of my palm,
Unna nattaangaiyil thottaakkoodaThe fragrance will linger even on the eighth day!
Ettaam naalum manakkumOh Rathi, where did you disappear?
Male
Radhiyae enga tholainjaMy heart aches with every passing second.
Nenju ravaikkellaam vaadhudhadiOh parrot, where did you fly away?
Kiliyae enga parandhaEven my herd of goats is searching for you!
En kedaiyaadum thedudhadiAcross the entire Theni district,
Male
Theni jilla pooraaI searched for you, my maiden.
Unna thedi paarthen vanjiOnce your hair lock gets caught,
Un kudummi chikkina pinnaeI will be the one drinking porridge!
Naan kudipadhu thaandi kanjiHey, in this tiny, small forest,
Male
Hey chinaan chinnaan kaattulaWill my little sunbird get trapped?
En kunnaan kuruvi sikkumaWhat was seen in the washerman's hand,
Vannan karathil paathathuWill it come and stand along my path?
En vazhiyae vanthu nikkumaOnly the face was partially visible,
Male
Moonji moonji therinjathuAh, who has seen her completely?
Ada muzhusa yaaru paathathuShe is a young girl from the Kallar region,
Kalla naattu sirukkithaanSeeing her eyes made me break into a sweat.
Ava kanna kandathum verththathuI wanted to ask her name,
Male
Pera ketkka nenachenMy mind went completely topsy-turvy.
En buththi perandu pochuI wanted to ask her town's name,
Oora ketkka nenachenMy life force dried up.
En usuru vaththi pochuAre you an aspect of an enemy?
Male
Nee pagaiyaali amsamoOr do you belong to a friendly kin lineage?
Illa pangaali vamsamoShedding skin like a new snake,
Puthu paambaagaCome to me as a ray of light!
Oliyaaga vaadi

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Kalla Naattu Sirukkithaan' (often referenced alongside 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru') expresses the intense fascination and yearning of a young man from the rural countryside upon catching a glimpse of an enigmatic village maiden. Captivated by her striking eyes and beauty, he struggles to contain his overwhelming emotion, feeling rendered helpless and breathless whenever he attempts to learn her identity.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ezhukai (Second-letter Rhyming)

Pera ketkka nenachen / Oora ketkka nenachen

The second consonant 'ra' / 'ra' rhymes across adjacent lines ('Pera' and 'Oora'), giving a rhythmic cadence characteristic of classical Tamil folk poetry.

Uvamaani / Metaphor & Imagery

Aadu thinnum nariyo / Mudhalil kazhuthai thaanae kavvum / Aavi thinnum azhagae

Compares the captivating nature of the lover's beauty to a fox seizing a goat by the neck, illustrating how irresistibly it grips his soul.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

Unna nattaangaiyil thottaakkooda / Ettaam naalum manakkum

An exaggerated expression stating that even a brief touch on the palm will leave a sweet fragrance lingering for eight whole days.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru' (2010), directed by Seenu Ramasamy, marked the debut of actor Vijay Sethupathi as a male lead. Lyricist Vairamuthu won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics for his work in this film, which vividly captures the authentic dialect and culture of the Theni region.

Keep listening

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