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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Chinna Vayasula

From Pandavar Bhoomi · 2001

Lyricist
Snehan
Singer
Bharathwaj
Music director
Bharathwaj
Details
Pandavar Bhoomi2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Chinna vayasila odi pudichenIn my childhood, I played catch and tag.
Niththam kabadigal aadi jeyichenEvery day I played kabaddi and won.
Chinna vayasila odi pudichenIn my childhood, I played catch and tag.
Niththam kabadigal aadi jeyichenEvery day I played kabaddi and won.
Male
Kattaan tharaiyellaamEven the hard, dry ground
Kangal simittudhaeIs winking its eyes at me.
Patta maram koodaEven a dried-up dead tree
Paarthu sirikkudhaeIs looking at me and smiling.
Pazhaiya nenavu thirumbudhaeOld memories are returning.
Paavam manasu yengudhaeMy poor heart yearns deeply.
Male
Mannu manakkudhaeThe soil carries a sweet fragrance
Nenju varaikkumDeep inside my heart,
Kannu kalangudhaeMy eyes well up with tears.
Kalli chedikkumEven the cactus plant
Kudukkaa puli maramumAnd the wild tamarind tree
Koththu koththaa kaachirukkuAre bearing fruit in heavy clusters.
Kaadhu kuththi kari samaichaThe day we pierced ears and cooked a meat feast,
Naalum nenavirukkuI still remember that day vividly.
Meendum ilamai thirumbumaaWill youth ever return again?
Udhirndha uravu pookkumaa….Will withered relationships bloom once more?
Male
Nadandhu pazhagiyaThe familiar streets and open fields
Veedhi veli ellaamWhere I once walked and grew up,
Kaadhodu kai kulukkkiAre shaking hands while whispering in my ear,
Nalam kekudhaeAsking how I am doing.
Velanja nelam ellamAll the cultivated fields,
Vayasa marandhudhaanForgetting their age,
Pazhasai marakaamalWithout forgetting the past,
Thalai aatudhaeAre nodding their heads.
Male
Mazhaikku kodai pudichchaThe mango tree that served as an umbrella during rain,
Maamaaramum kaanalaiyaeIs nowhere to be seen anymore.
Vazhukkum varappil ellaamAlong the slippery field ridges,
Odi paaka thiram illaiyaeI no longer have the strength to run and see.
Kaalam kelvi kekudhaeTime poses troubling questions.
Kanneer kannai maraikudhaeTears blur my vision.
Kaalam kelvi kekudhaeTime poses troubling questions.
Kanneer kannai maraikudhaeTears blur my vision.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This nostalgic song captures the deep emotional resonance of returning to one's native village after many years. The protagonist reminisces about childhood games like tag and kabaddi, traditional family functions, and the sweet scent of the native soil. The landscape itself feels alive, greeting the returnee with familiar warmth while highlighting the painful reality of passing time.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification (Uruvagam / Maantharmayam)

Kattaan tharaiyellaam Kangal simittudhae

Inanimate natural elements like the barren ground, dead trees, streets, and fields are given human attributes such as winking, smiling, shaking hands, and nodding.

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Mazhaikku kodai pudichcha Maamaaramum kaanalaiyae

The large mango tree is described metaphorically as holding an umbrella against the rain, highlighting how nature provided shelter during childhood.

Alliteration (Monai)

Kaalam kelvi kekudhae / Kanneer kannai maraikudhae

Repetition of the 'K' sound at the beginning of words creates a rhythmic and melancholic musical cadence.

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Trivia

Composed by Bharadwaj for Cheran's critically acclaimed drama 'Pandavar Bhoomi' (2001), this track features lyricist Snehan's vivid imagery of rural Tamil Nadu. The song remains one of the most iconic anthems for nostalgia and village nostalgia in modern Tamil cinema.

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