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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Dhol Bhaje

From Deepavali · 2007

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
KK, Shweta Mohan
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Deepavali2007

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Chorus
Kodu va meenu onnu idichuHitting a Koduva fish
Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochuThe ship capsized in the ocean
Adada royapurathu paiyenOh dear, the guy from Royapuram
Pechu moochu ninnu pochuHas lost his speech and breath!
Male
Ava kanna parthaWhen looking into her eyes
Ada kalangara villaku poi aachuAh, the lighthouse turned out to be false
Ava munnae vandhaWhen she came in front of me
Yen karpu ketu poiyachuMy virtue was ruined
Male
Thottu thottu pesiTouching and talking
En thookam kettu pochuMy sleep is ruined
Ava pera thanHer name itself
Udhatila pacha kuthiyachuHas been tattooed on my lips
Female
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Female
Kodu va meenu onnu idichuHitting a Koduva fish
Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochuThe ship capsized in the ocean
Adada royapurathu paiyenOh dear, the guy from Royapuram
Pechu moochu ninnu pochuHas lost his speech and breath!
Chorus
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Chorus
…………………………..[Musical beat]
Female
Kai viral unn viral theduthaeMy hand fingers seek your fingers
Kaal viral kolangal poduthaeMy toe fingers draw patterns on the ground
Male
Nee pesum pothilaeWhile you are speaking
Enthan varthaiyaeMy own words
Ennaku ketpathilaiI cannot hear myself
Nee pesi ponna pinAfter you speak and leave
Yentha varthaiyumNo other words
Kaathil ketpathilaiCan be heard in my ears
Female
Pookal bashai puriyuthaeI now understand the language of flowers
Paravaigal bashai puriyuthaeI understand the language of birds
Unnal nanum urugi ponenaeBecause of you, I have melted away
Hey yei yei yei…aaHey yei yei yei…aa
Chorus
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Chorus
Kodu va meenu onnu idichuHitting a Koduva fish
Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochuThe ship capsized in the ocean
Adada royapurathu paiyenOh dear, the guy from Royapuram
Pechu moochu ninnu pochuHas lost his speech and breath!
Female
Sonthamai unn nizhal thonuthaeYour shadow feels like my own
Ohooo…Ohooo…
Sorgamai unn thunai aanathaeYour companionship has become heaven
Male
Unn kannil padugiraCaught in your eyes
Tholaivil vazhgiraLiving in the distance
Inbam ondru podhumThat single joy is enough
Unn kaalgal pogiraIn the direction your feet travel
Thisaiyai thedi thanSearching for that path
Enthan mansu pogumMy heart goes along
Female
Nenjil unthan nyabaghamYour memory in my heart
Uyiril unthan poomugamYour flower-like face in my soul
Erakum podhum maranthu pogathaeEven in death, it shall not be forgotten
Hey yei yei yei…aaHey yei yei yei…aa
Chorus
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Chorus
Kodu va meenu onnu idichuHitting a Koduva fish
Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochuThe ship capsized in the ocean
Adada royapurathu paiyenOh dear, the guy from Royapuram
Pechu moochu ninnu pochuHas lost his speech and breath!
Male
Ava kanna parthaWhen looking into her eyes
Ada kalangara villaku poi aachuAh, the lighthouse turned out to be false
Ava munnae vandhaWhen she came in front of me
Yen karpu ketu poiyachuMy virtue was ruined
Male
Thottu thottu pesiTouching and talking
En thookam kettu pochuMy sleep is ruined
Ava pera thanHer name itself
Udhatila pacha kuthiyachuHas been tattooed on my lips
Female
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol
Female
Kodu va meenu onnu idichuHitting a Koduva fish
Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochuThe ship capsized in the ocean
Adada royapurathu paiyenOh dear, the guy from Royapuram
Pechu moochu ninnu pochuHas lost his speech and breath!
Chorus
Dhol bhajae dhol bhajaePlay the dhol, play the dhol
Dhol bhajaePlay the dhol
Aasa patta ponnu kidaichaWhen you get the girl you desired
Dhol bhaajaePlay the dhol

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Dhol Bhajae is an exuberant, celebratory track from the movie Deepavali (2007), composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja and penned by Na. Muthukumar. The song captures the euphoric emotional state of a young man from North Chennai (Royapuram) who has won the love of his life. He uses local coastal metaphors—such as a large ship capsizing upon striking a small fish—to express how utterly stunned and overwhelmed he feels by her beauty and affection. The verses transition into deep romantic poetry, illustrating how love alters his perception of reality: he begins to hear the non-verbal language of nature, loses track of all other sounds except her voice, and vows that her image will remain etched in his soul even beyond death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Kodu va meenu onnu idichu / Kadalil kappal kavunthu pochu

The lover compares his sudden emotional loss of control to a giant ship capsizing after colliding with a Koduva fish.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi Ani)

Ava pera than / Udhatila pacha kuthiyachu

Exaggerates the act of repeatedly speaking her name by declaring that her name is permanently tattooed on his lips.

Initial Rhyme (Monai)

Kai viral unn viral theduthae / Kaal viral kolangal poduthae

The starting consonants 'Kai' and 'Kaal' match to create structural harmony in the couplet.

Personification

Pookal bashai puriyuthae / Paravaigal bashai puriyuthae

Attributing human language and secret speech to inanimate flowers and birds.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for the film Deepavali (2007), starring Jayam Ravi and Bhavana. Sung by Vijay Yesudas and Rahul Nambiar, the track combines high-energy folk percussion with romantic melody, showcasing Na. Muthukumar's ability to blend local North Chennai slang with poetic metaphors.

Keep listening

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