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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Eechi Elumichi

From Taj Mahal · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Manoj, Arundhathi, Raqueeb Alam
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Taj Mahal1999

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Mayae maayae yaeOh magic, oh magic!
Maayae maayae yoo…(3)Oh magic, oh magic! (x3)
Female
Maayoo maayooyoo yooOh magical one...
Maayoo mayoo maayooyoo yooOh magical one...
Maayoo mayoo maayooyoo yooOh magical one...
Maayoo maayooyoo yooOh magical one...
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Thannikkulla paathavalumThe one who looked at me inside the water,
Neethaan pechiThat goddess Pechi is you!
kaththi rendu vechirukkumCarrying two sharp knives,
Kannae saatchiYour eyes themselves are the proof!
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Thannikkulla paathavalumThe one who looked at me inside the water,
Neethaan pechiThat goddess Pechi is you!
kaththi rendu vechirukkumCarrying two sharp knives,
Kannae saatchiYour eyes themselves are the proof!
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Female
Maya maayo maya mayaoo yooMagic, oh magic, magic, oh magic!
Maya maayoo maya maayoo yooMagic, oh magic, magic, oh magic!
Maya maayo maya mayaoo yooMagic, oh magic, magic, oh magic!
Maya maayoo maya maayoo yooMagic, oh magic, magic, oh magic!
Maayoo ..ooo ooo ooo oooOh magical...
Maayoo ..ooo ooo ooo oooOh magical...
Female
Aagaayam poovaaliThe sky is a flower watering can,
Adhupattukku ozhugaDripping down like silk,
Thuliga thuliga vizhuthaeFalling drop by drop.
Male
Siruthanni tholodumFalling on my shoulders,
Maarodum vizhunthuFalling on my chest,
Thodaatha yedamum thoduthaIt touched untouched places.
Male
Oththa mazhathuliThe place where a single raindrop fell,
Paatha yedamThe place that it saw,
Piththukkuli ivan paakalaiyaeThis crazy guy hasn't even seen!
Female :Poothum arumbu pookkalaiyaeThe flower bud hasn't bloomed yet,
Thotta kadan innum theekkalaiyaeThe debt of a touch isn't cleared yet.
Male
Macha kanni onna kaangalaiyaeHey girl with the beauty mark, I haven't seen you,
Oththa kannu mattum thoongalaiyaeOnly one eye hasn't slept!
Female :Paattu saththam kekkalaiyaeThe sound of a song isn't heard,
Anthi pagal yedhum paakkalaiyaeNeither dusk nor day is noticed.
Male
Manja kezhangaeOh yellow turmeric root,
Onna paathupputtenI have seen you completely,
Manasukkulla pottu poottikittenAnd locked you deep inside my heart!
Female :Nenju kuzhikullaDeep inside the pit of my heart,
VerthupputtenI broke into a sweat,
Kannukkulla onna maattikittenI caught you right inside my eyes!
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Female
Thozhuvodu seraathaEven an untamed bull,
Polikaala koodaThat doesn't enter the pen,
Kodaiya paathu meralumGets scared looking at an umbrella!
Male
Kodakandu meralaadhaThe bull with axe-like horns,
Kodaali kaalaUnfrightened by an umbrella,
Thaavani paaththu meralumGets terrified seeing a half-saree!
Male
Paasi mani rendu kokkayilaWhile stringing two glass beads,
Paavi manasayum koththavalaeYou hooked this sinner's heart!
Neendhi kedandha thannikkullaIn the water where I was swimming,
Nenjil theeyavechu ponavalaeYou set a fire inside my heart and left!
Female
Aaaa…aaa…aaaa…Ah... ah... ah...
Aaaa…aaaa….aaa….Ah... ah... ah...
Male
Thathi nadakkura vaathukoottamThe flock of waddling ducks,
Thannikkulla mutta podumadiLays eggs inside the water.
Vaththu muttaya pola udhattilLike a duck's egg, the word on my lips,
Vandha sollu nenjil mungudhadiSinks down into my heart!
Female
Aaaa…aaa…aaaa…Ah... ah... ah...
Aaaa…aaaa….aaa….Ah... ah... ah...
Male
Kaiyil kaiya vechu azhuthikadiPress your hand into my hand,
Kannil kanna vechu kalandhukkadiBlend your eyes into my eyes,
Nenjil nenja vechu paduthukkadiLay down with your chest against mine,
Neram vandhaa enna uduthikkadiWrap me around you when the right time comes!
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Thannikkulla paathavalumThe one who looked at me inside the water,
Neethaan pechiThat goddess Pechi is you!
kaththi rendu vechirukkumCarrying two sharp knives,
Kannae saatchiYour eyes themselves are the proof!
Male
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Eechi elumichiWild date fruit and lemon,
Aedi karuvaachiHey dark-complexioned girl!
Male
Maayae maayae yoo…(4)Oh magic, oh magic! (x4)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Eechi Elumichi' from the movie Taj Mahal (1999) is a vibrant, rustic Tamil folk-pop romantic song. Set in a rural backdrop, it captures the playful flirtation, passionate yearning, and romantic teasing between two young lovers. The male lead marvels at the girl's captivating beauty, comparing her sharp eyes to knives and her presence to a local village deity (Pechi). The lyrics mix vivid natural imagery—such as rain falling like a silken shower, wild bulls cowed by the sight of a maiden's half-saree, and unexpressed words sinking like duck eggs in water—to convey deep physical attraction and romantic infatuation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Aagaayam poovaali / Adhupattukku ozhuga

Compares the sky to a flower watering-can dripping silken rain drops.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navorchi Ani)

Kodakandu meralaadha / Kodaali kaala / Thaavani paaththu meralum

Exaggerates the maiden's aura by describing how a wild bull with axe-like horns, afraid of nothing else, cowers upon seeing her half-saree.

Paradox / Oxymoron

Neendhi kedandha thannikkulla / Nenjil theeyavechu ponavalae

Creates a poetic paradox of setting a fire inside heart while immersed in swimming water.

Simile (Uvamaani)

Vaththu muttaya pola udhattil / Vandha sollu nenjil mungudhadi

Compares unspoken affection stuck on lips to a duck's egg sinking into water.

Rhyme / Assonance (Ethukai & Monai)

Eechi elumichi / Aedi karuvaachi

Rhythmic folk phrasing with matching internal and line-initial sounds.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Taj Mahal' (1999) featured music composed by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Vairamuthu. The film marked the acting debut of Manoj Bharathiraja, directed by his father, veteran director Bharathiraja. The song showcases Rahman's signature late-90s style of blending authentic Tamil folk vocalizations and slang with modern acoustic production.

Keep listening

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