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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Endhan Nenjil

From Alli Arjuna · 2001

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. Janaki, Srinivas
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Alli Arjuna2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Endhan nenjilIn my heart
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Un ennamFemale: Your thoughts reside
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Neeyum naanumFemale: You and I
Ondraanom verillaiyaeHave become one, there is no separation
Female
Endhan nenjilIn my heart
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Un ennamFemale: Your thoughts reside
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Neeyum naanumFemale: You and I
Ondraanom verillaiyaeHave become one, there is no separation
Male
Oh unnai moodi maraithaaiOh, you covered and hid yourself
Poovin pinnaal olindhaaiYou hid behind a flower
Kaadhal unnai udaithappodhuWhen love broke open within you
Vaai vedithaaiYour lips burst open
Unmai nee uraithaaiYou spoke the truth
Female
Endhan nenjilIn my heart
Un ennam unnai yennilYour thoughts... within me, you
Male :VidhaithaaiMale: Planted like a seed
Female :Uyirai oottriFemale: Pouring life as water
Male :ValarthaaiMale: You nurtured and grew it
Female :Orae pulliyil nam ullamFemale: At a single point, our hearts
Poo pooththadhaeBloomed like flowers
Male :Kaadhal thaen vaarthadhaeMale: Love poured forth like honey
Female
Medai pottu cholvadhallaIt is not something to declare from a stage
Pennin kaadhal enbadhuA woman's love
Jaadai sollum vizhiyin asaivilIn the subtle gesture of expressive eyes
Sarvamozhiyum ulladhuAll languages exist
Male
Oh iru vizhi asaivilaeOh, in the movement of those two eyes
Idhayam thalandru ponadhuMy heart grew weary and faint
Innoru paarvaiyilWith just one more look
Idhayam enna aavadhuWhat will happen to my heart?
Female
Ada nenjil ezhundhaAh, the feeling of love
Kaadhal yennamThat arose in the heart
Velliya solla mudiyumaaCan it ever be expressed in words outside?
Tharaiyil vizhundhuFalling upon the ground
Nizhalgal yennaDo shadows ever
Satham pottu kadharumaaCry out loudly in pain?
Male
Oh nila padagilOh, on the moonlit boat
Neeyum naanumYou and I
Ulaa povom vaadi vaaShall go for a stroll, come girl!
Female
Unnai yennilYou in me
Ah unnai yennil vidhaithaaiAh, you planted yourself within me
Uyirai oottri valarthaaiPoured life into it and nurtured it
Male
Oh unnai moodi maraithaaiOh, you covered and hid yourself
Poovin pinnaal olindhaaiYou hid behind a flower
Kaadhal unnai udaithappodhuWhen love broke open within you
Vaai vedithaaiYour lips burst open
Unmai nee uraithaaiYou spoke the truth
Chorus
Endhan nenjil un ennamIn my heart, your thoughts reside
Neeyum naanum ondraanom verillaiyaeYou and I have become one, there is no separation
Female
Endhan nenjil un ennamIn my heart, your thoughts reside
Female :Endhan nenjilFemale: In my heart
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Un ennamFemale: Your thoughts reside
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Neeyum naanumFemale: You and I
Ondraanom verillaiyaeHave become one, there is no separation
Male
Hoo… ho irandu siragu irundha podhumHoo... Oh, even though there are two wings
Parakkum vaanam ondrudhaanThe sky they fly in is only one
Irandu idhayam modhum bodhumWhen two hearts collide
Irukkum kaadhal ondrudhaanThe love that exists is only one
Female
Ovvoru mozhiyilumIn every language
Veru veru vaarthaidhaanThere are different words
Vaarthaigal maaralaamWords may change
Pookkal endrum pookkal dhaanBut flowers are always flowers
Male
Oh kaalam maarumOh, times will change
Nilangal maarumLands will change
Kaadhal endrum kaadhaldhaanBut love will always remain love
Kangal izhandhaal kaadhal theriyumLove is realized when eyes are closed
Kandukkondadhum indrudhaanAnd it was realized today
Female
Muththam pottaalIf a kiss is placed
Mottham azhiyumIt disappears completely
Vekkam ennum kodudhaanThat line called bashfulness
Male
Undhan moochil en swaasamIn your breath, my breath
Kalandhu ulavum neramdhaanIs the moment it mingles and drifts
Chorus
Endhan nenjil un yennamIn my heart, your thoughts reside
Neeyum naanum ondraanom verillaiyaeYou and I have become one, there is no separation
Female
Endhan nenjilIn my heart
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Un yennamFemale: Your thoughts reside
Chorus :PaahimaamChorus: Protect me / Save me
Female :Neeyum naanumFemale: You and I
Ondraanom verillaiyaeHave become one, there is no separation

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Endhan Nenjil' expresses a deep, spiritual, and romantic union between two lovers. It highlights how love transcends outward expressions, spoken words, and physical barriers. The couple reflects on how their emotional connection was seeded silently and blossomed into an inseparable oneness, protected by divine grace (evoked by the chant 'Paahimaam'). In the later stanzas, the lyrics explore philosophical reflections on love's timeless nature. Just as wings share a single sky and different languages refer to the same flower, love remains constant despite changing times, places, and words. The intimacy peaks as bashfulness vanishes in a kiss and their breaths merge into one unified existence.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Unnai yennil vidhaithaai / Uyirai oottri valarthaai

Compares planting feelings in one's heart to sowing a seed and nurturing it with life as water.

Analogy

Irandu siragu irundha podhum / Parakkum vaanam ondrudhaan

Uses the image of two wings sharing a single sky to describe two individuals sharing one love.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Irandu idhayam modhum bodhum / Irukkum kaadhal ondrudhaan

The second consonant 'ra' matches across 'Irandu' and 'Irukkum', creating Tamil Ethugai rhyme.

Rhetorical Question

Tharaiyil vizhundhu / Nizhalgal yenna / Satham pottu kadharumaa

Asks whether falling shadows make noise, poetically emphasizing that deep inner heartache and love are silent.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Endhan Nenjil' features in the 2001 Tamil romantic drama film 'Alli Arjuna', directed by K. S. Adhiyaman starring Manoj Bharathiraja and Richa Pallod. The soundtrack was composed by Academy Award-winner A. R. Rahman, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The song incorporates the Sanskrit invocation 'Paahimaam' (meaning 'Protect/Save me') in the chorus background.

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