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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Enge Irundhai

From Thenavattu · 2008

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singer
Harish Raghavendra
Music director
Srikanth Deva
Details
Thenavattu2008

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Enge irunthaai enge irunthaaiWhere were you? Where were you?
Eppadi neeyum ennul vanthaaiHow did you enter within me?
Kannil vizhundhaai nenjil nuzhainthaaiYou fell into my eyes and entered my heart,
Naan vaazha neeyae artham thanthaaiYou gave me a reason to live.
Male
Unai paarkum munbu naan kagithathin venmayadiBefore I saw you, I was the whiteness of blank paper, my dear,
Unai paartha pinbu naan vanavillin vannamadiAfter I saw you, I became the vibrant colors of a rainbow, my dear.
Tholil saayum pothu thozhi neeyadiWhen leaning on my shoulder, you are my friend, my dear,
Madiyil saayum pothu thaayum neeyadiWhen resting on my lap, you are my mother, my dear.
Male
Enge irunthaai enge irunthaaiWhere were you? Where were you?
Eppadi neeyum ennul vanthaaiHow did you enter within me?
Kannil vizhundhaai nenjil nuzhainthaaiYou fell into my eyes and entered my heart,
Naan vaazha neeyae artham thanthaaiYou gave me a reason to live.
Female
…………………………………..
Male
………………………………………
Male
En veetu thottathil pookindra poovellamAll the flowers blooming in my home garden,
Parikathan aalindri sediyil uthirumadiUsed to fall off the plant without anyone to pluck them, my dear.
Unnai naan paarthavudan unnakaga aasaiyudanAs soon as I saw you, filled with desire for you,
Kai viralgal ketkaamal parithida poguthadiMy fingers pluck them without even asking me, my dear.
Male
En idhayam muzhuthum vithaiyai vizhundhaiYou fell like a seed across my whole heart,
Verum vithai endru vittu vittu sendraaiYou left thinking it was just a simple seed,
Viruchathai polae nee valarnthu nindraiYet you grew and stood tall like a mighty tree.
Tholil saayum pothu thozhi neeyadiWhen leaning on my shoulder, you are my friend, my dear,
Madiyil saayum pothu thaayum neeyadiWhen resting on my lap, you are my mother, my dear.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This soulful love ballad from the movie 'Thenavattu' expresses the protagonist's deep realization of love and how his beloved has transformed his life. He reflects on his past as an empty, monochrome existence (like white paper) which gained vivid colors (like a rainbow) only after her arrival. She fills multiple roles in his life, offering comfort as a friend and warmth as a mother figure.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Unai paarkum munbu naan kagithathin venmayadi / Unai paartha pinbu naan vanavillin vannamadi

The speaker directly compares his prior existence to blank white paper and his current state to a colorful rainbow, metaphorically describing emotional transformation.

Simile (Uvamai Ani)

Viruchathai polae nee valarnthu nindrai

The lover's presence in his heart is compared to a grand tree using the explicit comparative marker 'polae' (like).

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Kannil vizhundhaai nenjil nuzhainthaai

The second consonant sound 'nn' (ண்ணி/ன்னி) and 'nj' (ஞ்சி) forms internal rhythmic harmony across the phrase structure.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Tholil saayum pothu thozhi neeyadi / Madiyil saayum pothu thaayum neeyadi

Both lines end with the rhyming suffix 'neeyadi', creating a melodic repetition typical of Tamil lyrics.

Did you know?

Trivia

The soundtrack for 'Thenavattu' (2008) was composed by Srikanth Deva. The heartfelt lyrics were penned by late legendary lyricist Na. Muthu Kumar, who was widely celebrated for his evocative romantic metaphors.

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