Enge Irunthai Isaiye
From Ajantha · 2012
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singers
- K. J. Yesudas, Manjari
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Ajantha2012
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Engae irundhaai isaiyae… | Where were you, oh music? |
| Male | |
| Engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Uyirilaa unarvilaa manadhilaa madhiyilaa | Is it in life, in feeling, in the mind, or in the intellect? |
| Idhil edhuvo naanum ariyaen | I do not know which of these it is. |
| Aanaal enakkul irukkiraai | But you exist within me. |
| Engirundho enakkul | From somewhere inside me, |
| Allida kuraiyaa ootraai surakkiraai | You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream. |
| Male | |
| Engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Male | |
| Kaatril kalappadhaal | Because you blend into the wind, |
| Nee kaatrin vadivamaa sol | Tell me, are you the form of the wind? |
| Oliyaai udhippadhaal | Because you arise as sound, |
| Nee oliyin uruvamaa sol | Tell me, are you the shape of sound? |
| Uruvam yaedhum illaamal | Without having any physical form, |
| Ulagai eerppaayae | You attract the whole world. |
| Ulagin uyirgal unnidathil | All living beings in the world, |
| Ullam izhappaarae | Rest their hearts in you. |
| Male | |
| Isaiyil mayangaa uyir yaedhu | Which living soul is not entranced by music? |
| Mazhaiyil vilaiyaa payir yaedhu | Which crop does not flourish in rain? |
| Idhu unakkum enakkum | Between you and me, |
| Poorva jenma bandham thaan | This is truly a bond from a past life. |
| Male | |
| Engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Female | |
| Ethanai oorgalil | In how many towns, |
| Naam inaindhu paadi chendrom | Have we joined together and sung? |
| Ethanai sevigalil | In how many ears, |
| Thaen virundhu padaithu chendrom | Have we served a feast of honey? |
| Paadhai illaa oorukkellaam | To all the towns without a path, |
| Paattaal vazhi pottom | We carved a way through our song. |
| Vaedhanai namakkul irundhaalum | Though pain existed within us, |
| Paattaal thuyar theerthom | We alleviated our sorrow through song. |
| Female | |
| Isaiyai arindhida vizhi edharkku | Why do we need eyes to recognize music? |
| Inam thaan kandida sevi irukku | There are ears to identify its true kind. |
| Ingu paadum paadal | Will not this song sung here, |
| Pazhaiya ninaivai kooraadho | Speak of old memories? |
| Female | |
| Engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Male | |
| Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae | Where were you, oh music? |
| Female | |
| Uyirilaa unarvilaa | Is it in life, or in feeling? |
| Male | |
| Manadhilaa madhiyilaa | Is it in the mind, or in the intellect? |
| Female | |
| Idhil edhuvo naanum ariyaen | I do not know which of these it is. |
| Aanaal enakkul irukkiraai | But you exist within me. |
| Male | |
| Engirundho enakkul | From somewhere inside me, |
| Allida kuraiyaa ootraai surakkiraai | You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream. |
| Male | |
| Nee engae irundhaai… | Where were you... |
எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே.......
Where were you, oh music?
எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
நீ எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
உயிரிலா உணர்விலா மனதிலா மதியிலா
இதில் எதுவோ நானும் அறியேன்
ஆனால் எனக்குள் இருக்கிறாய்
எங்கிருந்தோ எனக்குள்
அள்ளிடக் குறையா ஊற்றாய் சுரக்கிறாய்
Where were you, oh music?
Where were you, oh music?
Is it in life, in feeling, in the mind, or in the intellect?
I do not know which of these it is.
But you exist within me.
From somewhere inside me,
You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream.
எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
Where were you, oh music?
காற்றில் கலப்பதால்
நீ காற்றின் வடிவமா சொல்
ஒலியாய் உதிப்பதால்
நீ ஒலியின் உருவமா சொல்
உருவம் ஏதும் இல்லாமல்
உலகை ஈர்ப்பாயே
உலகின் உயிர்கள் உன்னிடத்தில்
உள்ளம் இழப்பாரே
Because you blend into the wind,
Tell me, are you the form of the wind?
Because you arise as sound,
Tell me, are you the shape of sound?
Without having any physical form,
You attract the whole world.
All living beings in the world,
Rest their hearts in you.
இசையில் மயங்கா உயிர் ஏது
மழையில் விளையா பயிர் ஏது
இது உனக்கும் எனக்கும்
பூர்வ ஜென்ம பந்தம் தான்
Which living soul is not entranced by music?
Which crop does not flourish in rain?
Between you and me,
This is truly a bond from a past life.
எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
நீ எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
Where were you, oh music?
Where were you, oh music?
எத்தனை ஊர்களில்
நாம் இணைந்து பாடிச் சென்றோம்
எத்தனை செவிகளில்
தேன் விருந்து படைத்துச் சென்றோம்
பாதை இல்லா ஊருக்கெல்லாம்
பாட்டால் வழி போட்டோம்
வேதனை நமக்குள் இருந்தாலும்
பாட்டால் துயர் தீர்த்தோம்
In how many towns,
Have we joined together and sung?
In how many ears,
Have we served a feast of honey?
To all the towns without a path,
We carved a way through our song.
Though pain existed within us,
We alleviated our sorrow through song.
இசையை அறிந்திட விழி எதற்கு
இனம்தான் கண்டிட செவி இருக்கு
இங்கு பாடும் பாடல்
பழையை நினைவைக் கூறாதோ
Why do we need eyes to recognize music?
There are ears to identify its true kind.
Will not this song sung here,
Speak of old memories?
எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
Where were you, oh music?
நீ எங்கே இருந்தாய் இசையே
Where were you, oh music?
உயிரிலா உணர்விலா
Is it in life, or in feeling?
மனதிலா மதியிலா
Is it in the mind, or in the intellect?
இதில் எதுவோ நானும் அறியேன்
ஆனால் எனக்குள் இருக்கிறாய்
I do not know which of these it is.
But you exist within me.
எங்கிருந்தோ எனக்குள்
அள்ளிடக் குறையா
ஊற்றாய் சுரக்கிறாய்
From somewhere inside me,
You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream.
எங்கே இருந்தாய்...
Where were you...
நீ எங்கே இருந்தாய்...
Engae irundhaai isaiyae…
Where were you, oh music?
Engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Uyirilaa unarvilaa manadhilaa madhiyilaa
Is it in life, in feeling, in the mind, or in the intellect?
Idhil edhuvo naanum ariyaen
I do not know which of these it is.
Aanaal enakkul irukkiraai
But you exist within me.
Engirundho enakkul
From somewhere inside me,
Allida kuraiyaa ootraai surakkiraai
You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream.
Engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Kaatril kalappadhaal
Because you blend into the wind,
Nee kaatrin vadivamaa sol
Tell me, are you the form of the wind?
Oliyaai udhippadhaal
Because you arise as sound,
Nee oliyin uruvamaa sol
Tell me, are you the shape of sound?
Uruvam yaedhum illaamal
Without having any physical form,
Ulagai eerppaayae
You attract the whole world.
Ulagin uyirgal unnidathil
All living beings in the world,
Ullam izhappaarae
Rest their hearts in you.
Isaiyil mayangaa uyir yaedhu
Which living soul is not entranced by music?
Mazhaiyil vilaiyaa payir yaedhu
Which crop does not flourish in rain?
Idhu unakkum enakkum
Between you and me,
Poorva jenma bandham thaan
This is truly a bond from a past life.
Engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Ethanai oorgalil
In how many towns,
Naam inaindhu paadi chendrom
Have we joined together and sung?
Ethanai sevigalil
In how many ears,
Thaen virundhu padaithu chendrom
Have we served a feast of honey?
Paadhai illaa oorukkellaam
To all the towns without a path,
Paattaal vazhi pottom
We carved a way through our song.
Vaedhanai namakkul irundhaalum
Though pain existed within us,
Paattaal thuyar theerthom
We alleviated our sorrow through song.
Isaiyai arindhida vizhi edharkku
Why do we need eyes to recognize music?
Inam thaan kandida sevi irukku
There are ears to identify its true kind.
Ingu paadum paadal
Will not this song sung here,
Pazhaiya ninaivai kooraadho
Speak of old memories?
Engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Nee engae irundhaai isaiyae
Where were you, oh music?
Uyirilaa unarvilaa
Is it in life, or in feeling?
Manadhilaa madhiyilaa
Is it in the mind, or in the intellect?
Idhil edhuvo naanum ariyaen
I do not know which of these it is.
Aanaal enakkul irukkiraai
But you exist within me.
Engirundho enakkul
From somewhere inside me,
Allida kuraiyaa ootraai surakkiraai
You spring forth like an inexhaustible stream.
Nee engae irundhaai…
Where were you...
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This soulful song is a poetic homage to music, celebrating its intangible, ubiquitous, and divine nature. The singer ponders where music originates—whether in the soul, emotions, mind, or intellect—and concludes that regardless of its source, music flows endlessly from within like a spring. Music is depicted as an elemental force that blends with the wind, possesses no physical body, yet captivates all living beings.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Ethugai (Rhyming second letter)
“Kaatril kalappadhaal / Oliyaai udhippadhaal”
The second letter 't' (or 'l' in secondary assonance) creates a pleasing rhythmic rhyme across the paired lines.
Analogy / Metaphor
“Allida kuraiyaa ootraai surakkiraai”
Music is compared to an inexhaustible spring flowing abundantly from within the singer.
Parallelism / Metaphor
“Isaiyil mayangaa uyir yaedhu / Mazhaiyil vilaiyaa payir yaedhu”
Draws a parallel between how all living beings are entranced by music and how crops thrive under rain.
Metaphor
“Thaen virundhu padaithu chendrom”
Describes delivering sweet music to listeners as serving a feast of honey ('Thaen virundhu').
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by the legendary Tamil poet Vaali, the song celebrates music as an eternal companion across lifetimes. 'Ajantha' (2012) was produced as a multilingual film, featuring music composed by music director R. P. Patnaik.
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