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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ennodu Nee Irundhaal

From I · 2015

Lyricist
Kabilan
Singers
A. R. Rahman, Sid Sriram, Sunitha Sarathy
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
I2015

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kaatrai tharum kaadugalae vendamI don't need the forests that provide air
Oh thaneer tharum kadalgal vendamOh, I don't need the oceans that give water
Naan unna urangavaeeee.. boomi vendamI don't need the earth to sleep on
Thevai Ethuvum Thevai IllaiThere is no need for anything at all
Thevai ellam devathaiyaeAll I ever need is my angel
Male
Ennai naan yaarendru sonnaalum puriyaathaeNo one would understand even if I told them who I am
En kaadhal nee endru yaarukkum theriyaathaeNo one knows that you are my love
Nee ketaal ulagathai naan vaangi tharuvenaeIf you ask, I will buy and give you the whole world
Nee illa ulagathil naan vaazha maatenaeIn a world without you, I will not live
Ennodu nee irundhal..If you are with me..
Male
Unmai kaadhal yaarendralIf anyone asks who true love is
Unnai ennai solvenaeI will name you and me
Neeyum naanum poi endraalIf you and I are considered a lie
Kadhalai thedi kolvenaeI will destroy love itself
Koonthal meesai ondraaga oosi noolil thaipenaeI will stitch long hair and mustache together with needle and thread
Thengai kulle neer polaLike the water protected inside a coconut
Nenjil thekki vaipenaeI will store you safe inside my heart
Female
Vathikuchi kaambil roja pookumaWill a rose bloom at the tip of a matchstick?
Poonai thenai ketaal pookal yerkumaa?If a cat asks for honey, will the flowers grant it?
Mudhalai kulathil malaraai malarnthenI bloomed like a flower in a pond full of crocodiles
Kuzhanthai arugae kurangaai bayanthenNear a child, I felt as frightened as a monkey
Male
Ennodu nee irundhalIf you are with me
Uyirodu naan irupenI will stay alive
Ennodu nee irundhalIf you are with me
Uyirodu naan irupenI will stay alive
Male
{Ennodu nee irundhal{If you are with me
Uyirodu naan irupenI will stay alive
Ennodu nee irundhalIf you are with me
Uyirodu naan irupen}(2)I will stay alive}(2)
Male
Nee illa ulagathil naan vaazha maatenaeIn a world without you, I will not live
Ennodu nee irundhal..If you are with me..

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Ennodu Nee Irundhal' is a soul-stirring romantic ballad from the 2015 Tamil movie 'I', written by Kabilan. The song captures the profound, unconditional devotion of the protagonist (played by Vikram), who undergoes a tragic disfigurement due to a hunchback virus inflicted by his enemies. Despite his horrific physical state and deep self-loathing, his love for his beloved (played by Amy Jackson) remains his sole reason to survive. The lyrics rely on extreme imagery and metaphors—rejecting nature's essential elements like air, water, and earth, declaring that the heroine's presence alone sustains his life. It reflects both the grandeur of true love and the intense agony of his current monster-like existence, concluding with the emotional thesis that as long as she stays by his side, he will remain alive.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Nee ketaal ulagathai naan vaangi tharuvenae

Promising to purchase the entire world if the lover asks is a poetic hyperbole expressing boundless affection.

Simile (Upamai)

Thengai kulle neer pola / Nenjil thekki vaipenae

Compares storing love deep inside his heart to the natural, pure accumulation of sweet water hidden inside a coconut.

Metaphor / Paradox

Vathikuchi kaambil roja pookuma

Uses the paradoxical image of a rose blooming on a matchstick to represent his distorted, flammable state blooming with pure love.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Ennodu nee irundhal / Uyirodu naan irupen

The rhythmic rhyming ending of lines ('irundhal' / 'irupen') creates an echoing musical refrain that emphasizes the core theme.

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Trivia

'Ennodu Nee Irundhal' was composed by A. R. Rahman and sung by Sid Sriram alongside Sunitha Sarathy. Sid Sriram's vocal performance earned him widespread critical acclaim and the Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer (Tamil). The song visually contrasts Vikram's character's former bodybuilder physique with his disfigured hunchback form, emphasizing his internal emotional agony.

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