Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ezhai Poo Unai Theduthey

From Puthiya Adimaigal · 1981

Lyricist
Thanigai Selvan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Puthiya Adimaigal1981

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Yaezhai poo unai theduthaeThis poor flower searches for you,
Yaezhai poo unai theduthaeThis poor flower searches for you,
En manam unnai naadiyaeMy heart seeks you out,
Vazhi paarkkuthae malai thoppilae….ae….And awaits your arrival in the mountain grove...
En manam unnai naadiyaeMy heart seeks you out,
Vazhi paarkkuthae malai thoppilaeAnd awaits your arrival in the mountain grove.
Female
Yaezhai poo unai theduthae…This poor flower searches for you...
Female
Kadhal vaana poonguyil kaanam paaduthaeThe sweet cuckoo in the sky of love sings a song,
Aadi maatha vellamaai aasai ponguthaeDesire overflows like the heavy floods of the month of Aadi,
Un mugam paarkkavae ullam yaenguthaeMy heart yearns just to look upon your face,
Unmai anbu kadhal endrum maarumoWill true affection and love ever change?
Odivaa….thedi vaa….kadhal devanaeRun to me... come searching for me... O lord of my love!
Female
Yaezhai poo unai theduthae…This poor flower searches for you...
Female
Jodi thedum maangili jaadhi paarkkumoDoes the parrot searching for its mate look for caste?
Solai thendral yaaraiyum veezhththi veesumoDoes the gentle breeze of the grove exclude anyone when it blows?
Margazhi ponathum maalai sooduvomOnce the month of Margazhi passes, we shall exchange wedding garlands,
Nalla naalum paarpom ondru kooduvaomWe shall find an auspicious day and unite as one.
Odivaa….thedi vaa….kadhal devanaeRun to me... come searching for me... O lord of my love!
Female
Yaezhai poo unai theduthaeThis poor flower searches for you,
En manam unnai naadiyaeMy heart seeks you out,
Vazhi paarkkuthae malai thoppilae…And awaits your arrival in the mountain grove...
Female
Yaezhai poo unai theduthae…This poor flower searches for you...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Yaezhai Poo Unai Theduthae' is a poignant romantic melody from the 1981 Tamil film 'Puthiya Adimaigal', composed by Ilaiyaraaja and rendered by P. Susheela. Metaphorically referring to herself as a humble 'poor flower', the heroine sings of her intense longing for her beloved while waiting for him in a quiet mountain grove. She describes her swelling emotions as comparable to the brimming Aadi river floods and her love as an eternal song sung by a cuckoo in the sky. In the second stanza, she uses nature to challenge societal barriers, asking if a bird seeks caste when choosing a mate or if the breeze discriminates against anyone. She looks forward with hope to the end of the auspicious month of Margazhi when they can select a good day, exchange wedding garlands, and finally unite forever.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Yaezhai poo unai theduthae

The speaker metaphorically identifies herself as a humble 'poor flower' (Yaezhai poo) longing for her lover.

Simile (Uvamai Ani)

Aadi maatha vellamaai aasai ponguthae

The surge of her love and desire is explicitly compared using 'maai' (like) to the heavy monsoon floods of the Tamil month of Aadi.

Rhetorical Question (Nature Analogy)

Jodi thedum maangili jaadhi paarkkumo

Poses a rhetorical question using nature (a parrot searching for its partner) to highlight the artificiality and irrelevance of social caste barriers in true love.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyming)

Jodi thedum maangili... / Solai thendral...

The second letters of 'Jodi' and 'Solai' share a similar rhythmic weight and sound pattern across adjacent lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Puthiya Adimaigal' (1981) was directed by R. C. Sakthi and featured music by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics were penned by Thanigai Selvan, a renowned Tamil poet known for incorporating social themes and nature imagery into screenplays and songs. P. Susheela's expressive vocal rendition gave this song a gentle, classical charm.

Keep listening

More from Puthiya Adimaigal