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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ezhunthal Mella Ezhunthal

From En Vazhi Thani Vazhi · 1988

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Vanitha
Music director
R. D. Burman
Details
En Vazhi Thani Vazhi1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Female
Enna nadanthathu pennukkullaeWhat has happened inside this young woman?
Thendral adikkuthu kannukkullaeA gentle breeze blows right inside her eyes.
Kaadhal paavai indha adhikkaalai nerathilThis maiden of love, in this early morning hour,
Pani sindhum eerathilAmidst the dew-spilled mist,
Female
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Female
Yenindha mayakkam indru evarai ketpadhoWhom should I ask why this intoxication exists today?
Thaen engu inikkum endru erumbai ketpadhoShould one ask an ant to find out where honey tastes sweet?
Mella mella maeniyil minnal vandhu poguthooDoes lightning softly strike and vanish across her body?
Ullae enna oosaiyoo odai ondru ooduthooWhat is that sound inside—is a stream flowing within?
Iduppil sariyum saelai pol idhayam nazhuvudhoJust like a saree slipping from her waist, is her heart slipping away?
Female
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Female
Naan indru vizhithu kondae kanavu kaangirenToday, I am dreaming even while wide awake.
Oo oo oo andha pani thulikkul ulagam paarkkirenOoh, I see the whole world inside that single dewdrop.
Kaadhal vandhu pinbhuthaan gyaanam konjam vandhadhuOnly after love arrived did a touch of true wisdom dawn upon me.
Mounam ennum vaarthaikkul yedho artham ulladhuThere is a deep meaning hidden within the word called 'silence'.
Vaanukkum mannukkum oonjal katta vasadhi vandhadhuI have gained the freedom to tie a swing between the sky and the earth.
Female
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Female
Enna nadanthathu pennukkullaeWhat has happened inside this young woman?
Thendral adikkuthu kannukkullaeA gentle breeze blows right inside her eyes.
Kaadhal paavai indha adhikkaalai nerathilThis maiden of love, in this early morning hour,
Pani sindhum eerathilAmidst the dew-spilled mist,
Female
Ezhunthaal mella ezhunthaalShe woke up, gently she rose,
Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaalWith her saree as wings, she flew into the sky.
Mmm mmm mmmm…hmmmm….Mmm mmm mmmm…hmmmm….

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This delicate romantic song portrays the blissful awakening of love in a young woman during the serene early morning. The protagonist experiences a sense of weightlessness and wonder, feeling as though her saree has turned into wings carrying her across the sky. Love brings a wave of sweet confusion, sensory heightened awareness, and a newfound spiritual wisdom. Through vivid imagery—such as a stream flowing within her, a dewdrop reflecting the universe, and silence revealing deeper truths—Vairamuthu captures the ecstatic transformation that love brings. Chandrabose's gentle composition and Vanitha's expressive vocals beautifully accentuate the song's tender, dreamy atmosphere.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Saelai siragaal vinnil parandhaal

Compares the pallu/drape of the heroine's saree to bird wings that allow her to fly high in joy.

Simile (Uwamai)

Iduppil sariyum saelai pol idhayam nazhuvudho

Uses 'pol' (like) to compare her heart slipping away in love to a saree slipping gently from her waist.

Alliteration (Monai)

Mella mella maeniyil minnal vandhu poguthoo

Repetition of the 'M' sound ('Mella', 'mella', 'maeniyil', 'minnal') creates a rhythmic, euphonic flow.

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)

Thaen engu inikkum endru erumbai ketpadho

Poses a rhetorical question comparing asking about love's sweetness to asking an ant where honey is sweet.

Did you know?

Trivia

'En Vazhi Thani Vazhi' (1988) was directed by V. Azhagappan, featuring music composed by Chandrabose, who produced a string of popular melodic albums in Tamil cinema during the late 1980s. Interestingly, the phrase 'En Vazhi Thani Vazhi' later became iconic across Tamil pop culture when Superstar Rajinikanth used it as his famous punch line in the blockbuster film 'Padayappa' (1999).

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