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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Idhayam

From Kochadaiiyaan · 2014

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Chinmayi, Srinivas
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Kochadaiiyaan2014

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Senthee vizhunthaLike a peacock's egg rolling on a golden red rock
Sempor paaraiylwhere intense heat/fire has fallen,
Manthi uruttumpushed around by a monkey...
Maylin muttaiyaai..aaii…Like a peacock's egg...
Female
Nalla marathinFrom a good tree,
Narunkilai ezhinthua fragrant branch breaks off,
Vella suzhiyiland like a flower falling
Vizhunthu malarai…aaii..into a swirling flood...
Female
Idhayam nazhuvi nazhuviMy heart is slipping, slipping,
Naganthu nagarnthumoving, moving,
Nagarnthu poguthae…ae….moving far away...
Yenooo sol yenoooWhy? Tell me why?
Yenoo sol sol yeno solvaaiyaooWhy? Tell me, tell me, why won't you tell me?
Yenoo sol sol yeno solvaaiyaooWhy? Tell me, tell me, why won't you tell me?
Female
Idhayam karaigal maranthuThe heart forgets its shores,
Dhisaigal tholainthu pogudhae…ae…..and gets lost across directions...
Yenooo sol yenoooWhy? Tell me why?
Yenoo sol sol yeno solvaaiyaooWhy? Tell me, tell me, why won't you tell me?
Male
{Poopathu maranthana kodigal{The creepers forgot to bloom,
Punnagai maranthathu minnalThe lightning forgot to smile,
Kaaipathu maranthathu kaaduThe forest forgot to yield fruit,
Kaaviyam maranthathu yedu} (2)The palm leaf forgot its epic poetry} (2)
Female
Yeno..raana raanaWhy... Oh Raana, Raana...
Male :Yaano ninnai marakkinenMale: Have I forgotten you?
Ninnai marakkinenForgotten you?
Ninnai marakkinenForgotten you?
Female
Aaa…aaa…aa..aa..aaa…aa….Ah... ah... ah...
Aaa…aaa…aa..aa..aaa…aa….Ah... ah... ah...
Aaa…aaaa…aaa..aa..aa..aa…aa..aaaa…Ah... ah... ah...
Female
Idhayam nazhuvi nazhuviMy heart is slipping, slipping,
Naganthu nagarnthumoving, moving,
Nagarnthu poguthae…ae….moving far away...
Yenooo sol yenoooWhy? Tell me why?
Yenoo sol sol yeno solvaaiyaooWhy? Tell me, tell me, why won't you tell me?
Yenoo sol sol yeno solvaaiyaooWhy? Tell me, tell me, why won't you tell me?
Male
{Senthamizh piriyum sangam{The Tamil academy parting from classical Tamil,
Sengadal piriyum alaigalThe waves parting from the deep red sea,
Oliyai piriyum kaatruThe wind parting from sound,
Uliyai piriyum sirpam} (2)The sculpture parting from the chisel} (2)
Female
Vasathukku yedhuHow can spring exist
Sirai vaasamin imprisonment?
Male :Yaano ninnai piriginenMale: Am I separating from you?
Piriginen piriginenSeparating, separating...
Yaano ninnai piriginenAm I separating from you?
Piriginen piriginenSeparating, separating...
Female
Siraigottu perumbayamWith great fear in captivity,
Thoongi yaanguhow can I sleep?
En uyiro sirithaeMy life is small,
Kaadhalo perithaebut my love is immense!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from Kochadaiiyaan conveys the profound grief and helplessness of separation between two lovers. Using classical Sangam literature metaphors, the lyrics depict the heart as something fragile and disoriented—like a peacock's egg rolling on a scorching rock or a flower caught in a turbulent whirlpool. Nature itself seems to stall in sorrow, with creepers forgetting to bloom and lightning forgetting to strike.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uwamai (Classical Simile)

Senthee vizhuntha Sempor paaraiyl... Maylin muttaiyaai

Compares the fragile, unstable state of the grieving heart to a peacock's egg rolling on a hot rock ('Maylin muttaiyaai') and a flower caught in a flood whirlpool ('Vella suzhiyil vizhunthu malarai').

Adukkuthodai (Repetition for Emphasis)

Idhayam nazhuvi nazhuvi Naganthu nagarnthu

Repetition of words like 'nazhuvi nazhuvi' (slipping) and 'naganthu nagarnthu' (moving) to emphasize the helpless, continuous drifting of the heart.

Sangam Allegory / Parallelism

Senthamizh piriyum sangam Sengadal piriyum alaigal

Lists unnatural, impossible separations (Tamil from the Sangam, waves from the ocean, wind from sound, sculpture from chisel) to highlight how painful and unnatural their physical separation feels.

Muran (Antithesis)

En uyiro sirithae Kaadhalo perithae

Juxtaposes 'sirithae' (small) with 'perithae' (great/immense), contrasting the insignificance and brevity of physical life against the vastness of boundless love.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song draws heavy inspiration from ancient Sangam poetry (specifically 'Kuruntokai'). The line 'En uyiro sirithae, kaadhalo perithae' directly echoes the famous Kuruntokai verse 'Nilathinum Perithe' composed by Devakottai Siraiyur Ponkooshanar, which contrasts the scale of the earth and sky with the vastness of love. The movie Kochadaiiyaan (2014), directed by Soundarya Rajinikanth, was India's first photorealistic 3D motion capture film, featuring music composed by A. R. Rahman.

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