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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Idhayamae Idhayamae

From Idhayam · 1991

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Idhayam
Movie release year
1991
Lyrics added on
25 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Idhayamae idhayamae
Un mounam ennai kolludhae
Idhayamae idhayamae
En viragam ennai vaattudhae
Nilavillaadha neela vaanam polavae
Uyirillaamal enadhu kaadhal aanadhae
Idhayamae idhayamae
Un mounam ennai kolludhae
Idhayamae idhayamae
Paniyaaga urughi nadhiyaaga maari
Alaiveesi vilaiyaadi irundhen
Thaniyaaga irundhum un ninaivodu vaazhndhu
Uyir kaadhal uravaadi kalandhae nindren
{ Idhu endhan vaazhvil nee potta kolam } (2)
Kolam kalaindhadhae pudhu sogam pirandhadhae
Neeyillaadha vaazhvu ingu kaanaldhaan
Idhayamae idhayamae
Un mounam ennai kolludhae
Idhayamae idhayamae
Ah….. aah …… aah ……..
Aah….. aah …… ah …….
Ah….. ah …… ah …….
Aa…. ah …ha..aa..ah…ha…..
Aa..ha..aa…..Aa..ha..aa…..
En jeeva raagam kalandhaadum kaatru
Un meedhu padavillai thudithen
Arangerum paadal ulagengum ketkum
Un nenjai thodavillai enn sollammaa
{ Isaikkindra kalaingnan naanaagi ponen } (2)
Jeevan neeyammaa en paadal neeyammaa
Neeyillaadha vaazhvu ingu kaanaldhaan
Idhayamae idhayamae
Un mounam ennai kolludhae
Idhayamae idhayamae…
Oh heart, my heart,
Your silence is killing me!
Oh heart, my heart,
This pain of longing is tormenting me!
Like a blue sky without the moon,
My love has become lifeless.
Oh heart, my heart,
Your silence is killing me!
Oh heart, my heart...
Melting like snow, turning into a river,
I once flowed and played with the waves.
Even while alone, living in your thoughts,
I remained deeply entwined with true love.
This was the pattern you drew in my life,
The pattern faded away, and a new sorrow was born.
A life without you is nothing but a mirage.
Oh heart, my heart,
Your silence is killing me!
Oh heart, my heart...
Aa... Aa... Aa...
Aa... Aa... Aa...
Aa... Aa... Aa...
Aa... Aa... Aaha... Aa... Aa... Aaha...
Aaha... Aa... Aaha... Aa...
The breeze carrying the melody of my soul
Did not touch you, and I ached inside.
This song performed here is heard by the whole world,
Yet it never reached your heart—tell me why, my love?
I have just become an artist playing his tunes,
You are my life's breath, you are my song.
A life without you is nothing but a mirage.
Oh heart, my heart,
Your silence is killing me!
Oh heart, my heart...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Idhayame Idhayame' from the 1991 movie Idhayam expresses the intense anguish of unrequited love and silent suffering. The protagonist laments that his beloved's silence is destroying him from within, comparing a life without her affection to a moonless night sky and a deceptive mirage. He reflects on how his entire existence and artistic expression revolve around her, yet his pain remains unacknowledged.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Upamai (Simile / Metaphor)

Nilavillaadha neela vaanam polavae

Compares a love without life to a moonless blue sky ('Nilavillaadha neela vaanam polavae').

Uruvagamb (Metaphor)

Neeyillaadha vaazhvu ingu kaanaldhaan

Compares life without the beloved to a mirage ('kaanaldhaan').

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyming)

Paniyaaga urughi nadhiyaaga maari / Thaniyaaga irundhum un ninaivodu vaazhndhu

The second letters of 'Paniyaaga' and 'Thaniyaaga' rhyme ('ni').

Anaphora (Repetition)

Idhayamae idhayamae

The expressive repetition of 'Idhayamae idhayamae' heightens the emotional longing.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali, 'Idhayame Idhayame' is one of the most iconic heartbreak anthems in Tamil cinema history. The movie 'Idhayam' stars Murali as a shy medical student who is unable to express his love, making this song the emotional centerpiece of the film.

Keep listening

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