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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Inbam Yavume

From Thirumanam · 1958

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music directors
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu, T. G. Lingappa
Details
Thirumanam1958

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Inbam yaavumae thunbam aagumaeAll pleasures will turn into sorrow
Ithuthaan vaazhvim anupavamaeThis is the experience of life
Male
Inbam yaavumae….ae….All pleasures...
Thunbam aagumae…Will turn into sorrow...
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anubavamaeThis is the experience of life
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anubavamaeThis is the experience of life
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anubavamaeThis is the experience of life
Male
Anbin ootrilae malarntha malarumEven the flower that bloomed in the fountain of love
Andrey vaadidumae…Will wither away the very same day...
Panbudan pazhagum palanaal kiliyumThe parrot nurtured with affection for many days
Paranthae oodidumaeWill fly away and escape
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anubavameThis is the experience of life
Male
Sothanaiyaalae thendralum orunaalDue to trials, even the gentle breeze one day
Puyalaai seeridumae…..ae…Will rage like a storm...
Puyalaai seeridumaeWill rage like a storm
Kadhalar vaazhvum edhirpaaramalUnexpectedly, the life of lovers
Kanavaai maaridumaeWill turn into a dream
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anupavamaeThis is the experience of life
Male
Kanavil thondrum kaasum panamumThe money and wealth that appear in a dream
Kaithanil kidaiththidumaaWill they ever be received in hand?
Kalai vaan nilavaiThe artistic moon in the sky
Naam kavarnthida ninaikkumIf we desire to capture it
Kaariyam mudinthidumaaWill that task ever be accomplished?
Male
Ennam polavae edhuvum nadanthaalIf everything happened according to one's desires
Iraivan illaiyadaa….aa…..aa….There would be no God, my friend...
Ennam polavae edhuvum nadanthaalIf everything happened according to one's desires
Iraivan illaiyadaa….There would be no God, my friend...
Iga meedhil nee irukkum varaithaanOnly as long as you reside on this earth
Iththanai thollaiyadaaAre there all these troubles, my friend
Iththanai thollaiyadaaAre there all these troubles, my friend
Male
Iga meedhil nee irukkum varaithaanOnly as long as you reside on this earth
Iththanai thollaiyadaaAre there all these troubles, my friend
Male
Inbam yaavumae….ae….All pleasures...
Thunbam aagumae…Will turn into sorrow...
Ithuthaan vaazhvin anubavamaeThis is the experience of life

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Inbam Yaavumae from the 1958 film Thirumanam is a deeply philosophical song exploring the transience of happiness and the inevitable presence of sorrow in human existence. Through metaphors such as flowers wilting, companion birds flying away, and soft breezes transforming into fierce storms, the lyrics illustrate how unexpected life turns can dismantle human expectations and turn reality into a fleeting dream.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Antithesis (Muran)

Inbam yaavumae thunbam aagumae

Contrasting 'Inbam' (pleasure/joy) and 'Thunbam' (sorrow) in the same line highlights the dual nature of human experience.

Alliteration (Moonaai)

Kanavil thondrum kaasum panamum

Repetition of the initial 'Ka' sound across words creates melodic balance and rhythmic unity.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Sothanaiyaalae thendralum orunaal Puyalaai seeridumae

Comparing sudden adversity to a gentle breeze turning into a storm symbolizes how life's circumstances shift unexpectedly.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the renowned lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass for the film Thirumanam (1958), this song exemplifies the classic tradition of philosophical tracks in mid-20th-century Tamil cinema that offered existential reflections on fate and life.

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