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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iniya Thendrale

From Amma Pillai · 1990

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Movie name
Amma Pillai
Movie release year
1990
Lyrics added on
24 Sept 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Iniya thendralae
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Kavi kamban kaaviyam
Ravi varman oviyam
Irandum ivalo
Inikkum thamizho..
Oh ooooo ohoooo
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Tharaiyil vandha sorgam
Ena thadumaarum nenjam
Thazhuvum adhu nazhuvum
Adhu azhagin alaayam
Pavalam polum dhaegam
Adhil pasi aarum mogam
Idhazhgal ivai irandum
Nalla amudha paaththiram
Ilamai ennum naaval
Aval dhaan aval dhaan
Aaa…aa..kanavil adhai naanum
Padithaen padithaen
Adhai nee sendru solli vaa
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Kavi kamban kaaviyam
Ravi varman oviyam
Irandum ivalo
Inikkum thamizho..
Aahaaa ahaaaa
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Karumaiyaana koondhal
Nalla malar thoongum oonjal
Asainthu mella asainthu
Ennai azhaikka vandhathu
Nadhiyil aadum naanal
Ival idaikaattum saayal
Valaindhu konjam nelinthu
Ennai anaikka sonnadhu
Nadanthaal vanna paadham
Sivakkum sivakkum
Ninaithaal en nenjam hae
Thavikkum thavikkum
Idhai naan enna endru solvadhu
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa
Kavi kamban kaaviyam
Ravi varman oviyam
Irandum ivalo
Inikkum thamizho..
Oh ooooo hahahaha
Iniya thendralae
Iru kaigal veesi vaa
Ilaya devadhai
Ival perai paadi vaa..aaa…
Sweet gentle breeze,
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
An epic poem by poet Kamban,
A painting by Raja Ravi Varma,
Is she both of these,
Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Oh oooo ohooo
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
Heaven brought down to earth,
My heart stumbles in awe,
It reaches out to hold, yet slips away,
She is a temple of beauty.
A body glowing like coral,
Where passion satisfies every hunger,
Both of her lips
Are bowls filled with sweet nectar.
A novel called youth,
She is that, she alone!
Ah... ah... In my dreams,
I have read it, I have read it,
Go and tell her this!
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
An epic poem by poet Kamban,
A painting by Raja Ravi Varma,
Is she both of these,
Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Ahaa ahaa
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
Her dark black hair
Is a swing where lovely flowers sleep,
Gently swaying and swaying,
It comes calling out to me.
Like reeds dancing in a river,
That is how her waist sways,
Bending and curving softly,
Asking me to hold her close.
When she walks, her lovely feet
Turn soft red, so red.
When I think of her, hey, my heart
Yearns and aches with longing.
How can I put all this into words?
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come, come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name!
An epic poem by poet Kamban,
A painting by Raja Ravi Varma,
Is she both of these,
Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Oh oooo hahahaha
Sweet gentle breeze,
Come swinging your arms,
This young goddess,
Come singing her name... ah...
Male
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Male
Male
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Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

In 'Iniya Thendralae' from the film Amma Pillai (1990), the protagonist addresses the gentle southern breeze, personifying it as a messenger of love. He asks the breeze to wave its hands gracefully and sing the praises of his beloved, whom he describes as a young angel on Earth. He marvels at her beauty, questioning whether she is a masterpiece of epic poetry written by Kamban, a timeless painting created by Raja Ravi Varma, or the sweet Tamil language itself. The lyrics vividly describe her allure through evocative imagery—comparing her coral-like body and nectarous lips to a paradise on earth, and her dark hair and slender waist to swaying flower swings and river reeds. The song captures the protagonist's deep intoxication with her grace and his longing for the breeze to deliver his romantic thoughts to her.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Mohnai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

“Iniya thendralae / Iru kaigal veesi vaa / Ilaya devadhai / Ival perai paadi vaa”

Repetition of the vowel sound 'I' at the beginning of consecutive lines ('Iniya', 'Iru', 'Ilaya', 'Ival').

Metaphor (Uruvagham)

“Kavi kamban kaaviyam / Ravi varman oviyam / Irandum ivalo / Inikkum thamizho..”

Comparing the beloved directly to Kamban's epic, Ravi Varma's painting, and sweet Tamil without using explicit comparative markers.

Simile (Uwamai)

“Pavalam polum dhaegam”

Comparing the heroine's body to coral ('pavalam') using the comparative word 'polum'.

Personification

“Iniya thendralae / Iru kaigal veesi vaa”

Addressing the breeze as a living entity capable of waving hands ('iru kaigal veesi') and singing songs.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Amma Pillai' (1990) features music composed by the veteran composer Shankar-Ganesh and was directed by R. C. Sakthi, with lyrics penned by Panchu Arunachalam. Panchu Arunachalam was renowned for his rich classical imagery blended with accessible Tamil lyricism, as seen in the references to Kamban, Raja Ravi Varma, and sweet Tamil in this song.

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