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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iniya Thendrale

From Amma Pillai · 1990

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Amma Pillai1990

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Kavi kamban kaaviyamAn epic poem by poet Kamban
Ravi varman oviyamA fine painting by Ravi Varma
Irandum ivaloIs she both of these?
Inikkum thamizho..Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Oh ooooo ohooooOh ooooo ohoooo
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Tharaiyil vandha sorgamA paradise descended upon the earth
Ena thadumaarum nenjamMy heart falters thinking so
Thazhuvum adhu nazhuvumIt embraces, it slips away
Adhu azhagin alaayamShe is a temple of beauty
Male
Pavalam polum dhaegamA body like red coral
Adhil pasi aarum mogamWhere romantic desire satisfies its hunger
Idhazhgal ivai irandumThese two lips of hers
Nalla amudha paaththiramAre divine vessels filled with nectar
Male
Ilamai ennum naavalA novel named youthfulness
Aval dhaan aval dhaanIt is her, indeed it is her
Aaa…aa..kanavil adhai naanumAh... in my dream, I
Padithaen padithaenRead it, I read it
Adhai nee sendru solli vaaGo and convey that to her
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Kavi kamban kaaviyamAn epic poem by poet Kamban
Ravi varman oviyamA fine painting by Ravi Varma
Irandum ivaloIs she both of these?
Inikkum thamizho..Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Aahaaa ahaaaaAahaaa ahaaaa
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Karumaiyaana koondhalDark black hair
Nalla malar thoongum oonjalA swing on which fresh flowers sleep
Asainthu mella asainthuSwaying gently and softly
Ennai azhaikka vandhathuIt came to invite me
Male
Nadhiyil aadum naanalReeds dancing in the river
Ival idaikaattum saayalSuch is the graceful appearance of her waist
Valaindhu konjam nelinthuBending and curving a little
Ennai anaikka sonnadhuIt asked me to embrace her
Male
Nadanthaal vanna paadhamWhen she walks, her lovely feet
Sivakkum sivakkumTurn red, turn red
Ninaithaal en nenjam haeWhen I think of it, my heart
Thavikkum thavikkumLongs and yearns
Idhai naan enna endru solvadhuHow can I even express this?
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaa vaaCome waving both your hands, come
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaaCome singing her name
Male
Kavi kamban kaaviyamAn epic poem by poet Kamban
Ravi varman oviyamA fine painting by Raja Ravi Varma
Irandum ivaloIs she both of these?
Inikkum thamizho..Or is she sweet Tamil itself?
Oh ooooo hahahahaOh ooooo hahahaha
Male
Iniya thendralaeOh sweet breeze
Iru kaigal veesi vaaCome waving both your hands
Ilaya devadhaiYoung angel
Ival perai paadi vaa..aaa…Come singing her name...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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.

Keep listening

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