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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iru Kangal Podhadhu Sad

From Dharma · 1998

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Dharma1998

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart
Thaamaraiyai man moodavoShall soil cover the lotus?
Theeyidamae malar povadhoShall a flower go unto the fire?
Enna solla ellaam vidhiyoWhat is there to say, is everything fate?
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart
Male
Oraayiram dhukkam vandhuA thousand sorrows come
Adaikkudhu nenjathaiAnd choke my heart
Solli cholli azhuthaalum theeraadhuEven if I weep repeatedly, it does not lessen
Oraayiram jenmam ondraaiIt feels as though we lived
Vaazhndhadhu pol irukkuA thousand births together
Sollaamal sendradhini vaaraadhuHaving left without a word, she will not return
Male
Kan indru kaanum kaatchiThe sight my eyes see today,
Poiyaagi pogaadhoWill it not turn out to be a lie?
Kuyilae un kuralai meendumO cuckoo, your sweet voice again,
Naan ketka mudiyaadhoCan I not hear it ever?
Sol engae sendradhun aaviTell me, where has your soul gone?
Adi unmaiyil naan oru paaviOh, in truth, I am a sinner
Idhi en nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear this
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart
Male
Kannae un mugathil vizhithaalMy dear, if I woke up looking at your face,
Enakkandha naal vidiyumThat day would truly dawn for me
Unai thaedum kangal ini urangaadhuThe eyes searching for you will sleep no more
Kannae yaar indha sogathukkuMy dear, for this deep grief,
Aarudhal sonnaalumNo matter who offers comfort,
Nenjil ulla baaram endrum irangaadhuThe weight in my heart will never lighten
Male
Paasathai kondra andhaThose sinners who killed such affection,
Paavigal yaarammaaWho are they, my dear?
Yaaravar endrae endhanWho they are, at least
Kanavilaenum koorammaaTell me in my dream, my dear
Enai vittu ponadhu paavamLeaving me behind was a sin,
Nee ponadhu eppadi nyaayamHow is it justice that you are gone?
Idhai en nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear this
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart
Thaamaraiyai man moodavoShall soil cover the lotus?
Theeyidamae malar povadhoShall a flower go unto the fire?
Enna solla ellaam vidhiyoWhat is there to say, is everything fate?
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart
Male
Iru kangal podhaadhuTwo eyes are not enough
Raasaathi oorgolathai paarkkaTo watch the queen's final procession
En nenjam thaangaadhuMy heart cannot bear
Nee pogum kolam thannai paarkkaTo see the state in which you depart

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Iru Kangal Podhaadhu is a poignant Tamil elegiac song expressing unbearable grief and sorrow over the untimely demise of a loved one. Watching the final funeral procession, the protagonist laments how cruel fate has extinguished a pure life so prematurely. He compares her delicate existence to a lotus being buried in dirt or a fresh flower consigned to flames. Overwhelmed by helplessness and disbelief, he seeks answers from her departed soul and grieves that his eyes will never again behold her face or hear her voice.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Thaamaraiyai man moodavo / Theeyidamae malar povadho

The deceased loved one is metaphorically compared to a delicate lotus and a tender flower, emphasizing her innocence and the tragedy of her demise.

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)

Paasathai kondra andha paavigal yaarammaa

The speaker uses despairing rhetorical questions to convey helplessness, denial, and intense psychological agony.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

Oraayiram jenmam ondraai vaazhndhadhu pol irukku

Exaggeration of emotional bond spanning a thousand births to highlight the deep timeless connection between the lovers.

Did you know?

Trivia

In the 1998 Tamil action film Dharma starring Vijayakanth and Preetha Vijayakumar, this sorrowful song features music composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and heart-wrenching lyrics penned by veteran poet Pulamaipithan.

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