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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Iru Vizhi Unathu

From Minnale · 2001

Lyricist
Thamarai
Singer
Devan
Music director
Harris Jayaraj
Movie name
Minnale
Movie release year
2001
Lyrics added on
7 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Iru vizhi unathu.. imaigalum unathu..
Kanavugal mattum.. enathae enathu..
Iru vizhi unathu.. imaigalum unathu..
Kanavugal mattum.. enathae enathu..
Iru vizhi unathu.. imaigalum unathu..
Kanavugal mattum.. enathae enathu..
Naatkal neeluthae nee engo ponathum
Aen thandanai naan ingae vaazhvathum
Both eyes are yours, the eyelids are yours...
Only the dreams are truly mine...
Both eyes are yours, the eyelids are yours...
Only the dreams are truly mine...
Both eyes are yours, the eyelids are yours...
Only the dreams are truly mine...
The days stretch long now that you have gone away...
Why is it a punishment for me to go on living here?
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

These poignant lines portray the overwhelming heartache and feelings of alienation experienced during separation from a loved one. The speaker acknowledges that while the physical eyes and gaze belong to the beloved, the intimate dreams cherished within belong exclusively to the speaker. The absence of the partner turns time into an unbearable stretch, making daily existence feel like an unwarranted punishment.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Antithesis (Muran)

Iru vizhi unathu.. imaigalum unathu.. / Kanavugal mattum.. enathae enathu..

Juxtaposes 'unathu' (yours) with 'enathae enathu' (mine alone) to highlight the emotional divide between physical reality and inner world.

End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

Naatkal neeluthae nee engo ponathum / Aen thandanai naan ingae vaazhvathum

The matching rhyming suffixes '-ponathum' and '-vaazhvathum' create a rhythmic harmony emphasizing the despair of lingering life after abandonment.

Refrain / Repetition (Anaphora)

Iru vizhi unathu.. imaigalum unathu.. / Kanavugal mattum.. enathae enathu..

Repetition of the couplet reinforces the deep fixation on the lover's memory and the speaker's isolation.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by lyricist Thamarai for the movie Minnale (2001), which marked the blockbuster debut of composer Harris Jayaraj and director Gautham Vasudev Menon. Thamarai's poetic contribution to Minnale set a benchmark for romantic Tamil cinema poetry in the early 2000s.

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