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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Irukkumidam

From Panithirai · 1961

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Details
Panithirai1961

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Indha ezhai un sannidhiyilThis poor soul, at your sanctum,
Vara vaendum thalaivaaMust arrive, O Lord.
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Indha ezhai un sannidhiyilThis poor soul, at your sanctum,
Vara vaendum thalaivaaMust arrive, O Lord.
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Female
Poruppadharkku neramillaiThere is no time left to bear this patience,
Pongi azhugirenI am weeping uncontrollably.
Poruppadharkku neramillaiThere is no time left to bear this patience,
Pongi azhugirenI am weeping uncontrollably.
Poongodiyin naayaganae kaadhal manavaalaaO Lord of the flowering vine, O beloved groom!
Poongodiyin naayaganae kaadhal manavaalaaO Lord of the flowering vine, O beloved groom!
Female
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Female
Vaanagathil odi varumTo the birds flying high across the sky,
Paravaigalai kettenI asked for your whereabouts.
Vazhi meedhu vizhi vaithuFixing my eyes intently upon the path,
Thaedi thaedi paarthenI searched and searched for you.
Female
Vaanagathil odi varumTo the birds flying high across the sky,
Paravaigalai kettenI asked for your whereabouts.
Vazhi meedhu vizhi vaithuFixing my eyes intently upon the path,
Thaedi thaedi paarthenI searched and searched for you.
Female
Kanagathu vaedaraiyumEven the hunters of the forest,
Kandu naan kettenI met and questioned.
Kanagathu vaedaraiyumEven the hunters of the forest,
Kandu naan kettenI met and questioned.
Kannaa… aa…aaa….aaa….aaa…aaa….aaa…aaa…O Lord Krishna...
Kanna un thiru uruvam engaeyum illaiO Kanna, your holy form is nowhere to be seen,
Engaeyum illaiNowhere to be seen.
Female
Irukkumidam engae sol iraivaaTell me where you reside, O Lord.
Female
Irukkindraai enbadhanaalOnly because I believe you exist,
Ivvalavum kettenDid I ask all these questions.
Irukkindraai enbadhanaalOnly because I believe you exist,
Ivvalavum kettenDid I ask all these questions.
Illai yena mudivaanaal kadharavae maattenIf it is proven that you do not exist, I will not wail at all.
Illai yena mudivaanaal kadharavae maattenIf it is proven that you do not exist, I will not wail at all.
Female
Aiyaa un kangalilae oli pirakkaadho…O Lord, won't light shine from your divine eyes?
Aiyaa un thiru vaayil vaarthai varaadho…O Lord, won't words emerge from your holy mouth?
Aiyaa un kai kaalgal asaiya maattaadho…O Lord, won't your hands and feet move?
Aiyaa un adimaiyinai anaikka maattaaiyo…O Lord, won't you embrace this servant of yours?
Hooo ooo ooo oo hoooHooo ooo ooo oo hooo

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This soulful song from 'Panithirai' (1961), written by Kannadasan, expresses a devotee's intense grief, yearning, and philosophical plea to the Divine (addressed as Krishna/Iraivan). The protagonist wanders searching for God, questioning birds in the sky and hunters in the forest. Plunged into sorrow and divine despair (Nayaka-Nayaki Bhava), the devotee addresses the seemingly lifeless idol, pleading for a single movement, a word, or an embrace, reasoning that the anguish only exists because of the conviction that God truly lives.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukku Thodar (Reduplication)

Thaedi thaedi paarthen

The phrase 'Thaedi thaedi' uses repeated words to emphasize the intensity and continuous effort of searching.

Idiomatic Imagery / Metaphor

Vazhi meedhu vizhi vaithu

'Vizhi meedhu vizhi vaithu' (placing eyes upon eyes) is a Tamil idiom conveying intense, unblinking expectation and waiting.

Anaphora (Repetitive Rhetorical Framing)

Aiyaa un kangalilae oli pirakkaadho…

Repeatedly starting consecutive lines with 'Aiyaa un...' creates a cumulative emotional buildup and rhythmic urgency in pleading with the deity.

Monai (Initial Assonance/Alliteration)

Irukkindraai enbadhanaal / Ivvalavum ketten

Matching initial vowel sounds across words like 'Irukkindraai' and 'Ivvalavum' enhances the lyrical flow.

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Trivia

Written by Poet Laureate Kannadasan for the 1961 Tamil film 'Panithirai', the song captures the essence of Viraha Bhakti (devotional yearning in separation). Kannadasan's lyrics frequently bridged traditional Tamil devotional literature with popular cinema, using simple yet deeply spiritual concepts.

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