Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ival Oru Pournami

From Ival Oru Pournami · 1987

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
T. K. Ramamoorthy
Details
Ival Oru Pournami1987

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kalaimagal vaazhgavaeLong live Goddess Saraswati (Kalaimagal)
Chorus :VaazhgavaeLong live!
Female :Kalaigalum vaazhgavaeLong live all forms of art!
Chorus :VaazhgavaeLong live!
Female :Nalamellaam soozhgavaeMay all goodness surround us!
Chorus :SoozhgavaeMay it surround us!
Female :Puviyinai aalgavaeyMay she rule over the earth!
Chorus :AalgaveyMay she rule!
Female :Aaa…..aaa…..aaa….aa….aa….Aaa…..aaa…..aaa….aa….aa….
Chorus
Thaa….thaa….thaththiththaam thaththiththaamThaa….thaa….thaththiththaam thaththiththaam
Sasasaniga….sasasaniga….sasasaniga….Sa-sa-sa-ni-ga….sa-sa-sa-ni-ga….sa-sa-sa-ni-ga….
Sasasanigasa sasasanigasa sasasanigasaSa-sa-sa-ni-ga-sa sa-sa-sa-ni-ga-sa sa-sa-sa-ni-ga-sa
Female
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Isai tharum kanmaniA precious gem who bestows music
Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden who bestows musical notes
Female
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Isai tharum kanmaniA precious gem who bestows music
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden who bestows musical notes
Chorus :SanithaSa-ni-tha
Female
Ivalin raagangalil Iravum vidigirathuIn her ragas, even the night turns into dawn
Jadhiyin osaigalil vaanam asaigirathuIn the sounds of her rhythmic beats, the sky sways
Pazhagum swarangal ivalin varangalThe swaras she practices are her blessings
Isaiyin mazhaiyil kadalum malaiyum nanainthidumIn the rain of music, the sea and mountains get drenched
Female
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Isai tharum kanmaniA precious gem who bestows music
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden who bestows musical notes
Chorus :SanithaSa-ni-tha
Female
Ivaloru pournami pournami pournamiShe is a full moon, a full moon, a full moon
Chorus
Thathjam thajam thathjam thajam thathjam thajamThathjam thajam thathjam thajam thathjam thajam
Thathjam thajam thathjam thajam thathjam thajamThathjam thajam thathjam thajam thathjam thajam
Female
PadhasaPa-dha-sa
Chorus :Aa….aa….Aa….aa….
Female :ThasaniDha-sa-ni
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female :ThasaniDha-sa-ni
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female
Aadaththaan ingae piravi eduththaenI was born here solely to dance
Kalaimagal Padhaththil enai koduththaenI surrendered myself at the feet of Goddess Saraswati
Raaga raajaangam naane padaiththaenI created a kingdom of ragas myself
Idhayaththil thaalaththin padham paninthaenI bowed my head to the rhythm in my heart
Female
KamasaGa-ma-sa
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female :SaganiSa-ga-ni
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female :MadhanisaMa-dha-ni-sa
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female :ThanisagaDha-ni-sa-ga
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Female :NisagamaNi-sa-ga-ma
Chorus :Aa….aaa….Aa….aaa….
Thathaninisasagaga sasaninithathapapaTha-tha-ni-ni-sa-sa-ga-ga sa-sa-ni-ni-tha-tha-pa-pa
Female
Jadhigal padiyathum nadhigalum nagarnthathuAs rhythmic beats were recited, rivers began to flow
Imaigal aadiyathum paravaigal paranthathuAs eyelashes fluttered, birds took flight
Puvigal yaezhum ival viralgalil vilainthathuAll seven worlds blossomed upon her fingers
Kavigal yaavum ival Vizhigalil ezhunthathuAll poetry arose in her eyes
Female
Ulagam ivalin arangam kalaiyin surangamThe world is her stage, a mine of art
Kavithai arangam irunthumEven though it is a stage of poetry
Ivalathu manathirkkul azhugindra ninaivugalWithin her heart lie weeping memories
Adhai solla mozhiyillai vazhiyillaiThere are no words nor ways to express them
Female
Ivaloru pouranami isai tharum kannmaniShe is a full moon, a precious gem bestowing music
Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden bestowing musical notes
Ivaloru pournami pournami pournamiShe is a full moon, a full moon, a full moon
Female
Kannam thannil kandaenaiyyaaI saw upon my cheeks, sir,
Kanneer seitha kaayamThe wound made by tears
Aadum pothum paadum pothumEven while dancing and singing,
Aarum kaayam aarumWill these wounds ever heal?
Female
Medai meedhu kaanam paadi konumSinging songs upon the stage
Kaalam seitha kolam ingaeIs the cruel design wrought by time here
Kanneer thaanae minjum….Only tears will remain...
Chorus :Aa…..aaa….Aa…..aaa….
Female
Kodhai enthan koondhal meedhu megam vanthu thunjumLike a garland, clouds rest upon my hair
Angae vanthu aada solloIf told to dance there,
Sorkkam ennai konjumHeaven fondles me
Female
Idhayam dhinamum mezhugaai urugumMy heart melts daily like wax
Chorus :Idhayam dhinamum mezhugaai urugumMy heart melts daily like wax
Female :Urangum pozhuthinil kanavum karugumAs I sleep, dreams burn away
Chorus :Urangum pozhuthinil kanavum karugumAs I sleep, dreams burn away
Female
Kanneerilae en kaaviyamIn my tears lies my epic poem
Thindaaduthae pennoviyamThe painting of a woman struggles in anguish
Kalaimagalae sugam tharum isai ondrey nirantharamO Saraswati, music alone that gives bliss is eternal
Female
Pudhiya kanavu dhinamum ezhunthu varaWhile a new dream rises every day,
Pazhaiya uravu vizhiyil kasinthu varaAn old relationship oozes as tears from the eyes
Chorus :Sasakanisakathni mathathaka mathaniSa-sa-ka-ni-sa-ka-th-ni ma-tha-tha-ka ma-tha-ni
Nisasathaninimatha kamasa sagamagaNi-sa-sa-tha-ni-ni-ma-tha ka-ma-sa sa-ga-ma-ga
Female
Isaiyenum mazhaithanil vazhinthathu pudhu rasamIn the rain called music, a new flavor overflowed
Chorus :Sasamamasasakaka ninisasakakasaaSa-sa-ma-ma-sa-sa-ka-ka ni-ni-sa-sa-ka-ka-saa
Female :Ivalathu asaivinil vilainthathu navarasamFrom her movements, the nine emotions blossomed
Chorus :Sasamamasasagaga ninisanithanisaSa-sa-ma-ma-sa-sa-ga-ga ni-ni-sa-ni-tha-ni-sa
Female
Dhisaigal muzhuthum isaigal pozhiyumMusic pours in all directions
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Vizhiyil irandu oligal mozhiyumTwo lights speak through her eyes
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Nadana sabhaiyil dhinamum ulavumRoaming daily in the dance hall
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Aa….aaa….aa….aa….aaa….aa….Aa….aaa….aa….aa….aaa….aa….
Female
Ivaloru pouranami isai tharum kannmaniShe is a full moon, a precious gem bestowing music
Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden bestowing musical notes
Female
Ivaloru pournamiShe is a full moon
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Isai tharum kanmaniA precious gem who bestows music
Chorus :Aaa….aa…..aa….Aaa….aa…..aa….
Female :Swaram tharum sundhariA beautiful maiden who bestows musical notes
Chorus :SanithaSa-ni-tha
Female
Ivalin raagangalil Iravum vidigirathuIn her ragas, even the night turns into dawn
Jadhiyin osaigalil vaanam asaigirathuIn the sounds of her rhythmic beats, the sky sways
Pazhagum swarangal ivalin varangalThe swaras she practices are her blessings
Isaiyin mazhaiyil kadalum malaiyum nanainthidumIn the rain of music, the sea and mountains get drenched
Female
Ivaloru pournami pournami pournami……She is a full moon, a full moon, a full moon……

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a grand, classical-centric ode celebrating a dancer and musician who embodies divine artistry, comparing her radiance to a full moon (Pournami). The lyricist Vairamuthu weaves together themes of devotion to Goddess Saraswati (Kalaimagal), technical rhythmic patterns (Jathis and Swaras), and high emotional expression (Navarasa). The song exalts the heroine as a master of art whose performance moves nature itself—causing rivers to flow, birds to fly, and clouds to descend. Beneath the exterior of artistical perfection and stage glory lies a deep, poignant undertone of personal grief. While the performer enchants audiences and commands the stage with her music and dance, her heart melts like wax from painful past memories and unhealed emotional wounds. Music serves both as her ultimate solace and a canvas for her unspoken tears.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

Idhayam dhinamum mezhugaai urugum

Compares the daily melting of the heart to melting wax ('mezhugaai urugum').

Atisayokthi (Hyperbole)

Isaiyin mazhaiyil kadalum malaiyum nanainthidum

Exaggerates the power of her music, claiming her musical rain drenches entire oceans and mountains, and her beats make the sky sway.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Aadaththaan ingae piravi eduththaen

The second letters of consecutive lines share the same consonant sound ('da'/'tha' in Aadaththaan / Kalaimagal / Raaga / Idhayaththil).

Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)

Ivaloru pournami

Directly equating the dancer to a full moon ('Ivaloru pournami') and a gem of music ('Isai tharum kanmani').

Did you know?

Trivia

This track is featured in the 1987 Tamil film 'Ival Oru Pournami'. The song uniquely blends classical Solkattu (rhythmic dance syllables) and Swaras with lyrical poetry, creating a dramatic narrative of a classical artist torn between stage perfection and internal grief.

Keep listening

More from Ival Oru Pournami