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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Karuve

From Karu · 2018

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Sam C. S
Details
Karu2018

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Yaaro yaaroWho is it? Who is it?
Unai vidhaithathu yaaroWho was it that sowed you?
Yaaro yaaroWho is it? Who is it?
Unai sidhaithathu yaaroWho was it that destroyed you?
Female
Yaaro yaaroWho is it? Who is it?
Unai ezhuthiyathu yaaroWho was it that wrote your fate?
Yaaro yaaroWho is it? Who is it?
Unai azhithathu yaaroWho was it that erased you?
Female
Theeyae theeyaeOh fire, oh fire!
Unai anaithathu yaaroWho was it that extinguished you?
Poovae poovaeOh flower, oh flower!
Unai nasukiya thaaroWho was it that crushed you?
Female
Thondrum unnaiYou who were just being born,
Kondrathaaradi karuvae…Who killed you, oh embryo?
Female
Ahaaa….aaa……aaa….aahaa…Ahaaa....aaa...aaa...aahaa...
Female
Neel thuyarumEndless sorrow,
Piravi thuyarumAnd the misery of birth,
Enavae uravae kalainthayadiFearing thus, oh my kin, you dispersed!
Female
Paazh ulagamThis ruined world,
Suzhalum naragamIs a spinning hell,
Enavae azhagae karainthaayadiRealizing thus, oh beautiful one, you melted away!
Female
Thaayin theeyilIn the mother's fire,
Theeinthu theeinthiduBurn and wear away,
Karuvae…Oh embryo...
Female
Nee uranguYou sleep,
Uyirae uranguOh my life, sleep,
Idhuvae kadaisi thaalaattenaLet this be your final lullaby,
Aaaaa….aaaa…Aaaaa....aaaa...
Female
Thaai vizhiyilFrom the mother's eye,
Vazhiyum thuliyilIn the overflowing teardrop,
Karaivaai kadaisi neeraattenaDissolve, as your final bath,
Pulli unnil kolli vaikkiromIn you, a mere dot, we lay the funeral pyre,
Karuvae…Oh embryo...
Female
Hmmm…mm….mmm..Hmmm...mm...mmm..
Hmm..mm…mmm…mmm…..Hmm..mm...mmm...mmm.....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Yaaro' from the film Karu (Diya) is a deeply heartbreaking lament sung for an unborn child whose life was terminated in the womb. Lyricist Madhan Karky crafts a poignant narrative questioning who is responsible for bringing a soul into existence only to extinguish it before it could bloom. The lyrics address the embryo as a tender flower and a flame, grieving the tragic end of a life that never had the chance to be lived. The mother bids farewell to her unborn baby, describing the world as a desolate, spinning hell full of sorrow. She offers her tears as the child's final ritual bath and sings a sorrowful last lullaby, tragically placing the burden of a funeral pyre onto a tiny dot of life. It serves as a powerful thematic piece about loss, maternal grief, and the haunting reality of abortion.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Theeyae theeyae... Poovae poovae...

Addressing the unborn embryo directly as 'Theeyae' (fire) and 'Poovae' (flower) to symbolize warmth, potential, and delicate purity.

Anaphora / Repetition (Adukku Thodar)

Yaaro yaaro / Unai vidhaithathu yaaro

The deliberate repetition of 'Yaaro yaaro' creates a haunting, rhythmic inquiry emphasizing anguish, mystery, and blame.

Contrast / Antithesis

Pulli unnil kolli vaikkirom

Contrasting 'Pulli' (a tiny dot/embryo) with 'Kolli' (the heavy funeral pyre fire), highlighting the tragedy of mourning a life that barely started.

Rhyme & Assonance (Emonai / Ethirhai)

Neel thuyarum / Piravi thuyarum

Matching end-rhymes like 'Neel thuyarum / Piravi thuyarum' and 'Paazh ulagam / Suzhalum naragam' create a mournful, song-like cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song features in the 2018 horror drama 'Karu' (released as 'Diya' in Telugu), directed by A. L. Vijay and starring Sai Pallavi. The movie's core theme revolves around female foeticide and the spirit of an unborn child. Madhan Karky penned the lyrics specifically to highlight the raw emotion of maternal regret and grief.

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