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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kavithaigal Sollava Sad

From Ullam Kollai Poguthae · 2001

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Karthik Raja
Details
Ullam Kollai Poguthae2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Hoohoohooo..hoo..ooo..ooHoohoohooo..hoo..ooo..oo
Kavidhaigal sollava un peyar sollavaShould I recite poems, or should I speak your name?
Irandumae ondru thaan oh hoBoth are one and the same, oh ho!
Oviyam varaiyavaaShould I draw a painting,
Un kaal thadam varaiyavaaOr should I trace your footprints?
Irandumae ondru than oh hoBoth are one and the same, oh ho!
Male
Yaar antha roja pooWho is that rose flower?
Kannadi nenjinmelUpon my glass-like heart,
Kal veesi ponaal aval yaaroo..Who is she who threw a stone and walked away?
Male
{Ullam kollai poguthaeMy heart is being stolen,
Unnai kanda naal mudhalFrom the day I saw you,
Ullam kollai poguthaeMy heart is being stolen,
Anbae en anbae} (2)Oh love, my love! (2)
Male
Hoo hoo hoo..oooHoo hoo hoo..ooo
Kaagithathil seitha poovukkumIs there a similarity between a paper flower
En manasukkum ottrumai irukirathoAnd my heart?
Irandumae poojaiku pogaathoWill neither of them ever be accepted in a sacred ritual?
Ho ho ho..oooHo ho ho..ooo
Male
Boomikkul irukkindra nerupukkumIs there a connection between the fire deep within the earth
En asaikkum sammantham irukirathoAnd my desire?
Irandumae velivara mudiyaathoCan neither of them come out into the open?
Ho ho ho..oooHo ho ho..ooo
Male
Sediyai poo pooka vaithaalumEven if a plant blooms with flowers,
Vergal mannukkul maraiyumIts roots remain hidden beneath the soil.
Udattil punmuruval poothaalumEven if a smile blooms on my lips,
Ullae sarugaai kidakuthaeMy inner self lies withered like dry leaves.
Ho ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohooHo ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohoo
Ho ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohooHo ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohoo
Male
Hoo hoo hoo..oooHoo hoo hoo..ooo
Unmaiyil naan oru gadigaaramIn truth, I am like a clock,
Yen sutrugirom endru theriyaamalWithout knowing why I am spinning,
Suthuthamma ingu en vazhvumMy life too spins endlessly here.
Ho ho ho..oooo..Ho ho ho..oooo..
Male
Unmayil en manam mezhugaagumIn truth, my heart is like wax,
Sila iruttukuthaan athu oli veesumIt sheds light only in certain darknesses,
Kadaisivarai thaniyaai urugumAnd melts away in solitude until the end.
Ho ho ho..oooo..Ho ho ho..oooo..
Male
Pirarin mugam kaattum kannadiA mirror that shows the faces of others
Atharku mugam ondrum illai..Has no face of its own.
Antha kannadi naanthanaeAm I not that very mirror?
Mugamae illai ennidamthaan..For I have no face or identity of my own.
Ho ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohooHo ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohoo
Ho ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohooHo ho ho..ooo hoo hoo oohoo
Male
Kavidhaigal sollava un peyar sollavaShould I recite poems, or should I speak your name?
Irandumae ondru thaan oh hoBoth are one and the same, oh ho!
Oviyam varaiyavaaShould I draw a painting,
Un kaal thadam varaiyavaaOr should I trace your footprints?
Irandumae ondru than oh hoBoth are one and the same, oh ho!
Male
Yaar antha roja pooWho is that rose flower?
Kannadi nenjinmelUpon my glass-like heart,
Kal veesi ponaal aval yaaroo..Who is she who threw a stone and walked away?
Male
{Ullam kollai poguthaeMy heart is being stolen,
Unnai kanda naal mudhalFrom the day I saw you,
Ullam kollai poguthaeMy heart is being stolen,
Anbae en anbae} (2)Oh love, my love! (2)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This melancholic song captures the profound pain and existential reflection of a lover whose heart has been captured by an enigmatic beloved. He equates uttering her name to reciting poetry and tracing her footsteps to creating art. However, her sudden presence has shattered his fragile, glass-like heart. He laments the invisible nature of his suffering, drawing parallels between his heart and a artificial paper flower unfit for worship, as well as his suppressed passions and the subterranean fires trapped beneath the earth's surface. Through poignant philosophical metaphors, the narrator reflects on his identity: he feels like a mechanical clock spinning aimlessly without knowing its purpose, a block of wax that sheds light on others while quietly consuming itself in isolation, and a mirror that reflects the faces of everyone else while lacking an identity of its own. Despite putting on a smiling face for the world, his spirit inside feels as withered as dry leaves.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kavidhaigal sollava un peyar sollava / Irandumae ondru thaan

Equating the beloved's name directly to poetry, and her footprints to fine art.

Metaphor

Kannadi nenjinmel kal veesi ponaal aval yaaroo..

Describing the heart as fragile glass that shatters when struck by a stone, representing emotional injury caused by love.

Analogy / Simile

Kaagithathil seitha poovukkum / En manasukkum ottrumai irukiratho

Comparing the heart to a paper flower that cannot be offered in worship, symbolizing unfulfilled purpose or unaccepted love.

Contrast / Visual Imagery

Udattil punmuruval poothaalum / Ullae sarugaai kidakuthae

Contrasting the outward appearance of a blooming smile on the lips with the internal reality of withered dry leaves.

Extended Metaphor

Unmaiyil naan oru gadigaaram ... Unmayil en manam mezhugaagum ... Pirarin mugam kaattum kannadi

Using everyday objects—a clock spinning aimlessly, wax melting in isolation, and a faceless mirror—to symbolize existential dread and loss of self.

Did you know?

Trivia

The soundtrack for the 2001 romantic drama 'Ullam Kollai Poguthae' starring Prabhu Deva and Anjala Zaveri was composed by Karthik Raja. The male version of this iconic track 'Kavidhaigal Sollava' was rendered by Hariharan with lyricist Pa. Vijay crafting its deeply philosophical lines.

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