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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kizhaku Sivakayile

From Seevalaperi Pandi · 1994

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Rajagopal, Sujatha Mohan
Music director
Adithyan
Details
Seevalaperi Pandi1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kizhakku sivakkayilaeAs the east turns red at dawn
Male :Kizhakku sivakkayilaeMale: As the east turns red at dawn
Male :Keera arukkayilaeMale: While harvesting the greens
Male :Naan keera arukkayilaeMale: While I am harvesting the greens
Male :Andha karumbu kadikkayilaeMale: While chewing that sugarcane
Male :Andha karumbu kadikkayilaeMale: While chewing that sugarcane
Naan pazhasai nenaikkayilaeAs I remember the past
Pal aruvaa pattiduchaeThe sharp sickle struck me
Male :Sabaash konareMale: Bravo, Konare!
Male
Kizhakku sivakkayilaeAs the east turns red at dawn
Keera arukkayilaeWhile harvesting the greens
Andha karumbu kadikkayilaeWhile chewing that sugarcane
Naan pazhasai nenaikkayilaeAs I remember the past
Pal aruvaa pattiduchaeThe sharp sickle struck me
Female
Meesai vettaruvaaA moustached billhook
En aasai suttirumaa…Will my desire burn me?
Un vesham kalainchiruma?Will your disguise fall away?
Naan nesam ninaikkayilaeAs I think of love and affection
Nenjurugi poyiruchaeMy heart melted away
Nenjurugi poyiruchaeMy heart melted away
Male
Manasu aaralayaeMy heart has not healed
En kobam theeralaiyaeMy anger has not subsided
Naam vaazhvum maaralaiyaeOur lives have not changed
Un mugathai paarkkaiyilaeWhen looking at your face
En thunbam parandhiruchaeMy sorrow flew away
Female
Raasaa maaridanumO King, you must change
En paasam purinchikkanumYou must understand my affection
Puthu paadhai paarthukkanumYou must choose a new path
Nalla thisaiyil nadakkaiyilaeWhen walking in the right direction
Edhir kaalam porandhidumaeA new future will be born
Edhir kaalam porandhidumaeA new future will be born
Male
Vaazhkkai naadagamaaIs life just a drama?
En porappu poi kanakkaa…Is my birth a wrong calculation?
Dhinam dhorum verum kanavaa…Is every single day merely a dream?
En vidhiya ezhudhaiyilaeWhile writing my destiny
Andha saamiyum urangiyadhaeEven God fell asleep
Female
Aiyaa kalangaadhaeSir, do not be distressed
Sooriyan udaiyaadhaeThe sun will not break
Oor vancham nilaikkaadhaeThe town's malice will not last
Nee ula naal mattum dhaanOnly as long as you live
Indha usirum pogaadhaeThis life of mine will not leave
Indha usirum pogaadhaeThis life of mine will not leave

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from the film Seevalaperi Pandi (1994) is a deeply emotional folk track expressing hardship, fate, fraternal bond, and the desire for redemption. Using rural agricultural imagery like cutting greens and harvesting sugarcane, the song draws parallels between physical labor and emotional pain, showing how resurfacing past memories can wound a person deeper than a sharp blade.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Kizhakku sivakkayilae / Keera arukkayilae / Andha karumbu kadikkayilae

The repetitive use of the suffix '-ayilae' across multiple lines (sivakkayilae, arukkayilae, kadikkayilae, nenaikkayilae) creates a harmonious melodic rhythm characteristic of southern Tamil folk songs.

Metaphor

Naan pazhasai nenaikkayilae / Pal aruvaa pattiduchae

The accidental cut from a sharp sickle ('pal aruvaa') acts as a metaphor for the sharp, sudden pain triggered by bitter memories of the past.

Rhetorical Question

Vaazhkkai naadagamaa / En porappu poi kanakkaa…

The singer questions the existential unfairness of life, asking if human existence is merely a play or a mathematical error made by fate.

Personification

En vidhiya ezhudhaiyilae / Andha saamiyum urangiyadhae

The song personifies God as an exhausted scribe who accidentally fell asleep while writing the protagonist's tragic fate.

Did you know?

Trivia

Seevalaperi Pandi (1994) is a acclaimed Tamil film based on the real-life story of a legendary village hero from southern Tamil Nadu. The soundtrack was composed by Adithyan with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The rustic folk score was widely praised for capturing the authentic rural flavor of Thirunelveli.

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