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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kuyile Ilaman

From Senthamizh Selvan · 1994

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music directors
K. V. Mahadevan, Ilayaraja
Details
Senthamizh Selvan1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…O cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...
Male
Undhan koottil irundhuCome out from your nest
Veliyil vandhu paadu…And sing out loud...
Male
Kettu adhai thaan kettuUpon hearing that, yes, hearing that
Mella thirumbumWill slowly return
Enadhu thaayin pazhaiya ninaivuMy mother's old memories.
Male
Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…O cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...
Undhan koottil irundhuCome out from your nest
Veliyil vandhu paadu…And sing out loud...
Kettu adhai thaan kettuUpon hearing that, yes, hearing that
Mella thirumbumWill slowly return
Enadhu thaayin pazhaiya ninaivuMy mother's old memories.
Male
Mayilae malai vaazh mayilaeO peacock, mountain-dwelling peacock,
Vanna chiragai virithuSpread your colorful wings
Azhagu nadanam aaduAnd perform a beautiful dance.
Paarthu adhai thaan paarthuWatching that, yes, watching that
Mella theliyum mayangi thavikkumWill slowly clear up, the distressed and suffering
Thaayin manadhuMind of my mother.
Male
Piravaadha thamizh konduIf music is sung
Isai paadinaalUsing timeless Tamil,
Thiravaadha kadhavaedhumThere is no door
KidaiyaadhammaaThat remains unopened, my dear.
Tholai dhooram irukkindraUp to the distant
Thodu vaan varaiHorizon far away,
Thamizh paadal poi chaeraFor Tamil songs to reach,
Thadai yaedhammaaWhat obstacle could there be, my dear?
Male
Oru naal varum thirunaal varumA day will come, a holy day will come,
Naan yaar endru thaai kanduWhen mother recognizes who I am
Maganae enalaamAnd calls me 'My son!'
Vizhi eeramum mana baaramumThe wetness in the eyes and the heavy burden of heart,
Ini oindhingu naan annai madiyil vizhalaamWill rest here as I fall into mother's lap.
Male
Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…O cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...
Undhan koottil irundhuCome out from your nest
Veliyil vandhu paadu…And sing out loud...
Kettu adhai thaan kettuUpon hearing that, yes, hearing that
Mella thirumbumWill slowly return
Enadhu thaayin pazhaiya ninaivuMy mother's old memories.
Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…O cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...
Male
Aaa….aaa….aa…haa…aa…aaa….aa…Aaa....aaa....aa...haa...aa...aaa....aa…
Aaa…aaa…aa….haha aa…aa…aa…haa…aaa…aa…Aaa…aaa…aa….haha aa…aa…aa…haa…aaa…aa…
Male
Dhinam thorum ammaavaiEvery single day, my mother
NeeraatuvenI will bathe,
Thalai vaari azhagaagaCombing her hair beautifully,
Poo choottuvenI will adorn her with flowers.
Pasi aara manivaayil soroottuvenTo satisfy her hunger, I will feed her delicious rice,
Thaai pola naan maari thaalaattuvenBecoming like a mother myself, I will sing a lullaby.
Male
Munnooru naalFor three hundred days
Madi thaanginaalShe carried me in her womb,
Andha thaai thaanaeIs she not that very mother,
Naan potrum kadavul vadivamThe divine form of God I worship?
Pala koyilo pala dheivamoAre there many temples or many deities?
Ingu veraedhu naan kaanaWhat else is there for me to see
Ulagam muzhudhumIn this entire world?
Male
Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…O cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...
Undhan koottil irundhuCome out from your nest
Veliyil vandhu paadu…And sing out loud...
Kettu adhai thaan kettuUpon hearing that, yes, hearing that
Mella thirumbumWill slowly return
Enadhu thaayin pazhaiya ninaivuMy mother's old memories.
Male
Mayilae malai vaazh mayilaeO peacock, mountain-dwelling peacock,
Vanna chiragai virithuSpread your colorful wings
Azhagu nadanam aaduAnd perform a beautiful dance.
Paarthu adhai thaan paarthuWatching that, yes, watching that
Mella theliyum mayangi thavikkumWill slowly clear up, the distressed and suffering
Thaayin manadhuMind of my mother.
Male
Kuyilae ila maanguyilaeO cuckoo, young mango-cuckoo...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This soulful song expresses a son's tender love and deep concern for his mother who has lost her memory and mental clarity. He appeals to nature—specifically the cuckoo and the mountain peacock—to sing and dance, hoping that the sights and sounds of nature will awaken his mother's forgotten past and soothe her troubled mind. He praises the power of Tamil music to open any closed door and heal any distance, praying for the blessed day when his mother recognizes him and calls him her son again. In the second stanza, the protagonist declares his devotion by taking on the role of a mother to his own mother. He pledges to bathe her, comb her hair, adorn her with flowers, and feed her lovingly every day. He reveres her as his true living god who bore him for three hundred days in her womb, concluding that no temple or deity in the entire world holds greater divinity for him than his mother.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Apostrophe (Personification/Addressing Nature)

Kuyilae ila maanguyilae…

The singer addresses the cuckoo bird ('Kuyilae') and the peacock ('Mayilae'), entreating them to sing and dance to heal his mother.

Monorhyme / Edhugai (Second-letter Harmony)

Piravaadha thamizh kondu / Thiravaadha kadhavaedhum

The Tamil poetic device 'Edhugai' is seen with matching second letters ('ra') in 'Piravaadha' and 'Thiravaadha'.

Metaphor / Role Reversal

Thaai pola naan maari thaalaattuven

The son adopts the role of a mother ('Thaai pola naan maari'), poetically reversing the maternal care dynamic.

Hyperbole / Deification

Naan potrum kadavul vadivam

Comparing the mother to a living manifestation of God ('kadavul vadivam') and superior to all temples.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Senthamizh Selvan' (1994) stars Prashanth and Sukanya. The soundtrack was composed by M. S. Viswanathan and Ilaiyaraaja (credited jointly or as MSV-Raja collaboration in this era), featuring lyrics written by the veteran lyricist Vaali.

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