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Lyrics & meaning

Maalai Neram

From Aayirathil Oruvan (2010) · 2010

Lyricist
Selvaraghavan
Singers
Andrea Jeremiah, G. V. Prakash Kumar
Music director
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Details
Aayirathil Oruvan (2010)2010

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Maalai neramEvening time
Mazhai thoorum kaalamSeason of drizzling rain
En jannal oram nirkkirenI stand by my window
Neeyum naanumYou and I
Oru porvaikkullaeInside a single blanket
Siru megam polae mithakkirenI float like a small cloud
Female
Odum kaalangalFleeting time
Udan odum ninaivugalMemories running along
Vazhi maarum payanangalJourneys changing paths
ThodargirathaeContinue on
Female
Idhu thaan vaazhkaiyaaIs this what life is?
Oru thunai thaan thevaiyaaIs a companion really needed?
Manam yenoWhy does my mind
Ennaiyae ketkirathaeKeep asking myself?
Female
Ohoo …Ohoo...
Kaadhal ingae ointhathuLove has ceased here
Kavithai ondru mudinthathuA poem has come to an end
Thedum pothae tholainthathuLost even while searching for it
Anbae…My beloved...
Female
Ithu sogam aanaalThough this is sorrow
Oru sugamA pleasant sweetness
Nenjin ullae paravidumSpreads inside the heart
Naam pazhgiya kaalam paravasamThe time we spent together was ecstasy
Anbae….My beloved...
Idham tharumae…It brings comfort...
Female
Un karam korkaiyilHolding your hand
Ninaivu oraayiramBrings a thousand memories
Pin iru karam pirigaiyilThen when two hands separate
Ninaivu nooraayiramBrings a hundred thousand memories
Female
Kaadhalil vizhuntha idhayamThe heart that fell in love
Meetka mudiyaathathuCannot be retrieved
Kanavil tholaintha nijangalThe realities lost in dreams
Meendum kidaikkaathathuCannot be found again
Female
Oru kaalaiyil nee illaiOne morning you were not there
Thedavum manam varavillaiThe mind didn't even want to search
Pirinthathum purinthathuUpon parting, it was understood
Naan enna izhanthen enaWhat I had lost
Female
Oru murai vaasalilAt the doorstep once
Neeyaai vandhaal ennaWhat if you came on your own?
Naan ketkavae thudithidumThe words I long to hear
Vaarthai sonnaal enna..What if you spoke them?
Female
Iru manamWhen two hearts
Sergaiyil pizhaigalCome together, mistakes
Poruthukkondaal enna..What if they are forgiven?
Iru dhisai paravaigal inaindhaeBirds from two directions joining together
Vinnil sendraal enna..What if they fly into the sky?
Female
En thedalgal nee illaiYou are not what I search for
Un kanavugal naan illaiI am not your dreams
Iruvizhi paarvaiyil naamIn the gaze of two pairs of eyes
Urugi nindraal enna…..aaaa……What if we melt and stand?
Mmm….mmm…aaa…..aa….Mmm... mmm... aaa... aa...
Haaa….aaa……mm……Haaa... aaa... mm...
Female
Maalai neramEvening time
Mazhai thoorum kaalamSeason of drizzling rain
En jannal oram nirkkirenI stand by my window
Neeyum naanumYou and I
Oru porvaikkullaeInside a single blanket
Siru megam polae mithakkirenI float like a small cloud
Female
Odum kaalangalFleeting time
Udan odum ninaivugalMemories running along
Vazhi maarum payanangalJourneys changing paths
ThodargirathaeContinue on
Female
Idhu thaan vaazhkaiyaaIs this what life is?
Oru thunai thaan thevaiyaaIs a companion really needed?
Manam yenoWhy does my mind
Ennaiyae ketkirathaeKeep asking myself?
Female
Kaadhal ingae ointhathuLove has ceased here
OinthathuHas ceased
Kavithai ondru mudinthathuA poem has come to an end
MudinthathuHas ended
Thedum pothae tholainthathuLost even while searching for it
TholainthathuWas lost
Anbae…anbae..anbae…aeBeloved... beloved... beloved...
Female
Ithu sogam aanaalThough this is sorrow
Oru sugamA sweetness
Oru sugamA sweetness
Nenjin ullae paravidumSpreads inside the heart
Naam pazhgiya kaalam paravasamThe time we spent together was ecstasy
Anbae….Beloved...
{Idham tharumae…} (2)It brings comfort...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Maalai Neram is an atmospheric and introspective song from Selvaraghavan's 2010 film Aayirathil Oruvan, composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar. Set against a rainy evening backdrop, the song captures a protagonist standing by the window, reminiscing about past intimacy and contemplating the nature of separation. It delves into the existential questions of life, love, and whether human companionship is an absolute necessity or an inevitable source of bittersweet pain. Through vivid imagery of rain, floating clouds, and separating hands, the song illustrates how love, even after ending like a finished poem, leaves behind memories that offer comfort amidst grief. It highlights the longing for reconciliation, forgiveness, and the quiet acceptance of lost realities.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Siru megam polae mithakkiren

Compares the feeling of warmth and cozy intimacy to floating like a tiny cloud.

Oxymoron / Juxtaposition

Ithu sogam aanaal / Oru sugam

Contrasts sorrow (sogam) with a pleasant sweetness (sugam), expressing the bittersweet nature of heartbreak.

Metaphor (Uruvagham)

Kavithai ondru mudinthathu

Equates the end of a romantic relationship to the completion of a poem.

Alliteration (Moonaai)

Maalai neram / Mazhai thoorum kaalam

Repetition of the initial 'M' sound across adjacent lines to create a rhythmic musical effect.

Did you know?

Trivia

Maalai Neram was composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar with lyrics written directly by director Selvaraghavan himself. The track features vocals by Andrea Jeremiah and G. V. Prakash Kumar, and is widely praised for its acoustic arrangement, minimalist production, and deeply poetic lyrics reflecting Selvaraghavan's trademark introspective storytelling style.

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