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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Maaney Mayanguvathu

From Thanga Manasukkaran · 1992

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singer
Mano
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Thanga Manasukkaran1992

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Maanae mayanguvadhaeno…Oh my gentle deer, why are you swooning in confusion?
Male
Unai thaanae kalanguvadhaeno…Why are you troubled over yourself?
Male
Mani kuyil isaikkudhadiThe precious cuckoo bird is making music,
Manam indru urugudhadiThe heart melts today.
Siragugal virippadharkkaeTo spread its wings,
Ingu vazhi indru thavikkudhadiThe path here yearns in longing today.
Adi maanae marandhadhum yaenoOh my deer, why did you forget?
Uyri thaanae urugida thaanoIs it only for the soul to melt away?
Ilam kaatrae neeyum kaettu vaaOh gentle breeze, listen to this and come,
En sogam neeyum koori vaaConvey my sorrow as well.
Male
Mani kuyil isaikkudhadiThe precious cuckoo bird is making music,
Manam indru urugudhadiThe heart melts today.
Siragugal virippadharkkaeTo spread its wings,
Ingu vazhi indru thavikkudhadiThe path here yearns in longing today.
Male
Kaatru dhisai maari ponaalIf the wind changes direction,
Kattu maram pogumoWill the catamaran drift away off course?
Kaadhal dhisai maari ponaalIf love changes direction,
Anbu manam thaangumoCan a loving heart endure it?
Neerodai meedhil poi kolam polaeLike a temporary pattern drawn on a river stream,
Nam kaadhal kolangalAre our patterns of love?
Ilam kaatrae neeyum kaettu vaaOh gentle breeze, listen to this and come,
En sogam neeyum koori vaaConvey my sorrow as well.
Male
Mani kuyil isaikkudhadiThe precious cuckoo bird is making music,
Manam indru urugudhadiThe heart melts today.
Siragugal virippadharkkaeTo spread its wings,
Ingu vazhi indru thavikkudhadiThe path here yearns in longing today.
Male
Aatram karai oram nindruStanding on the bank of the river,
Andru sonna paadalgalThe songs sung on that day,
Naetru vandha kaatrai polaeLike the breeze that blew yesterday,
Nenjai vittu ponadhoDid they leave the heart?
Male
Andhi vandhu saerndha pinnaeJust because dusk arrives,
Naal mudindhu pogumaaDoes the day come to a permanent end?
Sandhanam thaan kaaindha pinnaeEven after the sandalwood paste dries up,
Vaasam indri pogumaaDoes it ever lose its fragrance?
Ilavaenil meendumSpringtime must return again,
Vara vaendum inguIt must come back here,
Naan vaadum kolam yaenWhy am I in this withered state?
Ilam kaatrae neeyum kaettu vaaOh gentle breeze, listen to this and come,
En sogam neeyum koori vaaConvey my sorrow as well.
Male
Mani kuyil isaikkudhadiThe precious cuckoo bird is making music,
Manam indru urugudhadiThe heart melts today.
Siragugal virippadharkkaeTo spread its wings,
Ingu vazhi indru thavikkudhadiThe path here yearns in longing today.
Adi maanae marandhadhum yaenoOh my deer, why did you forget?
Uyri thaanae urugida thaanoIs it only for the soul to melt away?
Ilam kaatrae neeyum kaettu vaaOh gentle breeze, listen to this and come,
En sogam neeyum koori vaaConvey my sorrow as well.
Male
Mani kuyil isaikkudhadiThe precious cuckoo bird is making music,
Manam indru urugudhadiThe heart melts today.
Siragugal virippadharkkaeTo spread its wings,
Ingu vazhi indru thavikkudhadiThe path here yearns in longing today.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Maanae Mayanguvadhaeno is a deeply emotional Tamil song depicting the pain of separation, longing, and eternal affection. The protagonist speaks to his beloved, metaphorically comparing her to a deer and questioning the distance and forgetfulness that has come between them. Invoking elements of nature—such as the singing cuckoo, the gentle breeze, the riverbank, and the changing directions of the wind—he wonders if true love can disappear as easily as a temporary drawing on water. He asserts that genuine love, like sandalwood that retains its fragrance even after drying out, never truly dies. The song captures a heartfelt plea for the springtime of reunion to return and restore life to his withered soul.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

Neerodai meedhil poi kolam polae

Compares fleeting love or changing emotions to a pattern drawn on flowing stream water (Kolam on a stream).

Metaphor (Uvamaani / Sandhana Uvamai)

Sandhanam thaan kaaindha pinnae / Vaasam indri pogumaa

Compares enduring love to sandalwood paste which retains its rich fragrance even after drying.

Personification (Tharkurippettra Ani)

Ilam kaatrae neeyum kaettu vaa / En sogam neeyum koori vaa

Addresses the gentle breeze as an empathetic messenger who can listen to grief and convey it to the beloved.

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Mani kuyil isaikkudhadi / Manam indru urugudhadi

Repetition of initial phonetic sounds across consecutive lines for rhythmic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track is from the 1992 Tamil rural drama film Thanga Manasukkaran, starring Ramarajan and Rupini. Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by Gangai Amaran, the song features soul-stirring vocal renditions by Mano and S. Janaki, remaining a classic 90s Tamil melody.

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