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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Manamae Manamae Thadumaarum

From Rojavanam · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Bharathwaj
Details
Rojavanam1999

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Haa…aaa…aaa…Haa…aaa…aaa…
Haa…aaa…aaa…Haa…aaa…aaa…
Male
Manamae manamaeOh heart, oh heart
Thadumaarum manamaeOh stumbling heart
Ullukkul irundhaeResiding deep within me
Uyir kollum manamaeOh heart that slays my very soul
Pennai paarkum pozhudhuWhen you look at a woman
Nee siragu virikkaadhaeDo not spread your wings
Pirindhu pona piraguAfter she separates and leaves
Nee sidhaiyum valarkkaadhaeDo not build a funeral pyre
Male
Manamae nee thoongi vidu…Oh heart, please go to sleep…
Ennai ninaivindri thoonga viduLet me sleep without any consciousness
Male
Manamae manamaeOh heart, oh heart
Thadumaarum manamaeOh stumbling heart
Ullukkul irundhaeResiding deep within me
Uyir kollum manamaeOh heart that slays my very soul
Male
Kaadhal endra maathiraikkuFor the pill called love
Eppodhum irandu gunamThere are always two distinct natures
Pottukondal bodhaiyai kodukkumIf consumed, it provides intoxication
Poga poga thookathai kedukkumAs time passes, it destroys sleep
Male
Kaadhal endra yaathiraikkuFor the journey called love
Eppodhum irandu vazhiThere are always two different paths
Vandha vazhi velichathil jolikkumThe arrival path gleams in bright light
Pogum vazhiyo irulukkul irukkumWhile the departing path lies in total darkness
Male
Kanmoodinal thookam illaiIf I close my eyes, there is no sleep
Kangal thirandhaal paaravaiyum illaiIf I open my eyes, there is no vision either
Aala virutcham pola valarudhuIt grows large like a banyan tree
Azhagu pennin nenaippuThe memory of that beautiful woman
Vetti yerindhu paarthenI tried cutting it down and throwing it away
Marupadi veril enna thulirppuYet look at how it sprouts again from the roots
En nenjamae pagai aanadhae..My own heart has turned into my enemy..
Uyir vaazhvadhae sumai aanadhaeLiving life itself has become a burden
Male
Manamae nee thoongi vidu…Oh heart, please go to sleep…
Ennai ninaivindri thoonga viduLet me sleep without any consciousness
Female
Haa…aaa…aaa…Haa…aaa…aaa…
Haa…aaa…aaa…Haa…aaa…aaa…
Male
Kaadhal thandha ninaivugalaiThe memories given by love
Kazhatri eriya mudiyavillaiI am unable to remove and discard
Alaigal vandhu adippadhinaalaeJust because waves come and crash against them
Karaigal ezhundhu oduvadhu illaiThe shores do not get up and run away
Male
Ennai marakka ninaikkaiyilumEven when I try to forget myself
Avalai marakka mudiyavillaiI am unable to forget her
Ulai moodida moodigal unduThere are lids to cover a boiling pot
Alai kadal moodida moodigal illaiThere are no lids to cover a wavy sea
Male
Kaadhalin kaiyil pookkalum unduIn love's hands, there are flowers
Kaadhalin kaiyil kathiyum unduIn love's hands, there is also a knife
Pookal kondu vandhuWill you bring flowers
Nee vaasam veesuvaayaAnd spread a sweet fragrance?
Kathi kondu vandhuOr will you bring a knife
Nee kazhuthil veesuvaayaAnd slash my throat?
En vaazhvilae enna sodhanai…What a severe trial in my life…
Naan vaazhvadhae en vedhanai…My very living has become my agony…
Male
Manamae nee thoongi vidu…Oh heart, please go to sleep…
Ennai ninaivindri thoonga viduLet me sleep without any consciousness
Male
Manamae manamaeOh heart, oh heart
Thadumaarum manamaeOh stumbling heart
Ullukkul irundhaeResiding deep within me
Uyir kollum manamaeOh heart that slays my very soul
Pennai paarkum pozhudhuWhen you look at a woman
Nee siragu virikkaadhaeDo not spread your wings
Pirindhu pona piraguAfter she separates and leaves
Nee sidhaiyum valarkkaadhaeDo not build a funeral pyre
Male
Manamae nee thoongi vidu…Oh heart, please go to sleep…
Ennai ninaivindri thoonga viduLet me sleep without any consciousness

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Manamae Manamae' from the film Rojavanam (1999) is a deeply emotional and introspective song expressing the agony of heartbreak and unrequited love. The protagonist addresses his own mind, pleading with it to stop tormenting him and to fall into an unconscious sleep. He laments how love acts as a double-edged sword—offering brief euphoria while eventually destroying peace, rest, and happiness. Through evocative metaphors comparing love to a dual-natured pill, an uncontainable sea, and a deep-rooted banyan tree that sprouts back even when chopped down, lyricist Vairamuthu captures the psychological struggle of being unable to erase painful memories. The protagonist feels betrayed by his own emotions, viewing life itself as an unbearable burden.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Manamae manamae / Thadumaarum manamae

Addressing the heart/mind ('Manamae') as a conscious being that stumbles, spreads wings, and creates a funeral pyre.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Kaadhal endra maathiraikku / Eppodhum irandu gunam

Directly comparing love to a pill ('maathirai') that intoxicates initially but eventually ruins sleep.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Kaadhal endra yaathiraikku / Eppodhum irandu vazhi

Comparing love to a journey ('yaathirai') featuring a bright entrance path and a dark exit path.

Simile (Upamai)

Aala virutcham pola valarudhu / Azhagu pennin nenaippu

Comparing the persistent memory of a woman to a rapidly growing banyan tree ('aala virutcham').

Contrast / Anthesis

Kaadhalin kaiyil pookkalum undu / Kaadhalin kaiyil kathiyum undu

Juxtaposing gentle flowers ('pookkal') with a sharp knife ('kathi') to represent the dual nature of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Rojavanam' (1999) stars Prashanth, Laila, and Vadivelu, with music composed by Bharadwaj and lyrics written by Vairamuthu. The song is widely admired for its deep melancholic lyrics and poignant vocal rendition by Unni Menon, capturing the angst of a protagonist struggling with emotional trauma.

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