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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Mazhaiyum Neeye

From Azhagan · 1991

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Maragathamani
Details
Azhagan1991

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Mazhaiyum neeyae veyilum neeyaeYou are the rain, you are the sunshine,
Nilavum neeyae neruppum neeyaeYou are the moon, you are the fire.
Adadaa unaithaanAh, is it you...
Ingu vaazhum maanidar kaadhal enbadhaathat humans living here call love?
Male
Mazhaiyum neeyae veyilum neeyaeYou are the rain, you are the sunshine,
Nilavum neeyae neruppum neeyaeYou are the moon, you are the fire.
Adadaa unaithaanAh, is it you...
Ingu vaazhum maanidar kaadhal enbadhaathat humans living here call love?
Male
Mazhaiyum neeyae…You are the rain...
Male
Idhu enna mannil koodaWhat is this, can even on earth
Nilavum varumaathe moon descend?
Sarasam payilum vizhiyil varumaeIt descends in the eyes that learn the art of flirtation.
Idhu enna thendral koodaWhat is this, can even the gentle breeze
Analaai chudumaaburn like fire?
Thanimai ninaivil analaai chuduthaeIn the memory of solitude, it burns like fire.
Male
Paarkkaamal mella paarththaalaeGlancing softly without seeming to look,
Adhudhaanaa kaadhal kalaiis that the fine art of love?
Tholodu alli cherthaanaeGathering close to the shoulders,
Adhudhaanaa mona nilaiis that the state of silent bliss?
Idhu dhaan sorgamaaIs this heaven?
Idhu kaamadhavaenin yaaga saalaiyaaIs this the sacrificial hall of the God of Love?
Male
Mazhaiyum neeyae veyilum neeyaeYou are the rain, you are the sunshine,
Nilavum neeyae neruppum neeyaeYou are the moon, you are the fire.
Adadaa unaithaanAh, is it you...
Ingu vaazhum maanidar kaadhal enbadhaathat humans living here call love?
Male
Kalaiyellaam kattru kollumLearning all the arts of youth,
Paruvam paruvamoh youth, youth!
Kadal neer alaipol idhayam alaiyumLike the ocean waves, the heart surges restless.
Karu neela kangal rendumBoth deep dark blue eyes,
Pavazham pavazhamresemble coral, resemble coral!
Eriyum viragam adhilae theriyumThe burning pain of separation is visible in them.
Male
Yegaandham indha aanandhamSolitude and this divine bliss,
Adhan ellai yaararivaarwho knows its boundary?
Yedhedho sugam podhaadhoWon't all kinds of pleasures be enough?
Indha yekkam yaararivaarWho understands this deep yearning?
Mudhalaai mudivaaiAs the beginning and as the end,
Ingu endrum vaazhvadhuthat which lives here forever,
Kaadhal ondru dhaanis love alone.
Male
Mazhaiyum neeyae veyilum neeyaeYou are the rain, you are the sunshine,
Nilavum neeyae neruppum neeyaeYou are the moon, you are the fire.
Adadaa unaithaanAh, is it you...
Ingu vaazhum maanidar kaadhal enbadhaathat humans living here call love?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Mazhaiyum Neeyae Veyilum Neeyae from the film Azhagan (1991) is a profound poetic exploration of love's dual and paradoxical nature. The lyrics compare love to opposite natural forces—rain and sunshine, moon and fire—capturing how love brings both cooling comfort and burning passion. Through evocative imagery, the song portrays romantic gaze, silent embraces, solitude, and intense yearning as manifestations of a divine emotional force. Composed by Maragathamani (M. M. Keeravani) with lyrics written by Pulamaipithan, the track frames love as an eternal element. It questions whether mortal intimacy is actually a glimpse of paradise or a sacred ritual dedicated to the God of Love, ultimately concluding that love is the sole entity that endures from beginning to end.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Oxymoron / Contrast (Muran)

Mazhaiyum neeyae veyilum neeyae / Nilavum neeyae neruppum neeyae

Pairs contrasting elemental forces (rain vs. sunshine, moon vs. fire) to represent the contradictory emotions inherent in love.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Idhu kaamadhavaenin yaaga saalaiyaa

Compares the setting of romantic togetherness to the sacred sacrificial hall of Kamadeva, the Hindu god of love.

Simile (Upamai)

Kadal neer alaipol idhayam alaiyum

Compares the restless emotional surging of the heart to the relentless motion of ocean waves.

Rhetorical Question

Idhu dhaan sorgamaa

Uses reflective questions to convey the surreal and heavenly sensation of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic song was composed by Maragathamani (popularly known across India as M. M. Keeravani / MM Kreem) for K. Balachander's 1991 Tamil hit film Azhagan, starring Mammootty, Bhanupriya, and Madhoo. Sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, the song's soundtrack earned Maragathamani the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Music Director.

Keep listening

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