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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Munnerudhan

From Indira · 1995

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
T. L. Maharajan, Swarnalatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Indira1995

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Male
MayilakaalaOh peacock-colored bull!
Maruthakaala.. aaa…aa…aa..Oh medicine-legged bull.. aaa…aa…aa..
Mani kayuthula sodi seruPair up with bells tied around the neck.
Velutha kaalaOh white bull!
Sevatha kaala.. aaa..aa..aa..Oh red bull.. aaa..aa..aa..
Edam valamaa sodi seruPair up from left to right.
Female
Maari maari pozhiya venumRains must pour down abundantly.
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalumChorus: Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Bhoomi thaayi kulira venumFemale: Mother Earth needs to cool down.
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalumChorus: Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Vaanam partha karisakaaduFemale: The sky-gazing black cotton field,
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalumChorus: Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Manasapola ilaga venumFemale: Must soften like a compassionate heart.
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalumChorus: Yelaanagadi yellalum
Male
Munnaeruthaan poottiYoking the front plough,
Chorus :Yelelangadi yeleloChorus: Yelelangadi yelelo
Male :Pora vazhi nee kaattuMale: Show us the path to proceed!
Chorus :Yelelangadi yeloChorus: Yelelangadi yelo
Male :Pinnaeruthaan ottiMale: Driving the rear plough,
Chorus :Yelelangadi yeleloChorus: Yelelangadi yelelo
Male :Sollipudu oru vaatiMale: Say it out loud just once!
Chorus :Yelelangadi yeloChorus: Yelelangadi yelo
Female
Ponneru thaan poottiYoking the golden plough,
Chorus :Hmmmm..Chorus: Hmmmm..
Female :Vetha poda venumFemale: Seeds must be sown.
Chorus :Poda venumChorus: Must be sown.
Female :Muppogam velanjuFemale: Yielding three harvests a year,
Chorus :Hmmmm..Chorus: Hmmmm..
Female :Pasi aaravenumFemale: Everyone's hunger must be satiated.
Chorus :AaravenumChorus: Must be satiated.
Chorus
Yelaanagadi yellalum..(4)Yelaanagadi yellalum.. (x4)
Chorus
{Thanthanana thaana..{Thanthanana thaana..
Yelaanagadi yellalumYelaanagadi yellalum
Thaa na na thaa na..Thaa na na thaa na..
Yelaanagadi yellalumYelaanagadi yellalum
Thaa na na na thaa na na..Thaa na na na thaa na na..
Yelaanagadi yellaloYelaanagadi yellalo
Thaa na na na thaa na na..Thaa na na na thaa na na..
Yelaanagadi yellalo..} (2)Yelaanagadi yellalo..} (x2)
Male
Aaa….aaa…aaa…aaa…..Aaa….aaa…aaa…aaa…..
Chorus
Yelaanagadi yellalum..(4)Yelaanagadi yellalum.. (x4)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a traditional Tamil agrarian folk track (Aerppaattu) celebrating the spirit of farming, soil, and community work. The farmers invoke their bulls—categorized by color and traits like peacock-hued, white, and red—asking them to pair up and plough the land seamlessly. The lyrics express a collective prayer for rainfall so that Mother Earth cools down and the hard, sky-watching black soil softens like a human heart, making it fit for sowing seeds.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Female :Manasapola ilaga venum”

Compares the softening of the hard dry field (karisakaadu) to the softening of a human heart (manasapola ilaga venum).

Personification

“Female :Bhoomi thaayi kulira venum”

Personifies the Earth as a mother ('Bhoomi thaayi') who needs to cool down.

Etukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Velutha kaala / Sevatha kaala”

Rhyming of the second letter 'la' and 'va' sound patterns in Tamil folk couplets ('Velutha' / 'Sevatha').

Refrain / Work Song Syllables

“Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum”

The repetitive rhythmic chant ('Yelaanagadi yellalum') is a classic feature of Tamil folk work songs (Ettappaattu) to keep workers synchronized.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although listed as Unknown in the prompt, this song is composed by A. R. Rahman for the 1995 movie 'Indira', directed by Suhasini Maniratnam. Written by Vairamuthu, this track captures authentic Tamil rural agricultural chants ('Aerppaattu') sung during soil tilling and seed sowing.

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