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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Nee Maaya Nizhal

From Hi Nanna · 2023

Lyricist
Vivek
Singers
Bhadra Rajin, Vineeth Sreenivasan
Music director
Hesham Abdul Wahab
Details
Hi Nanna2023

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Carnatic …….Carnatic vocables...
Dhaagam konda meenin kaiyilIn the hands of a thirsty fish,
Kaayum kulamaIs it a drying pond?
Kadhal endru kaneer neer ammaOh dear, is love merely a stream of tears?
Aasai konda nenjai thandhuGiving a heart full of desires,
Vangum ranamaIs a painful wound all I receive in return?
Naanum nenjum paalai vanamaAre my heart and I turning into a barren desert?
Female
Yen unnil kaadhal kondenWhy did I fall in love with you?
Yaarale kaayam kandenBecause of whom did I receive this wound?
Ye edhu marithaalum manam thaduthaalumEven if everything fades or the heart stops it,
En nenjil nee thaane…nee thaaneIn my heart, it is only you... only you.
Male
Nee maaya nizhalYou are an illusory shadow,
Naan dhora pagalI am a distant day.
Andru serndhirunthomBack then, we were united,
Indru yaaru nee yaaruToday, who are you? Who are you?
Male
Nee maaya nizhalYou are an illusory shadow,
Sudum gyabaga mulA burning thorn of memory.
Uyir vaazhnthirunthomOur souls once lived as one,
Vittu ponaval yaarWho is the woman who abandoned and left?
Female
Idhu thaan kai naluviya kanavaIs this the dream that slipped right through my hands?
Poi varam idhuvaa en vazhi mudivaaIs this a false boon, or the dead end of my path?
Uyir neeengatha per oosaiyaaIs it a roaring echo that refuses to leave the soul?
Male
Nee maaya nizhalYou are an illusory shadow,
Naan dhora pagalI am a distant day.
Andru serndhirunthomBack then, we were united,
Indru yaaru nee yaaruToday, who are you? Who are you?
Male
Nee maaya nizhalYou are an illusory shadow,
Sudum gyabaga mulA burning thorn of memory.
Uyir vaazhnthirunthomOur souls once lived as one,
Vittu ponaval yaarWho is the woman who abandoned and left?
Female
Kannai vittu dhooram sellum malar vanamaAre you a flower garden drifting far away from sight?
Kuppai roja endhan manamaIs my heart merely a discarded rose in the trash?
Moochadaikkum mounam ini nirandharamaWill this suffocating silence remain permanent from now on?
Kaatru thaeril kalavaramaIs there turmoil riding in the chariot of the wind?
Female
Yaaro nee endru pinnumEven while saying you are a stranger,
Yen nenjai pinni sendraaiWhy did you entwine my heart before leaving?
Hoo oo pul vanam pogaAs the grassy forest fades,
Pudhu mazhai pogaAs the fresh rain disappears,
Aal illa theevoram poo aanenI became a flower on a deserted island shore.
Male
Ithu soozhnilaiyaaIs this mere circumstance,
Illai theal valaiyaaOr a deadly web of scorpions?
Nammai neruppinil veesiyaThat which threw us both into the fire,
Per edhu paarLook at what name it bears!
Male
Idhu thaan vidhiyaIs this destiny,
Iraivan sathiyaOr God's absolute vow?
Madal kaaviyam azhaithidumAn epic written on palm leaves calling out,
Paal nadhiyaIs it a river of milk?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant Tamil song expresses deep grief, heartbreak, and emotional confusion following separation and loss. The protagonist reflects on the painful paradox of love, comparing his anguish to a thirsty fish in a drying pond and his heart to a discarded rose or a barren desert. He grapples with memories that feel like burning thorns, questioning whether their tragic parting was dictated by cruel fate or divine conspiracy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Nee maaya nizhal / Sudum gyabaga mul

Compares memories to burning thorns ('Sudum gyabaga mul') and the beloved to an illusory shadow ('Nee maaya nizhal').

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)

Dhaagam konda meenin kaiyil / Kaayum kulama

Uses a series of painful questions to emphasize despair and helplessness regarding destiny and love.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Nee maaya nizhal / Naan dhora pagal

Repetition of initial consonant/vowel sounds ('Nee' / 'Naan' or 'Idhu' / 'Illai') to establish musical cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track is the Tamil version from the 2023 romantic drama 'Hi Nanna', composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab. Sung by Vineeth Sreenivasan and Bhadra Rajin, the song skillfully blends classical Carnatic elements with contemporary orchestration to convey profound emotional anguish.

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