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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Neerazhi Mandabathil

From Thalaivan · 1970

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Movie name
Thalaivan
Movie release year
1970
Lyrics added on
14 May 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Neeraazhi mandabathil
Neeraazhi mandabathil
Thendral neendhi varum nalliravil
Thalaivan varaamal kaathirundhaal
Pennorutthi vizhi malar
Poothirundhaal
Naadaalum mannavanin
Naadaalum mannavanin
Idhaya veedaalum pennarasi
Thanimai thaalaamal thavithirundhaal
Mannan kai thodum podhu thalai kunindhaal
Vaadaiyilae vaazhai ilai kuniyum
Vaadaiyilae vaazhai ilai kuniyum
Karai varugaiyilae pongum alai kuniyum
Kaadhalilae penmai thalai kuniyum
Aa… aa… aa… aa… aa… aa…aa…aa…aa…aa…
Kaadhalilae penmai thalai kuniyum
Idam koduppadharkkae
Naanam thadai vidhikkum
Pennilavu angae naanuvadhai kandu
Aa… aa… aa… aa… aa… aa…aa…aa…aa…aa…
Pennilavu angae naanuvadhai kandu
Vennilavu mugilil poi maraiya
Vennilavu mugilil poi maraiya
Kaadhalanum nalla vaelai kandaan
Aval poo mugathil mutham nooru kondaan
Neeraazhi mandabathil…
Thaen alandhae idhazh thirandhirukka
Adhai thaan alandhae mannan suvaithirukka
Thaen alandhae idhazh thirandhirukka
Adhai thaan alandhae mannan suvaithirukka
Poi maraindha nilavum mugil kizhikka
Poi maraindha nilavum mugil kizhikka
Vandhu vaai niraiya avarkku vaazhthuraikka
Peralavil iruvar endrirukka
Sugam peruvadhilae ondraai inaindhirukka
Ezh thisaiyil kadhir thondrum varai
Angu pozhindhadhellaam inba kaadhal mazhai
Neeraazhi mandabathil
Thendral neendhi varum nalliravil
Thalaivan varaamal kaathirundhaal
Pennoruthi vizhi malar poothirundhaal
In the pavilion surrounded by water,
In the pavilion surrounded by water,
At midnight, as the gentle breeze drifts in,
Her lover had not yet arrived, and she kept waiting,
A woman, her flower-like eyes
Blossoming with longing.
Of the king who rules the land,
Of the king who rules the land,
The queen who rules the home of his heart,
Longed for him, unable to bear her loneliness.
When the king touched her hand, she bowed her head in shyness.
In the cold wind, the banana leaf bends low,
In the cold wind, the banana leaf bends low,
As it reaches the shore, the surging wave bows low,
In love, a woman bows her head in shyness.
Aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa...
In love, a woman bows her head in shyness.
Even to welcome him close,
Shyness stands in the way.
Seeing this moon-like woman's shyness,
Aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa... aa...
Seeing this moon-like woman's shyness,
As the white moon went and hid behind the clouds,
As the white moon went and hid behind the clouds,
Her lover saw the perfect moment,
And placed a hundred kisses on her flower-like face.
In the pavilion surrounded by water...
As her lips parted, brimming with honey,
And the king savoured every drop of it,
As her lips parted, brimming with honey,
And the king savoured every drop of it,
The hidden moon tore through the clouds,
The hidden moon tore through the clouds,
And came out to offer them its wholehearted blessings.
Though they were two in name,
They became one in their shared joy.
Until the morning sun appeared across the skies,
All that poured there was a shower of blissful love.
In the pavilion surrounded by water,
At midnight, as the gentle breeze drifted in,
Her lover had not arrived, yet she kept waiting,
A woman waited with her flower-like eyes open wide.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song describes a romantic nocturnal encounter between a ruler and his beloved queen inside a water pavilion ('Neeraazhi Mandapam'). The heroine waits impatiently for her lover in the serene midnight air. When he arrives and touches her hand, modesty takes over, and she lowers her head in shyness. Lyricist Vaali uses metaphors of nature—banana leaves bending in the wind and waves receding at the shore—to illustrate the natural grace of feminine shyness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Simile & Metaphor (உவமை / உருவகம்)

“Pennorutthi vizhi malar / Poothirundhaal”

Compares the woman's eyes to a blossoming flower ('vizhi malar poothirundhaal') and her face to a flower ('poo mugathil').

Analogy / Parallelism

“Vaadaiyilae vaazhai ilai kuniyum / Karai varugaiyilae pongum alai kuniyum / Kaadhalilae penmai thalai kuniyum”

Draws an analogy between a banana leaf bending in wind, a wave lowering at the shore, and a woman lowering her head out of modesty in love.

Personification

“Vennilavu mugilil poi maraiya”

Personifies the moon, portraying it as hiding behind clouds out of shyness upon seeing the heroine's romantic moments, and later returning to bless the lovers.

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

“Peralavil iruvar endrirukka / Sugam peruvadhilae ondraai inaindhirukka”

Tamil poetic rhyme where second letters match (e.g., 'Idam' / 'Naanam' / 'Pennilavu' or 'Peralavil' / 'Sugam peruvadhilae').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Neeraazhi mandabathil' from the film Thalaivan (1970) features M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Jayalalithaa. The music was composed by S.M. Subbaiah Naidu, with vocals by T.M. Soundararajan and P. Susheela, written by Vaali.

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