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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oh My Love

From Idhaya Thamarai · 1990

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Idhaya Thamarai1990

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Manju…manju…manjuManju… Manju… Manju…
Female
Hi sheela hi neelaHi Sheela, hi Neela,
Maala …radhaaMaala… Radha…
Male
Noo …oooNo… ooo…
Oh my love …oh my loveOh my love… oh my love,
Oh my love oh my loveOh my love, oh my love.
Kannaana en kannmaniMy precious darling, dear as my eyes,
En kanneerin kadhai keladiListen to the story of my tears.
Thadumaarum ilam poongadiOh delicate flowering vine that stumbles,
En thanimaikku bathil ennadiWhat is the answer to my solitude?
Male
Oh my love …oh my loveOh my love… oh my love.
Male
Yaar vambhu idhuWhose fault or trouble is this?
Yaar nambhuvadhuWhom can I trust anymore?
Neer meedhu thanalaaIs it a fire burning upon water?
Nee vandha vazhiThe path you arrived by,
Nee sonna mozhiThe words you once spoke,
Neer meedhu nizhalaAre they merely shadows upon water?
Male
Kann vizhikkum munnaeBefore I could even blink my eyes,
Endhan kanni enna aanaalWhat became of my maiden?
Katchi maarum pennaeOh girl who changes sides,
Neeyum katchi maari ponaaiYou too switched allegiances and left!
Siraiyil irundha pozhudhuWhile I was inside the prison,
Siragu kondenI gained wings.
Veliyil vandhuHaving come outside,
Siragu izhandhu nindrenI stand here having lost my wings.
Male
Oh my love …Oh my love…
Oh oh oh my loveOh oh oh my love.
Kannaana en kannmaniMy precious darling, dear as my eyes,
En kanneerin kadhai keladiListen to the story of my tears.
Thadumaarum ilam poongadiOh delicate flowering vine that stumbles,
En thanimaikku bathil ennadiWhat is the answer to my solitude?
Male
Oh my love …oh my loveOh my love… oh my love.
Male
Yen indha vidhiWhy this cruel fate?
Yen indha gadhiWhy this terrible plight?
Yen indha vazhiyooWhy this painful path?
Aan ulla varaiAs long as man exists,
Penn ulla varai thaanAs long as woman exists,
Indha nilaiyooIs this state destined to remain?
Male
Aasai konda penmaiA woman filled with desire
Noolil aadugindra bommaiIs like a puppet dancing on a thread.
Saelai maatrum bothaeWhile changing her saree,
Serthu aalai maatrum unmaiThe truth is she changes the person too.
Pazhaiya ninaivil idhayamAs my heart drowns deep
Moozhga moozhgaIn old cherished memories,
Ilaya paravai siragai virithuMay the young bird spread its wings
ParugaAnd fly high.
Male
Oh my love …oh my loveOh my love… oh my love,
Oh oh oh my loveOh oh oh my love,
Oh my loveOh my love.
Kannaana en kannmaniMy precious darling, dear as my eyes,
En kanneerin kadhai keladiListen to the story of my tears.
Thadumaarum ilam poongadiOh delicate flowering vine that stumbles,
En thanimaikku bathil ennadiWhat is the answer to my solitude?
Male
Oh my love …oh my loveOh my love… oh my love,
Oh oh my love …oh my loveOh oh my love… oh my love.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from the film 'Idhaya Thamarai' (1990) expresses the intense heart-wrenching anguish of a betrayed lover. The protagonist grieves over his lost love, questioning how promises and cherished memories could dissolve so easily like shadows cast on water. He addresses his beloved as his eye and a fragile vine, asking for an explanation to his overwhelming loneliness. Throughout the track, the lyricist uses metaphors of imprisonment, freedom, fire, and water to illustrate emotional contradictions. The protagonist reflects on the irony of feeling soaring and hopeful while incarcerated, only to lose his wings upon gaining physical freedom. He laments the fickle nature of relationships and destiny, seeking solace in memories while yearning for emotional liberation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Kannaana en kannmani / En kanneerin kadhai keladi / Thadumaarum ilam poongadi / En thanimaikku bathil ennadi

Repeated end rhymes creating rhythmic musicality across consecutive lines.

Paradox / Imagery

Neer meedhu thanalaa

Contradictory visual imagery representing an impossible or surreal emotional phenomenon.

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Neer meedhu nizhala

Comparing fleeting promises and paths to transient shadows cast over water.

Irony / Antithesis

Siraiyil irundha pozhudhu siragu konden / Veliyil vandhu siragu izhandhu nindren

Sharp contrast where captivity gave wings of hope, but physical freedom brought emotional powerlessness.

Simile / Metaphor

Noolil aadugindra bommai

Comparing a woman controlled by fate or desires to a puppet manipulated on a thread.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'O My Love' is from the 1990 Tamil romantic drama film 'Idhaya Thamarai', directed by K. Rajeshwar, starring Karthik and Revathi. Although listed with unknown details in the prompt context, the music was actually composed by maestro Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu and vocals rendered by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.

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