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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oh Vennila

From Ninaivirukkum Varai · 1999

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Deva
Details
Ninaivirukkum Varai1999

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oh vennilaaOh silver moon,
Kadhal orr minnalaaIs love a flash of lightning?
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaaIs it a gentle breeze sleeping upon a flower?
Male
Oh vennilaaOh silver moon,
Kadhal orr minnalaaIs love a flash of lightning?
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaaIs it a gentle breeze sleeping upon a flower?
Female
Thaalaattidum tholgalthaan kadhalaaIs love the comforting shoulders that cradle you like a lullaby?
Poraaditum vaazhkkaithaan kadhalaaIs love the life itself that struggles?
Kaalangal thorum vaalipam seiyyumIs love the penance performed by youth
Thavangalthaan kadhalaaAcross all eras of time?
Male
Oh vennilaaOh silver moon,
Kadhal orr minnalaaIs love a flash of lightning?
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaaIs it a gentle breeze sleeping upon a flower?
Male
Siluvai thantha pothumEven when given a cross to bear,
Siragai pola ninaikkumIt considers it to be wings,
Megam pola midhakkumFloating like a soft cloud,
Kadhalae kadhalaeOh love, oh love!
Male
Kadhal roja mullaai maarumThe rose of love turns into a thorn,
Soodum kooda maranthaaiYou even forgot the heat/wearing it,
Sooriyan kooda niaippathennaWhy ponder even about the sun,
Kadhal pesinaaiWhen you spoke of love?
Male
Oh vennilaaOh silver moon,
Kadhal orr minnalaaIs love a flash of lightning?
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaaIs it a gentle breeze sleeping upon a flower?
Male
Un kadhal ullamYour loving heart
Taj mahalin vannamHas the pure beauty of the Taj Mahal,
En nenjai neethaanIt was you who opened
Thiranthaai thiranthaaiMy heart, opened it wide.
Male
Kadhal nenjai yaeno maranthaaiWhy did you forget that loving heart?
Unnil neeyae olinthaaiYou hid inside yourself,
Jannalai mattum thiranthu vaiththuKeeping only the window open,
Vaasalai yaen aaiththaaiWhy did you close the main entrance?
Female
Thaalaattidum tholgalthaan kadhalaaIs love the comforting shoulders that cradle you like a lullaby?
Poraaditum vaazhkkaithaan kadhalaaIs love the life itself that struggles?
Kaalangal thorum vaalipam seiyyumIs love the penance performed by youth
Thavangalthaan kadhalaaAcross all eras of time?
Male
Oh vennilaaOh silver moon,
Kadhal orr minnalaaIs love a flash of lightning?
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaaIs it a gentle breeze sleeping upon a flower?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Oh Vennilaa' from the movie Ninaivirukkum Varai explores the bittersweet nuances, mysteries, and emotional conflicts of love. The narrator addresses the moon, questioning whether love is a fleeting spark of lightning, a soothing breeze, or a painful penance that youth undergoes. Through poetic metaphors of crosses turned into wings and closed doors with open windows, the song depicts how love brings both immense lightness and profound emotional struggle.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani (Simile)

Kadhal orr minnalaa

Comparing love to a flash of lightning ('Kadhal orr minnalaa') and a breeze sleeping on a flower.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Siragai pola ninaikkum

Comparing a burdensome cross to wings ('Siluvai thantha pothum, Siragai pola ninaikkum') to emphasize how love lightens life's hardships.

Anaphora / Rhetorical Questioning

Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa

Repeated questioning ending with '-aa' ('minnalaa', 'poonthendralaa', 'kadhalaa') to express existential wonder about the nature of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Ninaivirukkum Varai' (1999) featured music composed by Deva, with Prabhu Deva and Keerthi Reddy in lead roles. The song highlights Pazhani Bharathi's signature poetic lyricism dealing with romantic melancholy.

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