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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ooradangum Samathiley

From Kalavani · 2010

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singer
Senthilvelan
Music director
S. S. Kumaran
Details
Kalavani2010

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Ooradangum saamathula…In the quiet midnight when the village sleeps...
Naan…aaahaanI... ahhh
Oruththi mattum muzhichirundhenWas the only girl awake
Oorkkoadi orathilaAt the corner edge of the village
Un nenappula paduthirundhenLying down lost in thoughts of you
Kaathadichi salasalakkumWhen the wind blows and rustles
Olaiyellaam un sirippuAll the palm leaves sound like your laughter
Purandu paduthaalumEven when I toss and turn in bed
Paavi magan un nenappuIt is your thoughts, you sinful man
Paavi magan un nenappuIt is your thoughts, you sinful man
Male
Ooradangum saamathula…In the quiet midnight when the village sleeps...
Naan…aahaanI... ahhh
Male
Velliyila theeppettiyaamA matchbox made of silver
Machchaanuku vedhavedhamaaAnd various kinds of
BeedikkattaamBeedi bundles for my beloved cousin
Vaangithara aasa vachenI wished to buy for you
Kaasa sulliviththu serththuvachenI saved money by selling firewood
Male
Sambuganaar koyilukkuAt the Sambuganaar temple
Soodam koluththivachenI lit camphor in prayer
Poravanga vaaravangaFrom the people going and coming
Pechaiyellaam kettu vachenI overheard all their conversations
Naan pechaiyellaam kettu vachenI overheard all their conversations
Male
Oru paakku pottaalaeJust by chewing a betel nut
Ul naakku sevandhidumaeThe inner tongue turns red
Oru paakku pottaalaeJust by chewing a betel nut
Ul naakku sevandhidumaeThe inner tongue turns red
Male
Ummela yekkam vandhuA deep longing for you came over me
En thookkammellaamAnd all my sleep
Pochi machchaanWas lost, my dear cousin
Ummela yekkam vandhuA deep longing for you came over me
En thookkammellaamAnd all my sleep
Pochi machchaanWas lost, my dear cousin
Male
Ooradangum saamathula…In the quiet midnight when the village sleeps...
Naan ….aaanI... ahhh
Male
Kazhani sethukkullaInside the mud of the wet paddy field
Kalaiyeduthu nirkaiyilaWhile standing and pulling out weeds
Un soththappallai pola oruResembling your chipped tooth
Sozhiya naan kandeduthenI found a cowrie shell
Male
Kandedutha sozhikkanduSeeing that cowrie shell I found
Kalangi nirkkaiyilaAs I stood emotional and teary-eyed
Kalai eduththu pindhuthunnuYou got left behind in weeding!
Pannaiyaaru pesinaaraeScolded the landlord
Kalai eduththu pindhuthunnuYou got left behind in weeding!
Pannaiyaaru pesinaaraeScolded the landlord
Male
Karuvelam mulleduththuTaking a thorn from the gum arabic tree
Kallichediyil ellaamOn all the cactus plants
Umperu emperaYour name and my name
Oru sera ezhudhinomaeWe wrote together
Male
Ooruni karaiyoramBy the bank of the village pond
Utkarndhu pesinomaeWe sat and talked
Oorukkaaran thalaiyakkanduSpotting a villager's head coming our way
Odi naama ozhinjomaeWe ran and hid ourselves
Oorukkaaran thalaiyakkanduSpotting a villager's head coming our way
Odi naama ozhinjomaeWe ran and hid ourselves
Male
Ooru enna sonnaalumNo matter what the village says
Yaaru vandhu thaduthaalumNo matter who comes to stop us
Unnaiyae seruvennnuI will unite only with you
Thunduppoattu thaanduniyaeYou swore an oath by stepping over a cloth
Male
Andha vaarthaiyila naanirukkenI hold steadfastly onto those words
Vaakkappada kaathirukkenWaiting to be given to you in marriage
Vaarthaiyila naanirukkenI hold steadfastly onto those words
Vaakkappada kaathirukkenWaiting to be given to you in marriage

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Ooradangum Saamathula from Kalavani (2010) is an evocative Tamil folk ballad centered on a young village woman expressing her tender love and sleepless longing during midnight. As the village rests, she reminisces about her fondest memories with her beloved, such as saving money from selling firewood to buy him gifts, praying for him at the local temple, and writing their names on cactus leaves using thorns. Na. Muthu Kumar's poetic lyrics capture rural intimacy through grounding sensory details—like comparing a simple cowrie shell found in mud to her lover's chipped tooth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Sensory Imagery & Auditory Metaphor

Kaathadichi salasalakkum Olaiyellaam un sirippu

The sound of rustling palm leaves in the midnight wind is personified and equated to the beloved's laughter.

Visual Metaphor (Simile)

Un soththappallai pola oru Sozhiya naan kandeduthen

The speaker compares a small cowrie shell found in paddy field mud to her lover's distinct chipped/gapped tooth.

Cultural Folk Metaphor / Ritual Oath

Thunduppoattu thaanduniyae

'Thunduppoattu thaanduthal' refers to a traditional rural oath where stepping over a folded cloth signifies an absolute, unbreakable promise.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by Na. Muthu Kumar and composed by S.S. Kumaran for the hit film Kalavani (2010), this song is celebrated for its authentic usage of hyper-local Tanjore/Delta region rural Tamil dialect terms such as 'soththappallu' (chipped tooth), 'sozhi' (cowrie shell), and 'sulli' (dry firewood twigs).

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