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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oppari

From Kalan · 2025

Lyricist
Kumarivijayan
Singer
Karna Prabhakaran
Music director
Gersan
Details
Kalan2025

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Maruthu aanda boomiyadaaThis is the land ruled by Maruthu Pandiyars, my man!
Nee manna kaaththa samiyadaaYou are the god who protected this land!
Semmannu boomiyilaeIn the land of red soil,
Sevantha raththam oduthaiyaaRed blood flows, sir.
Male
Valarththa aadu adippattaalaeIf a goat we raised gets injured,
Vayiru kanji ketkaathuThe stomach loses its appetite even for gruel;
Arai usuru pogummaiyaaHalf our life ebbs away, sir.
Azhagu muthukon vamsaththilaeIn the noble lineage of Azhagu Muthu Kone,
Male
Karu megam kanneer sinthaAs dark clouds shed tears,
Kazhugu koottam vaanam suththaAnd a flock of eagles circles in the sky,
Karuvelam kaattukkullaInside the babool forest,
Naan kanda katchi kanavaagaathaaCan't the sight I witnessed turn out to be a dream?
Male
Aiyaa aiyaa aiyaaOh lord, oh lord, oh lord!
Panjamunnaa theriyaathuWe never knew what famine was
Pasumponnu boomiyilaeIn this golden land of Pasumpon;
Pasiyaatrum vamsaththulaIn the dynasty that fed the hungry,
Patta maramaai ponaayaeYou withered away like a dead tree.
Pasiyaattrum vamsaththulaIn the dynasty that fed the hungry,
Nee patta maramaai ponaayaeYou withered away like a dead tree.
Patta maramaai ponaayaeYou withered away like a dead tree.
Male
Iyyanaaru saami polaJust like Lord Ayyanar,
Oora kaakka vanthavanae aiyaaYou came to guard our village, sir.
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Male
Iyyanaaru saami polaJust like Lord Ayyanar,
Oora kaakka vanthavanae aiyaaYou came to guard our village, sir.
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Male
Chella sirippazhagaaOh handsome one with a sweet smile,
Seemai thurai nadaiyazhagaaOh one with the majestic walk of a lord,
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Male
Chella sirippazhagaaOh handsome one with a sweet smile,
Seemai thurai nadaiyazhagaaOh one with the majestic walk of a lord,
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Male
Sediyil pooppathu ellaamNot every flower that blooms on a plant
Saami kitta searvathillaiReaches the divine lord;
Saamikitta saeranumnnuAnd to reach the divine lord,
Poo edhuvum pooppathillaiNo flower blooms purely for that purpose.
Poo edhuvum pooppathillaiNo flower blooms purely for that purpose.
Male
Maasillaa malligai pooLike the pure, flawless jasmine flower
Vaasam pola vanthavanaeYou came like its gentle fragrance.
Maasillaa malligai pooLike the pure, flawless jasmine flower
Vaasam pola vanthavanaeYou came like its gentle fragrance.
Aiyaa nee kadanthu ponathengaeOh lord, where have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Male
Saamikitta ponaayoDid you go to join the Almighty?
Saami aagi ponaayoOr did you become a deity yourself?
Saamikitta ponaayoDid you go to join the Almighty?
Saami aagi ponaayoOr did you become a deity yourself?
Male
Saagaa varam onnuTo fetch the boon of immortality,
Vaangi vara ponayoDid you go away?
Saagaa varam onnuTo fetch the boon of immortality,
Vaangi vara ponayoDid you go away?
Male
Nalla manam thanga ingaeFor a good heart to reside,
Boomiyila idam illaThere is no place left on this earth.
Saththiyaththa kaaththidaththaanJust to uphold truth and righteousness,
Uyiraiyum koduththavaneYou gave up your very life!
Uyiraiyum koduththavaneYou gave up your very life!
Iyaa nee kadanthu ponathengaeOh lord, where have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?
Nee kadanthu ponathengaeWhere have you departed to?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a deeply emotional, mournful elegy (Oppari) sung in grief over the untimely demise of a beloved village protector and righteous leader. The lyrics root the lost hero in the brave historical traditions of Southern Tamil Nadu, comparing his lineage and valor to iconic figures like the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers and Veeran Azhagumuthu Kone, and invoking guardian deities like Lord Ayyanar. The singer laments the heartbreaking sight of his demise in a babool forest, questioning why a person of such pure heart and boundless generosity had to suffer such a fate. Through poignant metaphors of flowers and withered trees, the song expresses that good souls are often too pure for this flawed world, concluding that he gave up his life to uphold truth and has transformed into a deity himself.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Iyyanaaru saami pola

Compares the deceased hero to Lord Ayyanar, the traditional guardian deity of Tamil villages.

Metaphor (Urvagai)

Patta maramaai ponaayae

Metaphorically compares the sudden tragic end of a once-vibrant protector to a dry, withered tree.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Semmannu boomiyilae / Sevantha raththam oduthaiyaa

Repetition of the initial sound 'Se' in consecutive lines creating melodic harmony.

Personification / Cultural Metaphor

Karu megam kanneer sintha

Personifies the dark clouds shedding tears (rain) in mourning over the protagonist's tragic demise.

Did you know?

Trivia

This song features in the 2025 movie 'Kalan', featuring music composed by Gersan, powerful vocal rendition by Karna Prabhakaran, and evocative regional lyrics penned by Kumarivijayan. The track heavily integrates Southern Tamil folk aesthetics and historical references to freedom fighters like Maruthu Pandiyar and Azhagumuthu Kone.

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