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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ore Jeevan Sad

From Neeya · 1979

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Neeya1979

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aaah aaa..aaa aaaAaah aaa..aaa aaa
Ahaa..aa … aaa… aaaAhaa..aa … aaa… aaa
Aaah aaa..aaa aaaAaah aaa..aaa aaa
Ahaa..aa … aaa… aaaAhaa..aa … aaa… aaa
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Female
Orae poovil ondrae thendral..Only one gentle breeze for a single flower...
Vaaraai kannaa… aa…aa…haa..Come to me, my Krishna... aa...aa...haa..
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…oh..oooCome to me, my Krishna... oh..ooo
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Female
Orae poovil ondrae thendral..Only one gentle breeze for a single flower...
Vaaraai kannaa… aa…aa…haa..Come to me, my Krishna... aa...aa...haa..
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…oh..oooCome to me, my Krishna... oh..ooo
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Female
{Andru nadhi meedhu{That day, upon the river,
Oru kannan nadamaadinaanA Krishna danced;
Indru nadamaadaTo dance today,
Nee vendum kannaa} (2)I need you, my Krishna} (2)
Female
Andru kadal meedhuThat day, upon the ocean,
Oru kannan thuyil maevinaanA Krishna rested in divine slumber;
Indru thuyil maevaTo rest today,
Nee vendum kannaI need you, my Krishna,
Female
En mannanaeMy king!
Orae kannan ondrae raadhaiOnly one Krishna, only one Radha...
Vaaraai kannaa..aa…aa..haaaCome to me, my Krishna... aa...aa..haaa
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…oh..oooCome to me, my Krishna... oh..ooo
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Female
Ingae vinmeengalHere, the stars in the sky
Kannaagi paarkkindranaHave become eyes and are watching;
Naan verum koyilSo that I do not become
Aagaamal kaakkaA mere empty temple,
Female
Undhan kannmeengalLet the fish-like eyes of yours
En meedhu vilaiyaadattumPlay upon me,
Andha vinmeengalSo those celestial stars
Suvaiyaaga paarkkaMay watch with delight.
Female
Thaer kondu vaaBring the chariot!
Kannan vandhu geedham sonnaalIf Krishna comes and sings his song,
Naan aaduven…nnn…I shall dance... nnn...
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…oh..oooCome to me, my Krishna... oh..ooo
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...
Female
{Andha manichangin olikkettu{Hearing the sound of that divine conch,
Naan aaduvenI will dance;
Indha mazhai megamThis rain cloud
Unn meedhu aadum} (2)Will dance over you} (2)
Female
Vanna pazhaththodumWith colorful fruit
Mugaththodum nee koodalaamAnd a radiant face, you may unite;
Indha pazhathottamThis fruit orchard
Unnodu koodumWill join with you,
Female
Pudhu vellamaeOh fresh flood of joy!
Orae sorgam endhan pakkamHeaven alone is by my side,
Ver illaiyaeThere is nothing else.
Female
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…oh..oooCome to me, my Krishna... oh..ooo
Ore jeevan ondrae ullamOne life, one single heart...
Vaaraai kannaa…Come to me, my Krishna...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Ore Jeevan Ondre Ullam' is a soul-stirring romantic track from the 1979 cult movie 'Neeya'. Written by Kaviarasu Kannadasan, the song expresses total devotion, soulmate connection, and spiritual Oneness between lovers, drawing heavily upon the timeless imagery of Lord Krishna and Radha. The heroine calls out to her beloved 'Krishna', invoking mythical themes such as Krishna dancing on the river Kalinga, resting on the cosmic ocean, playing the flute, and sounding the sacred conch. Kannadasan crafts an intimate environment where nature, stars, rain clouds, and orchards witness and celebrate their union, transforming mortal romantic longing into a divine, cosmic experience.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Muran (Antithesis)

Andru nadhi meedhu... Indru nadamaada...

Contrasting 'Andru' (that mythological past day) with 'Indru' (the present reality) to highlight the desire to recreate divine love today.

Metaphor (Urvaham)

Naan verum koyil aagaamal kaakka

Comparing the body/self without the beloved to an empty, uninhabited temple ('verum koyil').

Metaphor & Imagery

Undhan kannmeengal en meedhu vilaiyaadattum

Comparing eyes to fish ('kannmeengal') swimming/playing over the lover, a classic Tamil literary conceit.

Monai (Initial Rhyme)

Ingae vinmeengal / Undhan kannmeengal

Matching sound patterns between 'vinmeengal' (stars) and 'kannmeengal' (fish-like eyes).

Simile / Parallelism

Orae poovil ondrae thendral

Draws a parallel between one flower receiving one unique breeze and two lovers sharing one singular soul.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Neeya' (1979) was a blockbuster Tamil snake-revenge thriller inspired by the Hindi film 'Nagin' (1976). Directed by Durai, the film featured a massive ensemble cast including Kamal Haasan, Sripriya, Latha, Vijayakumar, and Rajkumar. The music for the film was composed by the popular duo Shankar-Ganesh, and this classic track 'Ore Jeevan Ondre Ullam' was performed by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and Vani Jairam. Kannadasan's lyrics seamlessly integrate Hindu devotional Vaishnavite motifs into a sensual screen romance.

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