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Lyrics & meaning

Orey Oru

From Kolamavu Kokila (CoCo) · 2018

Lyricist
Vignesh Shivan
Singers
Anirudh Ravichander, Jonita Gandhi
Music director
Anirudh Ravichander
Details
Kolamavu Kokila (CoCo)2018

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Orae oru ooril oru veeduIn a single town, there stood a home
Oru adi kooda thaangaadhaeThat couldn't withstand even a single blow
Oor iravilOn one dark night
Male
Oru idi veetil irangiyadhaeLightning struck down right upon that home
Orae nodiyil veedum karugiyadhaeAnd in just a single second, the house burned to ashes
Ann naalilOn that fateful day
Male
Orae oru odai melaeUpon a single stream
Oru odam midhandhirukkaAs a small boat was floating along
Orae oru vellam vandhuA single flood came rushing in
Adithu ponadhaeAnd swept it all away
Male
Orae oru kootinullaeInside a single nest
Oru koottam olindhirukkaAs a small family hid together
Oru kilai murindha dhaalaeJust because a single branch broke
Kadhai mudhindhadhaeThe entire story came to an end
Male
Sathamaai naan azhudhidathaanJust as I cry out aloud in pain
Male & Female :Ingu athanaiyumHere, does everything...
Yuddhamaaga maarudho...turn into a battle?
Male :Mothamaai naan mudindhidathaan indruJust as I am completely broken today
Male & Female :Ennai meeriBeyond my control...
Ennanavo aagudhoo...strange things keep happening
Male
Paavamaai naan pudhaindhidathaanAs I lie helplessly buried in grief
Male & Female :Oru suzhal ennaiA sudden whirlwind...
Suthi suthi seendutho...circles around and teases me endlessly
Male :Kovamaai naan kidanthidathaanAs I lie trapped in bitter anger
Male & Female :Pala pudhiragalumSo many perplexing riddles...
Ennai theduthoo...come searching for me

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Orae Oru Ooril' from Kolamavu Kokila (2018) is a poignant and sorrowful song that explores themes of vulnerability, tragedy, and cruel fate. Through vivid natural allegories—a fragile house destroyed by lightning, a small boat swept away by a sudden surge of floodwaters, and a nest shattered by a single broken branch—the song conveys how rapidly an innocent, quiet life can crumble into chaos. Narratively tied to the protagonist Kokila's desperate circumstances, the lyrics reflect the overwhelming weight of fighting against forces far beyond one's control. The protagonist expresses feeling trapped in a whirlwind of trouble, where every cry for help morphs into a full-blown war, and every attempt to survive brings even more complex riddles and emotional distress.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Anaphora / Repetition

Orae oru ooril... / Orae oru odai... / Orae oru kootinullae...

The repeated use of 'Orae oru' (Just a single / Only one) at the beginning of consecutive stanzas emphasizes the vulnerability of a single entity and how a solitary mishap can wreck everything.

Metaphor

Orae oru odai melae / Oru odam midhandhirukka / Orae oru vellam vandhu / Adithu ponadhae

Compares the protagonist's fragile life and family to a small boat on a stream that gets suddenly wiped out by an unexpected flood.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Irangiyadhae / Karugiyadhae / Ponadhae / Mudhindhadhae

The lines end with matching rhyming suffixes ('-adhae'), creating a mournful, rhythmic cadence that underscores finality and loss.

Monai (Initial Assonance / Rhyme)

Suthi suthi seendutho / Kovamaai naan kidanthidathaan

Repetition of initial consonant and vowel sounds ('Su/Su', 'Ko/Ki') adding a poetic musicality to the emotional expression.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Orae Oru Ooril' was composed by Anirudh Ravichander with lyrics written by filmmaker-lyricist Vignesh Shivan for the hit dark comedy drama 'Kolamavu Kokila' (2018), starring Nayanthara. The song serves as an emotional anchor in the film, highlighting the protagonist's tragic predicament when her innocent attempt to earn money for her mother's cancer treatment lands her family in the middle of a dangerous drug cartel war.

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