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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oru Kaditham Eluthinen (Male)

From Deva · 1995

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Deva
Details
Deva1995

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oru kaditham ezhuthinen adhil en uyirai anupinenI wrote a letter, and in it, I sent my very soul.
Andha ezhuthu vadivilae naan ennai anupinenIn the shape of those written words, I sent myself.
Kaadhali ennai kaadhali pleaseMy beloved, please love me!
Male
Oru kaditham ezhuthinen en uyirai anupinenI wrote a letter, and sent my soul.
Andha ezhuthin vadivilae naan ennai anupinenIn the shape of those written words, I sent my own self.
Male
Kaadhali aa haa haa haOh beloved, aa haa haa ha!
Ennai kaadhali hey hey hey heyLove me, hey hey hey hey!
Male
Kaadhali aa aa haaOh beloved, aa aa haa!
Ennai kaadhali aa ha ha ha haLove me, aa ha ha ha ha!
Male
Oru kaditham ezhuthinen en uyirai anupinenI wrote a letter, and sent my soul.
Male
Kannae un kaaladi mannai thiruneeru polaeMy darling, the dirt under your feet is like sacred holy ash,
Naan alli poosiduvenae en nenjin melaeI will gather it and smear it over my heart.
Male
Anbae en aalayam endru un vaasal thediMy love, treating your doorstep as my sacred temple,
Andraadam naan varuvenae dhevaram paadiI will come every single day singing divine hymns.
Aarukaala poojai seiyum ezhai konda aasaiLike a poor man's humble desire to perform the six daily worship rituals,
En vedham unthan kaadhil ketkumoWill my sacred prayers ever reach your ears?
Male
Kaadhali kaadhali ennai kaadhali ennai kaadhaliMy beloved, my beloved, love me, love me!
Kaadhali aa aa haa ennai kaadhali aa ha ha ha haBeloved, aa aa haa, love me, aa ha ha ha ha!
Male
Oru kaditham ezhuthinen en uyirai anupinenI wrote a letter, and sent my soul.
Male
…………………………………………….
Male
Naan vaangum swaasangal ellam nee thantha kaatruAll the breaths I take are the air bestowed by you.
Nee indri vaazhnthida ingu enakethu moochuWithout you, how can I even have breath to live here?
Aagaayam neer nilam yaavum azhagae un kaatchiThe sky, the water, the land—all of it, my beauty, is a reflection of you.
Alaipaaynthu naan ingu vaazha avai thaanae saatchiAs I live here tossed around restlessly, those elements stand as my witness.
Male
Neeyillaathu naanae kulir neerillaatha meenaeWithout you, I am like a fish stranded without cool water.
Neer odai polae kooda vendumaeLike a flowing stream, we must unite together.
Kaadhali my darling ennai kaadhali pleaseMy beloved, my darling, love me, please!
Male
Kaadhali aa aa aa aaOh beloved, aa aa aa aa!
Ennai kaadhali aa aa aa aaLove me, aa aa aa aa!
Male
Oru kaditham ezhuthinen en uyirai anupinenI wrote a letter, and sent my soul.
Andha ezhuthin vadivilae … naan ennai anupinenIn the shape of those written words... I sent myself.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is an intense expression of love where the protagonist treats his devotion to his beloved as sacred worship. By sending a letter, he feels he is sending his own soul and essence to her. He elevates her to the status of a deity, comparing the dust beneath her feet to holy ash (Thiruneeru) and equating his romantic pleas to sacred temple hymns (Thevaram and Vedas). In the second verse, his love assumes an existential depth. He feels that every breath he draws is given by her, and without her presence, he is like a fish stranded out of water. He looks at nature—the sky, land, and water—and sees her beauty reflected everywhere, pleading with her to accept his love and unite with him like a flowing stream.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Kannae un kaaladi mannai thiruneeru polae

The lover compares the dirt under his beloved's feet to sacred holy ash ('thiruneeru polae') using the explicit comparison word 'polae'.

Simile (Upamai)

Neeyillaathu naanae kulir neerillaatha meenae

The lover compares his state without his beloved to a fish stranded without cool water ('neerillaatha meenae').

Metaphor (Urvagam)

Anbae en aalayam endru un vaasal thedi

The beloved's doorstep is metaphorically equated to a holy temple ('aalayam').

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Neeyillaathu naanae kulir neerillaatha meenae

The repetition of the initial 'Ne' sound ('Neeyillaathu' and 'neerillaatha') creates a rhythmic phonetic harmony.

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Trivia

This romantic track is from the 1995 Tamil action-romance film 'Deva', starring Thalapathy Vijay and Swathi. The film's music was composed by Deva, and the lyrics were penned by the legendary poet Vaali. The song is well-remembered for its poetic devotional metaphors applied to romantic longing.

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