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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oru Kola Kili

From Uzhaippali · 1993

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Uzhaippali1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Male
Adhu ippo varumoWill it come now?
Eppo varumo…oooWhen will it come... ooo?
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Male
Oru chola kuyili sodi thannaA cuckoo from the grove is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Athu nenjum kettu nenappum kettuHaving lost its heart and lost its peace of mind,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Female
BeautifulBeautiful
Male
Ippo varumoWill it come now?
Eppo varumo…oooWhen will it come... ooo?
Female :Vaa re vaaFemale: Bravo, welcome!
Male
Aasai poranthaWhen desire is born,
Appo varumoWill it come then?
Female :FineFemale: Fine
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Female :Hahaha….Female: Hahaha....
Male
Adhu maamarathuBack in those days, in the mango tree's
Kootu kullae annalilaeNest, during those golden days,
Nalla sodi udan paateduthaWhen it sang melodies together with a wonderful mate...
Pon naalilae…On that golden day...
Female :Ah haanFemale: Ah haan
Male
Rendum orra suthi thera suthiWandering all around the town and streets,
Onna ponadhuThey went along together.
Female :Oh lovelyFemale: Oh lovely
Male :Adhu onna iruntha kaalam ippoMale: Where did those days go,
Engae ponadhuWhen they were together?
Female :WonderfulFemale: Wonderful
Male
Naalu pakkam thedi thediSearching high and low in all four directions,
Nalla nenju vaaduthadiMy good heart is wilting, my girl.
Koovugindra kooval ellaamEvery cooing call that echoes
Enna vanthu thaakudhadiComes and strikes me deep within!
Female :Is it soFemale: Is it so
Male
Ippo varumoWill it come now?
Eppo varumoWhen will it come?
Otti irukkaWill it be agreeable
Othu varumoTo stay closely attached?
Female :ExcellentFemale: Excellent
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Male
Adi moi ezhutha vantha kiliHey girl, the parrot that came to register goodwill
PoraaduthuIs struggling now;
Atha poi ezhutha vecha kiliThe parrot that caused lies to be written
SeeraaduthuIs living in splendour.
Male
Ithil yaara solli kutham illaThere is no one to blame in this,
Ellaam neram thaanIt is all a matter of fate and time.
Adi onnodu onnu seraavittaalHey girl, if they don't unite with each other,
Endrum baaram thaanIt remains a heavy burden forever.
Female :SuperbFemale: Superb
Male
Thithikkum senkarumbaeOh sweet red sugarcane!
Ithana naal engirunthaWhere were you all these days?
Mottu vitta thaen arumbaeOh honeyed flower bud that has bloomed!
Pothum adi un kurumbaeEnough of your playful mischief, girl.
Male
Vitta kuraiyoIs it an unfinished bond from a past life?
Thotta kuraiyoOr a connection that was barely touched?
Intha uravuWhat kind of relationship
Enna muraiyo….Is this bond really?...
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Male
Ippo varumoWill it come now?
Eppo varumoWhen will it come?
Aasai poranthaWhen desire is born,
Appo varumo…Will it come then?...
Male
Oru kola kili sodi thannaA beautiful parrot is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittuLeaving it directionless and disoriented,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.
Male
Oru chola kuyil sodi thannaA cuckoo from the grove is searching for its mate,
Theduthu theduthu maanaeSearching and searching, oh dear,
Athu nenjum kettu nenappum kettuHaving lost its heart and lost its peace of mind,
Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnaeIt stands standing right in front.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Oru Kola Kili Sodi Thanna' from Uzhaippali (1993) uses the metaphors of a parrot (kola kili) and a grove cuckoo (chola kuyil) searching longingly for their missing companions to express the agony and hope of love. The protagonist reflects on past golden days when he and his love roamed together effortlessly, contrasting those happy memories with his present disorientation, heart-ache, and feelings of separation. Through allegorical storytelling, he explores themes of destiny, karmic bonds ('vitta kuraiyo thotta kuraiyo'), and the inevitable burden of unfulfilled affection. Throughout the track, the male lead's soulful narration is interspersed with lively, encouraging responses from the female listener. Vaali's lyrics weave traditional Tamil poetic motifs with accessible colloquial phrasing, capturing a deep romantic yearning that is elevated by playful interactions and evocative folk melody.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Oru kola kili sodi thanna / Oru chola kuyili sodi thanna

The lovers are poetically compared to a parrot and a grove cuckoo searching for their matching mates.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Vitta kuraiyo / Thotta kuraiyo

The second letter 'tta' (ட்) in 'Vitta' and 'Thotta' creates a classical Tamil second-letter rhyming pattern.

Adukku Thodar / Repetition for Emphasis

Theduthu theduthu maanae / Nikkuthu nikkuthu munnae

Words like 'theduthu' (searching) and 'nikkuthu' (standing) are repeated consecutively to emphasize the intensity of longing and waiting.

Monai (First-letter Alliteration)

Atha thikka vittu thesaiya vittu

The initial 'Th' sound repeats in 'thikka' and 'thesaiya', creating rhythmic alliteration.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song feature's music composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja for the 1993 hit film 'Uzhaippali', starring Superstar Rajinikanth and Roja. Rendered by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, the song is famous for its theatrical performance, combining SPB's expressive vocal delivery with comedic spoken English interjections that match Rajinikanth's charismatic screen presence.

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