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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oru Naalil Remix

From Pudhupettai · 2006

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singer
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Pudhupettai2006

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
……………………
Male
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Male
Oru naalil vaazhkkai ingaeIn a single day, life here...
Engum odi pogaathu…...will not run away anywhere.
Maru naalum vanthu vittaalOnce the next day arrives,
Thunbam theiyum thodaraathusorrow will erode away and will not continue.
Eththanai kodi kanneerHow many crores of tears
Mann meedhu vizhunthirukkummust have fallen upon this earth,
Aththanai kanda pinnumyet even after seeing all of that,
Boomi ingu poo pookkumthe earth here still blooms flowers.
Male
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Male
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Karu vaasal vittu vantha naal thottuFrom the day one emerges from the womb's door,
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Oru vaasal thediyae vilaiyaattu..the entire game is a search for another door..
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Kann thiranthu paarthaal pala koothuWhen you open your eyes and look, there are many dramas,
Hoo hoo ho…ooHoo hoo ho...oo
Kanmudi kondaal…….And if you close your eyes......
Male
Hoo hoo hooooooHoo hoo hoooooo
Hoo hooo ooo hoo hoo hooHoo hooo ooo hoo hoo hoo
Hoo hoo hooooooHoo hoo hoooooo
Hoo hooo ooo hoo hoo hooHoo hooo ooo hoo hoo hoo
Female
………………………….
Male
Por kalathil piranthu vittomWe were born on a battlefield,
Vanthavai ponavai varutham illaithere is no regret for what came and what went.
Kaatinilae vaazhkindromWe live in a wild jungle,
Mutkalin vali ondrum maranam illaithe pain of thorns is certainly not death.
Male
Iruttinilae nee nadakkaiyilaeWhen you walk in the darkness,
Un nizhalum unnai vittu vilagividumeven your own shadow will part from you.
Nee mattum thaan intha ulagathilaeYou alone in this world,
Unakku thunai endru vilangividumwill realize you are your own true companion.
Male
Theeyoda pogum varaiyil ..Until you go into the flames..
Theeraathu intha thanimai..this solitude will never end..
Karai varum naeram paarthuWatching for the time when the shore arrives,
Kappalil kaathiruppomwe shall wait inside the ship.
Erimalai vanthaal koodaEven if a volcano erupts,
Yeri nindru por thoduppom por thoduppomwe will climb atop it and wage war, wage war,
Por thoduppom por thoduppomwage war, wage war.
Male
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Andha theiva ragasiyam purigirathaeNow that divine secret is understood,
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Ingu ethuvum nilai illai karaigirathaenothing here is permanent, everything dissolves.
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Manam vetta veliyilae alaigirathaeThe mind wanders into the vast open wilderness,
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Antha kadavulai kandaal …….If one beholds that God......
Male
Hoo hoo hooooooHoo hoo hoooooo
Yeahhh ehh..ehhh ….ehhYeahhh ehh..ehhh ....ehh
Female
……………………………….
Male
Athu unakku ithu enakku'That is for you, this is for me,'
Idhayangal podum thani kanakkuhearts run their own private calculations.
Aval enakku ival unakku'She is for me, she is for you,'
Udalgalum podum puthir kanakkubodies run their own puzzling math.
Male
Unakkum illai ithu enakkum illaiIt belongs neither to you nor to me,
Padaithavanae ingu eduthu kolvaanthe Creator Himself will reclaim it here.
Nallavan yaar ada kettavan yaarWho is good, hey, who is evil?
Kadaisiyil avanae mudivu seivaanIn the end, He alone will decide.
Male
Pazhi podum ulagam ingae..The world here casts blame..
Baliyaana uyirgal engae….where are the lives that were sacrificed?...
Ulagathin oram nindruStanding at the edge of the world,
Aththanaiyum paarthiruppom..we shall watch everything unfold..
Nadappavai nadagam endruAccepting that whatever happens is a play,
Naamum sernthu nadithiruppomwe too shall act along.
Male
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Pala muganggal vendumIf many faces/masks are required,
Sari maattikolvom….fine, we shall put them on….
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Pala thiruppam theriyumMany turns will appear,
Athil thirumbi kolvom…we shall turn along with them…
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Kathai mudiyum pokkil athaiAs the story trends toward its conclusion,
Mudithu kolvom….we shall wrap it up….
Hoo hoo hoooHoo hoo hooo
Maru piravi venduma ….Is a rebirth needed?....
Female
………………………..
Male
Maru piravi venduma ….Is a rebirth needed?....
Maru piravi venduma ….Is a rebirth needed?....
Piravi venduma..piravi vendumaIs a rebirth needed?.. Is a rebirth needed?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Oru Naalil' from Pudhupettai (2006) is a deeply philosophical and existential masterpiece that reflects on the impermanence of human life, solitude, and destiny. Set against the violent world of the protagonist, Kokki Kumar, the song serves as a contemplative pause on how life unfolds from birth ('the womb's door') to death ('the fire'). It addresses suffering, emphasizing that pain is temporary and that time moves forward regardless of heartbreaks, just as the earth blooms flowers despite the vast tears shed upon it. The lyrics highlight the ultimate reality of existential isolation—reminding us that in complete darkness, even our shadow leaves us, leaving oneself as one's only companion. Viewing life as a cosmic theatrical play, the song suggests adapting by putting on masks and navigating life's unpredictable turns. In the end, it questions the greed and moral labels of humanity, leaving the final judgment to the Creator and questioning the very necessity of taking another birth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Karu vaasal vittu vantha naal thottu / Oru vaasal thediyae vilaiyaattu..

The second letter 'ru' rhymes in 'Karu' and 'Oru', creating a harmonious flow in classical Tamil poetic structure.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Sari maattikolvom… / Athil thirumbi kolvom… / Mudithu kolvom…

The repetitive ending with 'kolvom' creates an end-rhyme scheme (Iyaipu) emphasizing acceptance and adaptability.

Metaphor

Por kalathil piranthu vittom... Kaatinilae vaazhkindrom

Life in the city/slum is metaphorically described as a 'battlefield' and a 'jungle' where survival is a daily struggle.

Personification

Iruttinilae nee nadakkaiyilae / Un nizhalum unnai vittu vilagividum

The shadow is personified as a companion that leaves a person when they walk into the darkness.

Metaphor / Extended Analogy

Nadappavai nadagam endru / Naamum sernthu nadithiruppom

Compares human life to a theatrical play (Nadagam) where humans are merely actors wearing masks (Pala muganggal).

Did you know?

Trivia

'Oru Naalil' was composed and sung by Yuvan Shankar Raja with lyrics written by Na. Muthu Kumar for director Selvaraghavan's cult classic gangster movie 'Pudhupettai' (2006). The song's soundtrack was recorded in Bangkok featuring the Bangkok Philharmonic Orchestra, marking one of the earliest instances of a Tamil film soundtrack collaborating with a foreign grand orchestra. The song is widely considered one of the greatest philosophical anthems in modern Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

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