Oru Poiyavadhu
From Jodi · 1999
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Hariharan
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Jodi1999
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| { Oru poiyavathu sol kannae | Utter at least a lie, my darling, |
| Un kaadhal naandhaan endru | That I am the one who holds your love, |
| Antha sollil uyir vaazhven } (3) | In that single word, I shall remain alive. |
| Male | |
| Pookalil unnal satham | Because of you, there is noise among the flowers, |
| Adi mounathil unnal yutham | Hey, because of you, there is war in silence, |
| Ithai thaanguma en nenjam … mmm | Can my heart bear this? Mmm... |
| Ithai thaanguma en nenjam | Can my heart bear this? |
| Male | |
| Unmaiyum poimayum pakam pakam thaan | Truth and falsehood exist side by side, |
| Romba pakam pakam thaan | They exist very close, side by side, |
| Paarthaal rendum ondru thaan | To look at, both appear to be one and the same, |
| Male | |
| Paalukum kallukum vannam ondru thaan | Milk and liquor share the exact same color, |
| Paarkum kangal ondru thaan | The eyes that behold them are the same, |
| Undaal rendum veru thaan | Yet once consumed, the two are entirely different. |
| Male | |
| Oru poiyavathu sol kannae | Utter at least a lie, my darling, |
| Un kaadhal naandhaan endru | That I am the one who holds your love, |
| Antha sollil uyir vaazhven | In that single word, I shall remain alive. |
| Male | |
| Iravinai thiratiiiii …. ooo ooh aa aah | Gathering the deep darkness of the night... |
| Iravinai thirati | Gathering the deep darkness of the night, |
| { Kanmaniyin kuzhal seithaaro } (2) | Did someone fashion my beloved's hair? |
| Nilavin oli thirati kangal seithaaro … oooh | Gathering the light of the moon, did they create her eyes? |
| Male | |
| Vinmeen vinmeen kondu | Taking star after star, |
| Viralil nagam samaithu | Crafting the nails upon her fingers, |
| Minnalin keechugal kondu | Taking streaks of lightning, |
| Kairegai seithaano … ooo | Did he etch the lines on her palm? |
| Male | |
| Vaadai kaatru pattu | Touched by the chilly northern breeze, |
| Vayathuku vantha pookal | Taking flowers that have come of age, |
| Kondu thangam thangam poosi | Coating them in pure gold, |
| Thol seithaano aanaal pennae | Did he create her shoulders? But oh girl, |
| Ullam kallil seithu vaithaano | Did he carve your heart out of stone? |
| Kaadhal kannae | Oh my love, my darling, |
| Ullam kallil seithu vaithaano | Did he carve your heart out of stone? |
| Male | |
| Oru poiyavathu sol kannae | Utter at least a lie, my darling, |
| Un kaadhal naandhaan endru | That I am the one who holds your love, |
| Antha sollil uyir vaazhven | In that single word, I shall remain alive. |
| { Antha oru oru oru oru sollil } (2) | In that single, single, single word, |
| Naan uyir vaazhven uyir vaazhven | I shall live on, I shall live on, |
| { Antha oru sol antha oru sol } (2) | That one word, that one word, |
| Sollil antha sollil | In that word, in that word, |
| { Uyir vaazhven } (3) | I shall remain alive. |
{ ஒரு பொய்யாவது
சொல் கண்ணே உன் காதல்
நான் தான் என்று அந்த
சொல்லில் உயிா் வாழ்வேன் } (3)
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
That I am the one who holds your love,
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
பூக்களில் உன்னால்
சத்தம் அடி மௌனத்தில்
உன்னால் யுத்தம் இதைத்
தாங்குமா என் நெஞ்சம்....
இதைத் தாங்குமா என் நெஞ்சம்
Because of you, there is noise among the flowers,
Hey, because of you, there is war in silence,
Can my heart bear this? Mmm...
Can my heart bear this?
உண்மையும் பொய்மையும்
பக்கம்பக்கம்தான் ரொம்பப் பக்கம்
பக்கம்தான் பாா்த்தால் ரெண்டும்
ஒன்றுதான்
Truth and falsehood exist side by side,
They exist very close, side by side,
To look at, both appear to be one and the same,
பாலுக்கும் கள்ளுக்கும்
வண்ணம் ஒன்றுதான் பாா்க்கும்
கண்கள் ஒன்றுதான் உண்டால்
ரெண்டும் வேறுதான்
Milk and liquor share the exact same color,
The eyes that behold them are the same,
Yet once consumed, the two are entirely different.
ஒரு பொய்யாவது
சொல் கண்ணே உன் காதல்
நான் தான் என்று அந்த
சொல்லில் உயிா் வாழ்வேன்
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
That I am the one who holds your love,
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
இரவினைத் திரட்டி
ஓ... ஆ... இரவினைத் திரட்டி
கண்மணியின் குழல் செய்தாரோ
கண்மணியின் குழல் செய்தாரோ
நிலவின் ஒளி திரட்டிக் கண்கள்
செய்தாரோ.....
Gathering the deep darkness of the night...
Gathering the deep darkness of the night,
Did someone fashion my beloved's hair?
Gathering the light of the moon, did they create her eyes?
விண்மீன் விண்மீன்
கொண்டு விரலில் நகம் சமைத்து
மின்னலின் கீற்றுகள் கொண்டு
கைரேகை செய்தானோ....
Taking star after star,
Crafting the nails upon her fingers,
Taking streaks of lightning,
Did he etch the lines on her palm?
வாடைக் காற்று
பட்டு வயதுக்கு வந்த பூக்கள்
கொண்டுத் தங்கம் தங்கம் பூசித்
தோள் செய்தானோ ஆனால்
பெண்ணே உள்ளம் கல்லில்
செய்து வைத்தானோ காதல்
கண்ணே உள்ளம் கல்லில்
செய்து வைத்தானோ
Touched by the chilly northern breeze,
Taking flowers that have come of age,
Coating them in pure gold,
Did he create her shoulders? But oh girl,
Did he carve your heart out of stone?
Oh my love, my darling,
Did he carve your heart out of stone?
ஒரு பொய்யாவது
சொல் கண்ணே உன் காதல்
நான் தான் என்று அந்த
சொல்லில் உயிா் வாழ்வேன்
{ அந்த ஒரு ஒரு ஒரு ஒரு சொல்லில் } (2)
நான் உயிா் வாழ்வேன் உயிா் வாழ்வேன்
{ அந்த ஒரு சொல் அந்த ஒரு சொல் } (2)
சொல்லில் அந்த சொல்லில்
{ உயிா் வாழ்வேன் } (3)
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
That I am the one who holds your love,
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
In that single, single, single word,
I shall live on, I shall live on,
That one word, that one word,
In that word, in that word,
I shall remain alive.
{ Oru poiyavathu sol kannae
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
Un kaadhal naandhaan endru
That I am the one who holds your love,
Antha sollil uyir vaazhven } (3)
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
Pookalil unnal satham
Because of you, there is noise among the flowers,
Adi mounathil unnal yutham
Hey, because of you, there is war in silence,
Ithai thaanguma en nenjam … mmm
Can my heart bear this? Mmm...
Ithai thaanguma en nenjam
Can my heart bear this?
Unmaiyum poimayum pakam pakam thaan
Truth and falsehood exist side by side,
Romba pakam pakam thaan
They exist very close, side by side,
Paarthaal rendum ondru thaan
To look at, both appear to be one and the same,
Paalukum kallukum vannam ondru thaan
Milk and liquor share the exact same color,
Paarkum kangal ondru thaan
The eyes that behold them are the same,
Undaal rendum veru thaan
Yet once consumed, the two are entirely different.
Oru poiyavathu sol kannae
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
Un kaadhal naandhaan endru
That I am the one who holds your love,
Antha sollil uyir vaazhven
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
Iravinai thiratiiiii …. ooo ooh aa aah
Gathering the deep darkness of the night...
Iravinai thirati
Gathering the deep darkness of the night,
{ Kanmaniyin kuzhal seithaaro } (2)
Did someone fashion my beloved's hair?
Nilavin oli thirati kangal seithaaro … oooh
Gathering the light of the moon, did they create her eyes?
Vinmeen vinmeen kondu
Taking star after star,
Viralil nagam samaithu
Crafting the nails upon her fingers,
Minnalin keechugal kondu
Taking streaks of lightning,
Kairegai seithaano … ooo
Did he etch the lines on her palm?
Vaadai kaatru pattu
Touched by the chilly northern breeze,
Vayathuku vantha pookal
Taking flowers that have come of age,
Kondu thangam thangam poosi
Coating them in pure gold,
Thol seithaano aanaal pennae
Did he create her shoulders? But oh girl,
Ullam kallil seithu vaithaano
Did he carve your heart out of stone?
Kaadhal kannae
Oh my love, my darling,
Ullam kallil seithu vaithaano
Did he carve your heart out of stone?
Oru poiyavathu sol kannae
Utter at least a lie, my darling,
Un kaadhal naandhaan endru
That I am the one who holds your love,
Antha sollil uyir vaazhven
In that single word, I shall remain alive.
{ Antha oru oru oru oru sollil } (2)
In that single, single, single word,
Naan uyir vaazhven uyir vaazhven
I shall live on, I shall live on,
{ Antha oru sol antha oru sol } (2)
That one word, that one word,
Sollil antha sollil
In that word, in that word,
{ Uyir vaazhven } (3)
I shall remain alive.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This classic romantic track expresses extreme longing, devotion, and poetic despair. The protagonist craves his beloved's affection so deeply that he begs her to tell him a lie—to pretend she loves him—because even a false declaration would give him the will to keep living. He reflects on how truth and lie, much like milk and toddy, can look identical on the surface yet yield completely opposite realities inside.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Muran (Antithesis/Contrast)
“Unmaiyum poimayum pakam pakam thaan ... Paalukum kallukum vannam ondru thaan ... Undaal rendum veru thaan”
Contrasts truth vs. falsehood and milk vs. intoxicant (kallu) to illustrate how identical surface appearances can conceal wildly different internal realities.
Hyperbole (Urvagarnam / Atisayokthi)
“Iravinai thirati ... Nilavin oli thirati kangal seithaaro”
Uses grand cosmic exaggeration to describe the creation of the heroine's body—darkness for hair, moonlight for eyes, stars for nails, and lightning for palm lines.
Metaphor (Urvagam)
“Ullam kallil seithu vaithaano”
Metaphorically equates the woman's indifference and unyielding attitude to a heart made of cold stone.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“seithaaro / seithaano / vaithaano”
Repetitive rhythmic ending syllables in the verse that enhance melodic flow and poetic cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu and sung by Hariharan and Sujatha Mohan, 'Oru Poiyavathu Sol Kannae' is one of Tamil cinema's most famous romantic melodies. Interestingly, the basic musical core of this melody originated from Rahman's song 'Maska Chilaka' from the 1994 Telugu film 'Gangmaster', which Rahman completely reworked into an elaborate, classical-infused masterpiece for 'Jodi' (1999).
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