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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oru Pullangkuzhal Oomaiyanadhu

From Unakkaga Oru Roja · 1985

Lyricist
T. Rajendar
Singer
K. J. Yesudas
Music director
T. Rajendar
Details
Unakkaga Oru Roja1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.
Male
Vaanil thondrum minnal polaLike lightning that briefly flashes in the sky,
Vaazhvil konda kadhal kalaiyaAs the love cherished in life faded away,
Vithithaanae sathi seithathuFate itself plotted a betrayal,
Ival mathithaanae thadumaaruthuAnd her mind is left faltering and confused.
Vithithaanae sathi seithathuFate itself plotted a betrayal,
Ival mathithaanae thadumaaruthuAnd her mind is left faltering and confused.
Male
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.
Male
Selai anintha maathu cholai ennumpothuWhen this saree-clad woman was like a garden,
Avanthaanae aval thedum kaaththuHe was the breeze she sought after.
Kaaththu avanai ninaiththu kaaththu kidanthapothuWhile waiting and longing in memory of him,
Ponaanae veru cholai paatthuHe left in search of a different garden.
Male
Inikkindra vasantham izhanthaalae sonthamThe sweet spring season was lost along with her loved ones,
Inikkindra vasantham izhanthaalae sonthamThe sweet spring season was lost along with her loved ones.
Kolam kalaintha vaasal ivalShe is like a doorway with a ruined kolam pattern,
Megam soozhntha nilavu ivalShe is like the moon shrouded in dark clouds.
Male
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.
Male
Neelam sinthum nayanam neeril aadum thuyaraanHer blue-tinted eyes shed tears, weeping in sorrow,
Shruthi maara thavikkindra raagamShe is like a musical ragam struggling with a shifted pitch.
Avanai paathai endru ninaiththa paavai payanamIn this maiden's journey, believing he was her path,
Vazhi maara thadumaarum paathamHer feet stumble as the route strays.
Male
Ezhil konjjum maadam yaettraalae sogamThe mansion filled with beauty now plays host to grief,
Ezhil konjjum maadam yaettraalae sogamThe mansion filled with beauty now plays host to grief.
Vaarththai tholaintha kavithai ivalShe is a poem that has lost its words,
Vaazhkkai kulaintha bedhai ivalShe is an innocent girl whose life has fallen apart.
Male
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.
Male
Vaanil thondrum minnal polaLike lightning that briefly flashes in the sky,
Vaazhvil konda kadhal kalaiyaAs the love cherished in life faded away,
Vithithaanae sathi seithathuFate itself plotted a betrayal,
Ival mathithaanae thadumaaruthuAnd her mind is left faltering and confused.
Male
Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathuA flute has turned silent and mute,
Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathuA flower's tender heart has been wounded.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a deeply melancholic lament from the movie 'Unakkaga Oru Roja', reflecting the profound grief and heartbreak of a woman betrayed by love and cruel fate. Through rich lyrical imagery, her tragic state is compared to a flute that has lost its music, a delicate flower that has been bruised, a doorstep where the traditional decorative floor design (kolam) has been ruined, and a moon shrouded in dark clouds. The lyrics trace her journey from joyful hope to utter disillusionment as the man she relied on abandons her like a breeze moving to another garden. Composed and penned by T. Rajendar, the song builds a dramatic arc emphasizing how fleeting happiness can be, like a flash of lightning in the night sky. Rendered with soulful emotional depth by K. J. Yesudas, the song captures the helplessness of an innocent soul whose mind falters after her world falls apart, turning her life into a poem without words.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathu / Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathu

Compares the protagonist's lost voice and inner sorrow directly to a flute that has gone mute and a flower whose fragrance/heart is wounded.

Simile (Upamai)

Vaanil thondrum minnal pola

Uses 'pola' (like) to compare the fleeting nature of her love to a sudden, ephemeral flash of lightning in the sky.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Vithithaanae sathi seithathu / Ival mathithaanae thadumaaruthu

The second letter 'thi' (தி) rhymes in 'Vithithaanae' and 'mathithaanae'.

Puns / Polysemy (Shledai)

Avanthaanae aval thedum kaaththu / Kaaththu avanai ninaiththu kaaththu kidanthapothu

Plays on the word 'Kaaththu', using it both as 'wind/breeze' (the lover) and 'waiting' (longing for him).

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Vaarththai tholaintha kavithai ival / Vaazhkkai kulaintha bedhai ival

Directly equates the broken protagonist to a 'poem that lost its words'.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathu' is one of the classic melancholic tracks composed and written by T. Rajendar for the 1985 drama 'Unakkaga Oru Roja'. Known for his rhyming, highly metaphorical Tamil lyrics, T. Rajendar frequently collaborated with legendary playback singer K. J. Yesudas for emotional solo tracks during the 1980s. Yesudas's expressive rendition elevated this song into a hugely popular sad melody on Tamil radio and cassette releases of that era.

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