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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Othaiyila

From Iraivi · 2016

Lyricist
Mani Amuthavan
Singer
Anthony Daasan
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Details
Iraivi2016

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Othaiyila nikkuren diI stand all alone, girl
Un nenapil kathuren diI scream out in your memory, girl
Male
Patten buththi kettenI suffered and learned my lesson
Un pecha ketkamaBy not listening to your words
Male
Othaiyila nikkuren diI stand all alone, girl
Un nenapil kathuren diI scream out in your memory, girl
Male
Kannu mannu theriyamaWithout looking where I was going
Kandabadi ponenI went wherever I pleased recklessly
Kootta marandhae parandhaForgetting my flock, I flew away
Koondu kili aanenAnd ended up as a caged bird
Male
Kanna moodi padutha thaanOnly when I close my eyes and lie down
Kanavil unna paapenDo I get to see you in my dreams
Yekathula thookkam varlaI cannot sleep out of deep yearning
Eppo kaiya korpenWhen will I hold your hands again?
Male
Naai nariyum suththum indhaIn this wicked world where
Polladha ulagathulaDogs and foxes roam about
Aathi nee enna seivaOh God, what will you do alone?
Nenachalae thuyaram pullaJust thinking about it brings grief, my girl
Male
Patten buththi kettenI suffered and learned my lesson
Un pecha ketkamaBy not listening to your words
Male
Othaiyila nikkuren diI stand all alone, girl
Un nenapil kathuren diI scream out in your memory, girl
Male
Ethanaiyo paadhai ingaSo many proper paths were there
Ponadhadi munnaeIn front of me before
Muttu sandha thedi poyiYet I went looking for a dead-end alley
Mutti kittu ninnenAnd ended up hitting a wall and standing helpless
Male
Koththu kotha poova yellamAll those flowers blooming in bunches
Paakala en kannaeI failed to look at them, my darling
Poovunu thaan theeya mochiMistaking fire for a flower, I touched it
Suttu kitten ponnaeAnd burned myself, my girl
Male
Siterumbu pondhu kullaLike the grain collected and saved
Segaricha dhaaniyamaInside a tiny ant's hole
Sithakathi un nenapaOh girl like the Sithakathi flower, your memories
Sethu vachen naan thaan ammaI have accumulated and stored within me, my dear
Male
Patten buththi kettenI suffered and learned my lesson
Un pecha ketkamaBy not listening to your words
Male
Othaiyila nikkuren diI stand all alone, girl
Un nenapil kathuren di..eee..eee..eee.. lyricsI scream out in your memory...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from 'Iraivi' is a poignant expression of remorse, isolation, and painful self-realization. The singer laments his past recklessness, acknowledging that ignoring his partner's wise advice led to his tragic downfall. He compares his current state to a caged bird that flew away from its flock, now stranded in a dead-end alley of his own making.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Koondu kili aanen

Compares his self-inflicted loss of freedom to becoming a bird trapped inside a cage ('Koondu kili aanen').

Metaphor

Poovunu thaan theeya mochi / Suttu kitten ponnae

Compares dangerous, destructive temptations to a fire that was mistaken for a gentle flower.

Simile (Uvamai)

Siterumbu pondhu kulla / Segaricha dhaaniyama

Compares the way he carefully preserves her memories in his heart to an ant meticulously storing grains inside its nest.

Assonance / Rhyme (Kannu Mannu)

Kannu mannu theriyama

Rhythmic pairing of Tamil words 'Kannu' (eye) and 'Mannu' (earth) to idiomatically convey acting blindly or recklessly.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Othaiyila Nikkuren' features in the critically acclaimed film 'Iraivi' (2016), composed by Santhosh Narayanan with lyrics penned by Mani Amuthavan. The lyrics reflect the central thematic thread of the movie—how men's reckless actions, ego, and refusal to listen to the women in their lives lead to ruin and regret.

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