- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singers
- Clinton Cerejo, Dominique Cerejo, Hariharan
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Alaipayuthey
- Movie release year
- 2000
- Lyrics added on
- 18 May 2017
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sagiyae snegidhiyae
Kaadhalil kaadhalil
Kaadhalil niramundu
Sagiyae snegidhiyae
En anbae anbae
Unakkum niramundu..ohooo…
Pachai niramae
Pachai niramae
Ichchai moottum pachai niramae
Pullin sirippum pachai niramae
Enakku sammadham tharumae
Pachai niramae
Pachai niramae
Ilaiyin ilamai pachchai niramae
Undhan narambum pachchai niramae
Enakku sammadham tharumae
Enakku sammadham tharumae
Enakku sammadham tharumae
Ahaaa..aahaaaa..
Ahaaa…ahaaaa..aaaa….aaa…
Kilaiyil kaanum
Kiliyin mookku
Vidalai pennin
Vetrilai naakku
Puththam pudhidhaai
Raththa rojaa
Bhoomi thodaadha
Pillaiyin paadham…
Ellaa sivappum undhan kovam
Ellaa sivappum undhan kovam
Andhi vaanam
Araikkum manjal
Aggini kozhundhil
Pooththa manjal
Thanga thodu
Janiththa manjal
Kondrai poovil
Kuliththa manjal
Manjal manjal manjal
Maalai nilavin maragadha manjal
Ellaam thangum undhan nenjil
Sagiyae..mm.. snegidhiyae..mm
Kaadhalil kaadhalil
Kaadhalil niramundu
Wooh..ohooo..
Sagiyae..mm.. snegidhiyae..mm..
En anbae anbae
Unakkum niramundu..
Alaiyillaadha aazhi vannam
Mugilillaadha vaanin vannam..mm..
Mayilin kazhuththil vaarum vannam
Kuvalai poovil kuzhaiththa vannam
Oodhaa poovil ootriya vannam..mmm..
Ellaam serndhu un kannil minnum..mm..
Ellaam serndhu un kannil minnum..mm
Iravin niramae iravin niramae
Yeah..hee
Kaarkaalaththin moththa niramae
Kaakkai siragil kaanum niramae
Penmai ezhudhum kanmai niramae
Veyilil paadum kuyilin niramae..ae…
Ellaam serndhu koondhal niramae..ae…
Ellaam serndhu koondhal niramae…ae..
Sagiyae..mm.. snegidhiyae..mm
Kaadhalil kaadhalil
Kaadhalil niramundu
Wooh..ohooo..
Sagiyae..mm.. snegidhiyae..mm..
En anbae anbae
Yeah..hee…yeah…
Unakkum niramundu..
Vellai niramae vellai niramae
Female :Ahaa..aaaa….aaa…
Mazhaiyil mulaiyum thumbai niramae
Female :La la la la la…
Vellai niramae vellai niramae
Vizhiyil paadhi ulla niramae
Mazhaiyil mulaiyum thumbai niramae
Unadhu manasin niramae
Unadhu manasin niramae
Unadhu manasin niramae…
My friend, my companion
In love, in love
Love has colors
My friend, my companion
My love, my love
You have colors too... oho...
The color green,
The color green,
The green that stirs desire,
The smile of the grass is green,
And I gladly welcome it
The color green,
The color green,
The youth of a leaf is green,
The veins beneath your skin are green,
And I gladly welcome it
And I gladly welcome it
And I gladly welcome it
Aha... aaha...
Aha... aha... aa... aa...
Seen on a branch,
A parrot's beak,
A young girl's
Betel-stained tongue,
Fresh and brand new,
A blood-red rose,
Never having touched the ground,
A baby's tiny foot...
All these shades of red are your anger
All these shades of red are your anger
The evening sky,
Freshly ground turmeric,
In the tip of a flame,
The blooming yellow,
A golden earring,
The yellow born from it,
In the kondrai (golden shower) flower,
The bathed yellow,
Yellow, yellow, yellow,
The evening moon's soft golden-yellow glow,
All of them dwell in your heart
My friend... mm... my companion... mm...
In love, in love
Love has colors
Wooh... ohoo...
My friend... mm... my companion... mm...
My love, my love
You have colors too...
The color of a waveless sea,
The color of a cloudless sky... mm...
The shade shining on a peacock's neck,
The color blended in a water lily,
The color poured into a purple blossom... mmm...
All come together and sparkle in your eyes... mm...
All come together and sparkle in your eyes... mm...
Color of the night, color of the night,
Ye... hee...
The full darkness of the monsoon,
The color seen on a crow's wing,
The color of kohl lining a woman's eyes,
The color of a cuckoo singing in the sun... yeah...
All come together as the color of your hair... yeah...
All come together as the color of your hair... yeah...
My friend... mm... my companion... mm...
In love, in love
Love has colors
Wooh... ohoo...
My friend... mm... my companion... mm...
My love, my love
Ye... hee... ye...
You have colors too...
The color white, the color white,
Female: Aha... aa... aa...
The thumbai (small white flower) sprouting in the rain,
Female: La la la la la...
The color white, the color white,
The color that fills half your eyes,
The thumbai (small white flower) sprouting in the rain,
It is the color of your heart
It is the color of your heart
It is the color of your heart...
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
In 'Pachai Nirame', the protagonist poetically associates every color found in nature with different facets, emotions, and physical attributes of his beloved. He sees green in her youth and veins, red in her passionate anger, yellow in the tender warmth of her heart, shades of blue and purple in her expressive eyes, black in her lustrous hair, and pure white in her untainted soul.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamaani / Metaphor & Imagery
“Pullin sirippum pachai niramae / Undhan narambum pachchai niramae”
Vairamuthu uses vivid nature metaphors, comparing natural colors (green grass, red roses, dusk sky, peacock neck) directly to physical features and emotions of the beloved.
Anaphora / Sound Repetition
“Pachai niramae Pachai niramae”
Repetition of color names (Pachai, Yellow, White) at the start or throughout stanzas creates a rhythmic and hypnotic musical quality.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by A.R. Rahman for Mani Ratnam's iconic romantic drama Alaipayuthey (2000), 'Pachai Nirame' is widely considered a masterclass in synesthesia in Tamil film lyricism. Sung by Hariharan and K.S. Chithra, each stanza musically shifts to mirror the visual motif of the color described.
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