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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Panivizhum Iravu

From Mouna Ragam · 1986

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Mouna Ragam1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Laa laa la….laLaa laa la...la
Laa la laa…laLaa la laa...la
Laa….la la laaaaaaa….Laa...la la laaaaaaa....
Male
Pani vizhum iravu ….On a night when dew falls...
Nanaindhadhu nilavuThe moon gets drenched
Ilanguyil irandu ….When two young cuckoos...
Isaikkindra pozhudhuSing out music together
Poo pookkum raappodhuIn the night time when flowers bloom
Poongaatrum thoongaadhuEven the gentle breeze does not sleep
Vaa vaa vaa..Come, come, come..
Female
Pani vizhum iravu ….On a night when dew falls...
Nanaindhadhu nilavuThe moon gets drenched
Female
Poovilae oru paai pottuSpreading a bed inside a flower
Panithuli thoongaFor the dewdrop to sleep
Male :Poovizhi imai moodaamalMale: Without closing the flower-like eyelids
Paingili yengaThe green parrot longs deeply
Female
Maalai vilakkettrum neramAt the time of lighting the evening lamp
Manasil oru kodi baaramThere is a burden of ten million worries in the heart
Male :Thanithu vaazhndhenna laabamMale: What is the gain in living alone?
Thevai illaadha thaabamAn unnecessary yearning arises
Female
Thanimaiyae po…Oh solitude, go away...
Inimaiyae vaa..Oh sweetness, come near..
Neerum verum….sera vendumThe water and the root must join together
Male
Pani vizhum iravu ..On a night when dew falls...
Nanaindhadhu nilavuThe moon gets drenched
Chorus
…………………………....
Male
Kaavalil nilai kollaamalRefusing to stay under control
Thaavudhae manadhuThe heart leaps forward
Female :Kaaranam thunai illaamalFemale: The reason is being without a companion
Vaadidum vayadhuAt an age that easily wilts away
Male
Aasai kollaamal kollumDesire kills without actually killing
Angam thaalaamal thullumThe body dances, unable to bear the surge
Female : Ennai ketkaamal odumFemale: Running without asking for my permission
Idhayam unnodu koodumMy heart joins together with yours
Male
Viragamae orrIs this longing of separation...
Naragamo solA true hell? Tell me
Poovum mullaai…. maari pogumEven a soft flower turns into a thorn
Female
Pani vizhum iravu ….On a night when dew falls...
Nanaindhadhu nilavuThe moon gets drenched
Ilanguyil irandu ….When two young cuckoos...
Isaikkindra pozhudhuSing out music together
Poo pookkum raappodhuIn the night time when flowers bloom
Poongaatrum thoongaadhuEven the gentle breeze does not sleep
Vaa vaa vaa..Come, come, come..
Male
Pani vizhum iravu ….On a night when dew falls...
Nanaindhadhu nilavuThe moon gets drenched

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Pani Vizhum Iravu from Mouna Ragam (1986) is a poetic duet expressing intimate longing, romantic desire, and the burden of loneliness. Set in a misty, tranquil night where nature—from the drenched moon to the sleepless breeze—mirrors human passion, the song illustrates how separation turns soft comfort into painful sorrow. The lovers reflect on how solitude is meaningless and how their souls must unite, just as water naturally nourishes the root of a tree. Through evocative imagery, the track highlights the transition from restless isolation to the welcoming of sweet togetherness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Poongaatrum thoongaadhu

The gentle breeze is personified as being awake and unable to sleep ('Poongaatrum thoongaadhu').

Metaphor

Male :Poovizhi imai moodaamal

Eyes are poetically compared to delicate flower blossoms ('Poovizhi').

Antithesis / Contrast

Thanimaiyae po… Inimaiyae vaa..

Contrasting solitude (Thanimai) and sweetness (Inimai) to emphasize emotional desire.

Paradox / Oxymoron

Aasai kollaamal kollum

Desire is described as killing without physically taking a life ('kollaamal kollum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali, 'Pani Vizhum Iravu' was rendered by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and S. Janaki. Set primarily in Raga Natabhairavi, the track highlights director Mani Ratnam's signature atmospheric night aesthetic in Mouna Ragam.

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