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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pogum Vazhiyellam

From Ratchagan · 1997

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Ratchagan1997

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
{Pogum vazhi ellam kaathaeOh wind along every path I go,
En nenjathil kaal vaithu nadandhaaiYou set foot in my heart and walked.
Kann irandum imaikaamal paarthenI watched without blinking both my eyes,
En kannodu kanneerai vidhaithai} (2)Yet you sowed tears into my eyes.
Female
Kai yendhi.. kaadhal varam ketenWith open palms, I begged for the boon of love,
En kaigaluku parisu idhu dhaanoIs this the gift given to my hands?
Kadidhathil vaikindren en idhayamI place my heart inside this letter,
Idhu kaadhal ulagathil pudhu udhayamThis is a new dawn in the world of love.
Pudhu udhayam.. pudhu udhayam.. pudhu udhayam..A new dawn.. a new dawn.. a new dawn..
Female
Pogum vazhi ellam kaathaeOh wind along every path I go,
En nenjathil kaal vaithu nadandhaaiYou set foot in my heart and walked.
Kann irandum imaikaamal paarthenI watched without blinking both my eyes,
En kannodu kanneerai vidhaithaiYet you sowed tears into my eyes.
Female
Kai yendhi.. kaadhal varam ketenWith open palms, I begged for the boon of love,
En kaigaluku parisu idhu dhaanoIs this the gift given to my hands?
Unnai vittu vida mudiyaamalUnable to give up on you,
Indha ulagai vidugindrenI am leaving this world.
Unnai vittu vida mudiyaamalUnable to give up on you,
Indha ulagai vidugindren….I am leaving this world....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant track from the film Ratchagan conveys the agonizing pain of heartbreak and tragic sacrifice. The protagonist speaks to the passing wind, reflecting on how their beloved entered their heart only to leave tears behind. Despite praying earnestly for love as a divine boon, they receive only sorrow in return. In a final, desperate act of devotion, the protagonist writes a tragic farewell letter, stating that unable to part with their lover, they choose to leave the world instead, framing this painful departure as a new dawn in the world of love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Pogum vazhi ellam kaathae

Addressing the wind ('kaathae') as a conscious companion listening to the protagonist's sorrow.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

En kannodu kanneerai vidhaithai

Comparing tears to seeds ('vidhaithai') sowed into the eyes, emphasizing the depth and permanence of grief.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Kadidhathil vaikindren en idhayam

Describing the written farewell letter as physically containing the speaker's heart.

Repetition / Epizeuxis (Adukkuthodar)

Pudhu udhayam.. pudhu udhayam.. pudhu udhayam..

Repeating 'pudhu udhayam' continuously to heighten emotional gravity and ironic emphasis on a 'new dawn'.

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Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman for the 1997 high-budget romantic action drama 'Ratchagan' starring Nagarjuna and Sushmita Sen, this tragic song features haunting lyrics by Vairamuthu. Sung masterfully by K.S. Chithra (and Hariharan in an alternate version), it remains one of the most melancholic melodies composed by A.R. Rahman in the late 90s.

Keep listening

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