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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pookal Pookum

From Madrasapattinam · 2010

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Harini, Roop Kumar Rathod
Music director
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Details
Madrasapattinam2010

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
{Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana nana thira na} (2)Thaana nana thira na (2)
Male
Pookkal pookkum tharunamThe moment flowers bloom
AaruyiraeMy precious soul
Paarththadhaarum illaiyaeNo one has ever truly witnessed it
Female
Pularum kaalai pozhudhaiDuring the breaking dawn of morning
Muzhu madhiyumThe full moon
PirindhuppovadhillaiyaeNever truly departs away
Male
Netruvarai neram pogavillaiyaeUntil yesterday, time did not seem to pass
Unadharugae neram podhavilliayaeBeside you, time is never enough
Female :Edhuvum pesavillaiyaeFemale: Nothing was spoken
Indru yeno edhuvum thondravillaiyaeToday, for some reason, nothing feels clear
Idhu ethuvooo…oo….Whatever this feeling is...
Male
Iravum vidiyavillaiyaeThe night doesn't seem to end
Adhu vidindhaalAnd even when it dawns
Pagalum mudiyavillaiyaeThe day does not seem to end either
Poondhaliraey…O tender flower bud...
Ooooo…oooo……Ooooo... oooo...
Chorus
{Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana nana thira na} (2)Thaana nana thira na (2)
Male
Ooooo…oooo……Ooooo... oooo...
Ooooo…oooo……Ooooo... oooo...
Male
Vaarthai thevaiyillaiNo words are needed
Vaazhum kaalamvaraiFor as long as we live
Paavai paarvai mozhi pesumaeThe language of a woman's gaze speaks
Female
Netru thevaiyillaiYesterday is not needed
Naalai thevaiyillaiTomorrow is not needed
Indru indha nodi podhumaeToday, this very moment is enough
Male
Ver indri vidhaiyindriWithout roots, without seeds
Vin thoovum mazhiyindriWithout rain showered from the sky
Idhu enna ivan thottamWhat kind of garden is this of his
Poo pookkudhaeWhere flowers blossom?
Female
Vaal indri por indriWithout a sword, without a war
Valikkindra yuththam indriWithout a painful battle
Idhu enna ivanukkulWhat is this inside him
Enai velludhaeThat conquers me completely?
Male
Idhayam muzhudhum irukkumOccupying the entirety of my heart
Indha thayakkamThis hesitation
Engu kondu niruthumWhere will it lead and leave me?
Female
IdhaiyariyaTo understand this
Engu kidaikkum vilakkamWhere can I find an explanation?
Adhu kidaithaalIf I get that answer
Sollavendum enakkumI must tell myself too
Male
Poondhalirae….. ae….ae…..O tender flower bud...
Female
O where would i beOh where would I be
Without this joy inside of meWithout this joy inside of me
It makes me want to come aliveIt makes me want to come alive
It makes me want to flyIt makes me want to fly
Into the sky……Into the sky...
Female
O where would i beOh where would I be
If i dodnt have you next to meIf I didn't have you next to me
O where would i beOh where would I be
O where …o where….Oh where... oh where...
Chorus
…………………………...
Male
Aaaa….aaa…..aaa….Aaaa... aaa... aaa...
Male
Endha megamidhuWhich cloud is this
Endhan vaasal vandhuThat has arrived at my doorstep
Engum eera mazhai thoovudhaeShowering wet rain everywhere?
Female
Enna uravu idhuWhat relationship is this?
Edhuvum puriyavillaiI don't understand anything
Endrabodhum idhu neeludhaeYet it continues to stretch forward
Male
Yaar endru ariyaamalWithout knowing who he is
Perkkooda theriyaamalWithout even knowing his name
Ivanodu oru sondham uruvaanathaeA deep bond with him has formed
Female
Yen endru ketkaamalWithout asking why
Thaduthaalum nirkkaamalWithout stopping even when restrained
Ivan pogum vazhi engumWherever his path leads
Manam pogudhaeMy heart follows behind
Male
Paadhai mudindha piragumEven after the road ends
Indha ulagil payanam mudivadhillaiyaeIn this world, the journey never truly ends
Female :Kaatril parandhae paravaiFemale: Even after the bird flies in the wind
Maraindha piragumAnd disappears into the sky
Male & Female :Male & Female:
Ilai thodangum nadanam mudivadhillaiyaeThe dance initiated by the leaf never ceases
Idhu edhuvo…… oooWhatever this feeling is...
Chorus
{Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana nana thira na} (2)Thaana nana thira na (2)
Female
Pookal pookkum tharumThe moment flowers bloom
Aadhavanae paartha thaarum illaiyaeO Sun, no one has witnessed it
Pularum kaalai pozhudhaiDuring the breaking dawn of morning
Muzhu madhiyumThe full moon
PirindhuppovadhillaiyaeNever truly departs away
Male
Netruvarai neram pogavillaiyaeUntil yesterday, time did not seem to pass
Unadharugae neram podhavilliayaeBeside you, time is never enough
Female :Edhuvum pesavillaiyaeFemale: Nothing was spoken
Indru yeno edhuvum thondravillaiyaeToday, for some reason, nothing feels clear
Chorus
{Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana nana thira na} (2)Thaana nana thira na (2)
Male
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana
Thaana thomthananaThaana thomthanana

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Pookkal Pookkum' is a celebrated romantic melody from the 2010 period drama 'Madrasapattinam'. Set in pre-independence Madras, the song articulates the quiet, transcendent blossoming of love between two people who come from completely different cultures and languages. The lyricist Na. Muthukumar compares the origin of love to the silent blooming of a flower—an event so subtle and magical that no one sees it happening, yet its presence alters everything. The lyrics capture the feeling of time standing still in the presence of one's beloved, where unspoken glances convey far more than spoken language ever could. Beautiful metaphors of nature, such as garden growth without seeds or rain, and journeys continuing beyond the end of a physical path, depict love as an unstoppable, gentle force that conquers the heart without conflict.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Pookkal pookkum tharunam

Compares love blooming silently in the heart to flowers blooming unnoticed ('Pookkal pookkum tharunam... paarththadhaarum illaiyae').

Anaphora / Rhyme (Monai and Etukai)

Ver indri vidhaiyindri

Rhythmic repetition of matching sound structures like 'Ver indri vidhaiyindri' and 'Vaal indri por indri' adds musical harmony to the lyrics.

Paradox (Eredhir Aniyo / Contradiction)

Paadhai mudindha piragum

Expresses poetic paradoxes like a journey continuing after the road ends ('Paadhai mudindha piragum... payanam mudivadhillaiyae').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar with lyrics by Na. Muthukumar, 'Pookkal Pookkum' features vocals by Roop Kumar Rathod, Harini, Andrea Jeremiah, and G. V. Prakash Kumar. The song won widespread critical acclaim and several awards for its lush orchestral arrangements and poetic depth, becoming one of the most memorable Tamil romantic melodies of the 2010s.

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