Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pookkalae Sattru Oyivedungal

From I · 2015

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singers
Haricharan, Shreya Ghoshal
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
I2015

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
{Pookkale sattru oyivedungalO flowers, take a little rest now,
Aval vandhuvittaalFor she has arrived!
Aval vandhuvittaal}(2)She has arrived!
Male
Hey i endraal athu azhagu endralO flowers, take a little rest now,
Antha i-galin i aval thaanaFor she has arrived!
Hey i endraal athu kadavul endralShe has arrived!
Antha kadavulin thugal aval thaanaHey, if 'I' means beauty,
Haiyo ena thigaikumIs she not the ultimate beauty among all beauties?
I ena viyakkumHey, if 'I' means God,
I-galukellam vidumuraiyai aval thanthuvitaal..Is she not a particle of that very God?
Aval vanthuvittaal..Astonishing everyone to cry out 'Oh my!',
Male
Pookkale sattru oyivedungalMaking everyone marvel in awe,
Aval vandhuvittaalShe has given a vacation to all other wonders...
Aval vandhuvittaalShe has arrived..
Female
Indha ulagil unai vella oruvan illaiO flowers, take a little rest now,
Undhan asaivugalil yaavilum iFor she has arrived!
Vizhi azhagai kadanthu un idhayam nuzhainthuShe has arrived!
En ainpuzhan unarnthidum iThere is no one in this world to defeat you,
Male
Evan bayathai anaikkaIn every movement of yours, there is wonder and beauty ('I').
Aval evanlai anaikkaTranscending the beauty of your eyes and entering your heart,
Aval seigaiyil peivathu iMy five senses experience this divine wonder ('I').
Aval vizhiyin kanivilTo extinguish whose fear,
Endha ulagam paniyumAnd to embrace whom,
Siru noiyalavu iyam illaiWonder ('I') rains down in her actions!
Female
En kaigalai korthidu i viralaiIn the tenderness of her eyes,
Ini thaithu nee vaithidu nam nizhalaiAny world will bow down,
Male
Aval idhazhgalai nugarnthuvidaThere is not even a tiny grain of doubt in this.
Paadhai neduga Female : Thavam puriyumInterlock my five fingers with yours,
Male
Pookkale sattru oyivedungalFrom now on, stitch our shadows together and keep them.
Aval vandhuvittaalTo savor the scent of her lips,
Aval vandhuvittaalAll along the path, female: Flowers perform penance.
Male
Hey i endraal athu azhagu endralO flowers, take a little rest now,
Antha i-galin i aval thaanaFor she has arrived!
Hey i endraal athu kadavul endralShe has arrived!
Antha kadavulin thugal aval thaanaHey, if 'I' means beauty,
Haiyo ena thigaikumIs she not the ultimate beauty among all beauties?
I ena viyakkumHey, if 'I' means God,
I-galukellam vidumuraiyai aval thanthuvitaal..Is she not a particle of that very God?
Aval vanthuvittaal.Astonishing everyone to cry out 'Oh my!',
Female
Neer veelchi polae ninravanMaking everyone marvel in awe,
Naan neentha oru oodai aanaiShe has given a vacation to all other wonders...
Vaan mootum malaiyai ponravanShe has arrived.
Naan aada oru medai aanaaiI stood like a roaring waterfall,
Male
Ennullae ennai kandavalYou became a gentle stream for me to swim in.
Yaarendru enai kaana seithaalI was like a mountain touching the sky,
Kelamal nenjai koithavalYou became a grand stage for me to dance upon.
Sirpam seithu kaiyil thanthaalThe woman who recognized the true me within myself,
Female
Yugam yugam kaana.. mugam ithu pothumShe made me realize who I truly am.
Pugazhidam endrae undhan.. nenjam mattum pothumShe plucked my heart without asking,
Male :Maru uyir thanthaal.. nimirnthida seithaalSculpted it like a statue and placed it in my hands.
Nagarnthidum paadhai engum vaasam veesa vandhalaeTo gaze upon for eras and eras.. this face alone is enough,
Male
Pookkale sattru oyivedungalAs a sanctuary.. your heart alone is enough.
Aval vandhuvittaalMale: She gave me a second life.. made me stand tall,
Aval vandhuvittaalEverywhere along the moving path, she came spreading fragrance.
Male
Hey i endraal athu azhagu endralO flowers, take a little rest now,
Antha i-galin i aval thaanaFor she has arrived!
Female :Hey i endraal athu thalaivan endralShe has arrived!
Antha i-galil i avan neeyaHey, if 'I' means beauty,
Haiyo ena thigaikumIs she not the ultimate beauty among all beauties?
I ena viyakkumFemale: Hey, if 'I' means leader/lord,
I-galukellam vidumuraiyai aval thanthuvitaal..Are you the supreme lord among all leaders?
Aval vanthuvittaal..Astonishing everyone to cry out 'Oh My!',
Male
Pookkale sattru oyivedungalMaking everyone marvel in awe,
Aval vandhuvittaalShe has given a vacation to all other wonders...
Aval vandhuvittaalShe has arrived..

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Pookkale Sattru Oyivedungal' is a romantic ode where the male and female protagonists express their deep, transcendent admiration for one another. The lyricist ingeniously explores the classical Tamil definitions of the single letter 'I' (ஐ)—which signifies beauty, divinity, king/leader, wonder, and the number five—to elevate the praise of the beloved to a poetic and philosophical level. The singer asks nature's flowers to take a break because the heroine's grace far outshines their beauty. In the later verses, the lovers recount how their relationship transformed them: the hero describes himself as a wild waterfall tamed into a serene stream by her presence, while the heroine sees him as her supreme leader and protector. Through vivid imagery of stitched shadows, sculpted hearts, and nature performing penance, the song captures the essence of deep, soul-bound love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Polysemy / Wordplay on 'I' (ஐ)

Hey i endraal athu azhagu endral

Lyricist Madhan Karky utilizes the single Tamil vowel 'I' (ஐ) across its multiple dictionary meanings: beauty (அழகு), God (கடவுள்), leader (தலைவன்), wonder (வியப்பு), and five (ஐந்து).

Personification (தற்குறிப்பேற்ற அணி)

Pookkale sattru oyivedungal

Giving human attributes to flowers by asking them to rest because the heroine's beauty surpasses theirs, and portraying flowers along the path as performing penance (thavam).

Simile (உவமையணி)

Neer veelchi polae ninravan

Direct comparison of the hero to a waterfall and a mountain using 'polae' and 'ponravan'.

Surrealist Metaphor (உருவக அணி)

Ini thaithu nee vaithidu nam nizhalai

Creating abstract visual imagery of stitching shadows together to symbolize inseparable unity.

Did you know?

Trivia

To write the lyrics tailored to director Shankar's film 'I', lyricist Madhan Karky researched ancient Tamil dictionaries (Nigandu) to find all possible classical meanings of the single Tamil letter 'I' (ஐ). He discovered around 17 meanings and incorporated five major ones—beauty, divinity, wonder, leadership, and five—into the song's verses. Composed by A. R. Rahman, the song was sung by Haricharan and Shreya Ghoshal.

Keep listening

More from I