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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Poovellam Veedhiyile

From En Thangachi Padichava · 1988

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singer
Jayachandran
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Details
En Thangachi Padichava1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Poovellaam veedhiyila thoovuvenI will scatter flowers all over the street
Ava pora vazhi padhai ellaam maaththuvaenI will transform the entire path she walks upon
Thangaththu meniyilathaanOn her golden body
Santhanam poosi vaippaenI will apply sandalwood paste
Santhana kattilathaanOn a bed of sandalwood
Vanthathum padukka vaippaenI will make her lie down as soon as she arrives
Male
Adi aaththaadi iva vaaraadiOh my goodness, look, she is coming!
Ippa oorkolam ava poraadiNow she is going in a grand procession
En thangachchi thaayithaan vittupputtu poraaMy younger sister, who is like a mother to me, is leaving me behind
Naanum ippa thanimaramthaanAnd now I am left all alone like a solitary tree
En saami yaen intha avasaranthaanOh my God, why was there such a hurry?
Male
Naan malligai poovula katti vachcha maalaiThe garland I wove with jasmine flowers
Mannula vaaduthu ippa intha velaiIs now wilting in the dirt at this moment

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song expresses the profound grief of a brother witnessing his beloved younger sister's final procession. He affectionately recalls how gently he wished to care for her, picturing himself strewing flowers on her path, applying sandalwood paste to her body, and laying her down on a sandalwood bed. He reveres his younger sister as a loving maternal figure in his life. Overwhelmed by her loss, the brother reflects on his utter solitude, comparing himself to a single, isolated tree. He questions God for taking her away in such a hurry, lamenting how her delicate life—like a fresh garland woven from jasmine flowers—is now wilting away on the bare earth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Naanum ippa thanimaramthaan

The speaker compares his state of grief and abandonment to a 'thanimaram' (a lonely, standing tree).

Visual Imagery & Symbolism

Naan malligai poovula katti vachcha maalai / Mannula vaaduthu ippa intha velai

The image of a carefully woven jasmine garland wilting in the soil symbolizes a tender young life abruptly ending and decaying in the dust.

Edhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Santhanam poosi vaippaen / Santhana kattilathaan

Consonance in the second letter ('nth') between lines, creating rhythmic harmony ('Santhanam' and 'Santhana').

Did you know?

Trivia

'En Thangachi Padichava' (1988) is a popular Tamil drama directed by P. Vasu, starring Prabhu and Rupini. The film is heavily centered around brother-sister sentiment, a recurring emotional theme in late 1980s Tamil commercial cinema.

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