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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Sendhamizh Thenmozhiyaal Sad

From Maalaiyitta Mangai · 1958

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
K. Jamunarani
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Maalaiyitta Mangai1958

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Sill endru poothaIn the cold blooming
Siru nerunchi kaattinilae..ae….Of a small forest of thorns...
Nill endru koori niruthi vazhi ponadhenWhy did the path pause and go on after telling me to stop?
Nindradhu pol nindrenI stood rooted like a statue
Nedum dhooram parandhadhenWhy did it fly far away?
Nirkkumo ooo aaviWill my soul remain?
Nilaikkumo nenjamWill my heart endure?
Manam perumo vaazhvaeWill life gain its true meaning?
Female
Senthamizh thaen mozhiyaalShe with the sweet honeyed voice of pure Tamil,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Paingani idhazhil pazharasam tharuvaalShe offers sweet fruit nectar on her luscious lips,
Parugida thalai kunivaalAnd shyly bows her head as I sip it.
Female
Senthamizh thaen mozhiyaalShe with the sweet honeyed voice of pure Tamil,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Paingani idhazhil pazharasam tharuvaalShe offers sweet fruit nectar on her luscious lips,
Parugida thalai kunivaalAnd shyly bows her head as I sip it.
Female
Kaattril pirandhavaloWas she born from the gentle breeze?
Pudhidhaai karppanai vadithavaloIs she a newly sculpted creation of imagination?
Saettril malarndha senthaamaraiyoIs she a vibrant red lotus blooming in the mud?
Sevvandhi poocharamoOr a string of fresh chrysanthemum flowers?
Saettril malarndha senthaamaraiyoIs she a vibrant red lotus blooming in the mud?
Sevvandhi poocharamoOr a string of fresh chrysanthemum flowers?
Female
Aval senthamizh thaen mozhiyaalShe, with the sweet honeyed voice of pure Tamil,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Paingani idhazhil pazharasam tharuvaalShe offers sweet fruit nectar on her luscious lips,
Parugida thalai kunivaalAnd shyly bows her head as I sip it.
Female
Kaattinil erikkum nilavaanaalShe became moonlight shining uselessly over a wild forest,
Perum kadalinil peidha mazhaiyaanaalShe became rain falling wasted into a vast sea,
Yettinil ezhudhaa kavidhaiyai polaeLike an unwritten poem in a manuscript,
Illadha porulpol thaniyaanaalShe became alone, like an unattainable abstraction.
Yettinil ezhudhaa kavidhaiyai polaeLike an unwritten poem in a manuscript,
Illadha porulpol thaniyaanaalShe became alone, like an unattainable abstraction.
Female
Aval senthamizh thaen mozhiyaalShe, with the sweet honeyed voice of pure Tamil,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaalA flowering vine smiling like the moon,
Paingani idhazhil pazharasam tharuvaalShe offers sweet fruit nectar on her luscious lips,
Parugida thalai kunivaalAnd shyly bows her head as I sip it.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Senthamizh Thaen Mozhiyaal is a celebrated romantic Tamil song from the film Maalaiyitta Mangai (1958). The song expresses a lover's profound fascination and deep adoration for his beloved's grace, comparing her sweet speech to the nectar of pure Tamil and her tender expression to a flowering vine bathed in moonlight. Through rich lyrical imagery, he wonders whether she is a dream born of the wind or a rare flower blooming in solitude. The composition takes a melancholic turn towards the end, pondering her isolation by likening her to unwritten poetry, moonlight in a uninhabited forest, and rain over the ocean. It captures both the sweet ecstasy of love and the tragic beauty of emotional distance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Senthamizh thaen mozhiyaal

Compares her voice directly to honeyed Tamil ('Senthamizh thaen mozhiyaal') and her lips to sweet fruit ('Paingani idhazhil').

Simile (Upamai)

Nilaavena sirikkum malarkodiyaaal

Compares her bright smile to the gentle glow of the moon ('Nilaavena sirikkum').

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Ani)

Kaattril pirandhavalo Pudhidhaai karppanai vadithavalo

Uses poetic questioning to express wonder regarding her origin.

Analogy / Metaphorical Imagery

Kaattinil erikkum nilavaanaal Perum kadalinil peidha mazhaiyaanaal

Uses rich imagery of wasted beauty—moonlight in a forest and rain falling in the sea—to highlight tragic isolation.

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Trivia

This timeless song was rendered by T. R. Mahalingam and composed by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy with lyrics by Kannadasan. Set primarily in Raga Kapi, it is widely considered one of the finest classical-based melodies in Tamil cinema history, famous for celebrating the sweet linguistic heritage of Tamil alongside romantic themes.

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