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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Setthu Pochchu Manasu

From Peranbu · 2018

Lyricist
Karunakaran
Singer
Madhu Iyer
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Peranbu2018

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aaa….aaa…..aaa…..Aaa... aaa... aaa...
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Sevidu aachu bhoomi…The earth has turned deaf...
Kurudu aachu saamiGod has turned blind
Yaara naanum ketpenWhom shall I ask?
Intha bhoomi panthulaOn this globe of earth
Ena vittu ponaYou who left me behind
Neeyum enga theriyalaWhere you are, I do not know
Female
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Irul ingu aachuDarkness has descended here
Nila engu pochuWhere has the moon gone?
Yaara naanum ketenWhom did I ask?
Ada vidhiyae solliduOh fate, tell me
Female
Maram aana sediyaA plant that has turned into a tree
Thozhlil eppadi sumapathuHow do I carry it on my shoulder?
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Female
Ada ninnu uranga koodathanEven just to stand and sleep
Intha mannil idam illaiThere is no space on this earth
Mara kilaiyil thanga ponaalumEven if I go to rest on a tree branch
Aada paravaiyum angu vida villaiThe swaying bird does not let me stay there
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Female
Kakka kunji pola naanumLike a crow's chick, I too
Karaiyatha kaalam illaThere is no time I do not cry out
Marathu kila nikkum neeyumYou who stand on the branch of the tree
Nimirnthu kooda paka villaiDid not even look up to see me
Female
Mudiyathu endraana pothumEven when told it is impossible
Naan muyandruthan thorkirenI try and keep failing
Vidiyathu endraana pothumEven when told dawn will never come
Naan kizhakaiyae paarkirenI keep looking towards the east
Female
Iyarkaiyin theerpilIn the judgment of nature
Naanae kutra vaaliyaAm I the criminal?
Athai thiruthi eluthaTo rewrite that verdict
Thaanae yaarum illaiyaIs there no one of their own?
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Sethu pochu manasu…My heart has died...
Female
Enna pola jeevan ellaamFor souls like me
Othingi kolla idamum illaThere is no place even to step aside
Unna vida vaazhvil inguOther than you in life here
Enakunnu yaarum illaI have no one to call my own
Female
En meethinil mothum kaathu…The wind that crashes against me...
En meethinil mothum kaathu…The wind that crashes against me...
Athu paavathin eeramaeIt carries the moisture of sin
Un meethinil saayum pothuWhen I lean upon you
En sabangal theerumaeMy curses will come to an end
Female
Kudaigalai kandu mazhaiyumSeeing umbrellas, rain
Vaanil nirkaathaeDoes not stop in the sky
Thadaigalai kandu vaazhkaiyumSeeing obstacles, life
Paathiyil mudiyathaeDoes not end midway
Mella thudikkum manasuSlowly, my heart throbs

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Sethu Pochu Manasu from the movie Peranbu is a haunting and deeply moving song that captures the agony, isolation, and quiet resilience of a father raising a child with cerebral palsy. The protagonist feels abandoned by humanity, nature, and the divine, lamenting that the earth has grown deaf and God blind to his plight. He struggles under the heavy emotional and physical weight of his responsibilities, metaphorically asking how one carries a small plant that has now grown into a massive tree. Despite the crushing weight of despair and social marginalization, a gentle undertone of hope and enduring love persists. Even when told dawn will never arrive, he continues looking toward the east. He realizes that just as rain does not stop because people open umbrellas, life cannot stop midway because of hurdles. In the end, despite feeling dead inside, his heart slowly throbs with love and determination to keep surviving.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification / Hyperbole

Sevidu aachu bhoomi / Kurudu aachu saami

Attributing human sensory loss (deafness and blindness) to the Earth and God to convey absolute helplessness and feeling unheard.

Metaphor

Maram aana sediya / Thozhlil eppadi sumapathu

Comparing a child growing older and requiring immense care to a sapling that grew into a massive tree, making it difficult to carry on one's shoulders.

Simile (Uvamai)

Kakka kunji pola naanum

Comparing the singer's persistent cries of grief to a baby crow continuously calling out for care.

Paradox / Irony

Vidiyathu endraana pothum / Naan kizhakaiyae paarkiren

Highlighting persistent human hope despite logical despair—looking towards the east for sunrise even after being told dawn will never break.

Analogy

Kudaigalai kandu mazhaiyum / Vaanil nirkaathae / Thadaigalai kandu vaazhkaiyum / Paathiyil mudiyathae

Drawing a parallel between rain unstopped by umbrellas and life unstopped by obstacles, symbolizing unyielding perseverance.

Did you know?

Trivia

Peranbu (2018), directed by Ram, features a critically acclaimed musical score composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. 'Sethu Pochu Manasu' was sung by Anhtuvan with deeply evocative lyrics penned by Karunakaran. The song underscores the core emotional motif of the film: a father's unconditional love and struggle in a harsh world.

Keep listening

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