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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Sollayo Solai Kili

From Alli Arjuna · 2001

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Swarnalatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Alli Arjuna2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Sollaaiyo solai kiliWon't you tell me, parrot of the garden?
Sollum unthan oru sollilIn that single word you speak,
Uyir ondru oosal aaduthaeA life hangs swinging like a pendulum.
Female
Oohooo..oooooo..ohoooo.oooooo….Oohooo..oooooo..ohoooo.oooooo….
Male
Sollaaiyo solai kiliWon't you tell me, parrot of the garden?
Sollum unthan oru sollilIn that single word you speak,
Uyir ondru oosal aaduthaeA life hangs swinging like a pendulum.
Intha oomai naadagam mudinthathaeThis silent play has come to an end,
Kuyil paadi solluthae nam kaadhal vaazhgavaeThe cuckoo sings saying, long live our love!
Female
Sollaathae solai kiliDo not speak, parrot of the garden,
Sollai kadantha kaadhal ithuThis love lies beyond mere words,
Kan moolam kaadhal pesuthae..ae..aeLove communicates through eyes..ae..ae.
Female
Pachai kilai elaigalukkullaeWithin the green leaves of the green branch,
Pachai kili olithal polaJust as a green parrot hides itself,
Ichai kaadhal naanum maraithenI too hid my desired love.
Male
Pachai kili mookkai polaLike the bright red beak of a green parrot,
Vetkam unnai kaatti kodukkaYour shyness betrayed your secret,
Kaadhal ullam kandu pidithenAnd my loving heart discovered it.
Female
Poo illaamal solai illaiThere is no garden without flowers,
Poi illaamal kaadhal illaiThere is no love without little lies,
Poiyai solli kaadhal valarthenBy telling lies, I nurtured this love.
Male
Poiyin kaiyil aayiram poottuFalsehood holds a thousand locks in its hands,
Meiyin kaiyil ottrai saaviTruth holds a single key in its hand,
Ella poottum indrae thirandhen … ho ho ho ohToday, I unlocked all those locks … ho ho ho oh
Female
Sollaathae solai kiliDo not speak, parrot of the garden,
Sollai kadantha kaadhal ithuThis love lies beyond mere words,
Kan moolam kaadhal pesuthaeLove communicates through eyes.
Male
Hoi… sollaaiyo solai kiliHoi… won't you tell me, parrot of the garden?
Sollum unthan oru sollilIn that single word you speak,
Uyir ondru oosal aaduthaeA life hangs swinging like a pendulum.
Intha oomai naadagam mudinthathaeThis silent play has come to an end,
Kuyil paadi solluthae nam kaadhal vaazhgavaeThe cuckoo sings saying, long live our love!
Female
Oho ..ho..ohoho….oh…oho…ho..oho…ohOho ..ho..ohoho….oh…oho…ho..oho…oh
Oho ..ho..ohoho….oh…oho…ho..oho…ohOho ..ho..ohoho….oh…oho…ho..oho…oh
Oho..ho…ohoho..oh…oho..ho…ohoho..oh..ohohoOho..ho…ohoho..oh…oho..ho…ohoho..oh..ohoho
Female
Seraatha kaadhalarkellaam serthu naam kaadhal seivoomOn behalf of all ununited lovers, let us love intensely,
Kaadhal kondu vaanai alappomWith love, we shall measure the sky.
Male
Puthiya kamban thedi pidithuSeeking out a new modern Kamban,
Lovevaayanam ezhuthida seivomWe shall have him write a epic of love (Love-ayana).
Nilavil koodi kavithai padippomGathering on the moon, we shall read poetry,
Female
Konjam konjam oodal kolvomWe shall engage in playful lover's tiffs,
Nenjum nenjum mothiikkolvomOur hearts will clash softly against each other,
Sandai pottu inbam valarpomThrough small quarrels, we will foster joy.
Male
Poovum poovum mothi kondaalWhen flower strikes against flower,
Thenai thaanae sinthi sitharumHoney spills and scatters on its own,
Kaiyil alli kaadhal kudipomGathering it in our hands, we shall drink love.
Female
Oho ..hoo….ohoho..oh….oho..ho…ho..oho…ho..hoOho ..hoo….ohoho..oh….oho..ho…ho..oho…ho..ho
Ooo..hooo..ooooho..oooh…ooh…ho…hoo…oh…oho…hoooOoo..hooo..ooooho..oooh…ooh…ho…hoo…oh…oho…hooo

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Sollaaiyo Solai Kili' depicts a romantic dialogue celebrating love's expression, honesty, and passionate grandiosity. Initially, one partner urges the other to speak, expressing anxiety over waiting for a word of confession that holds their life in balance. The response reveals that true love transcends spoken words, communicating silently through eyes and subtle blushes, much like a green parrot hiding among green leaves whose red beak reveals its presence. The lovers acknowledge that playful misdirection and lies often accompany romance, but truth ultimately acts as the master key unlocking all secrets. As their mutual love is declared, the couple envisions an ideal future where their affection compensates for all star-crossed lovers in the world. They dream of writing a modern epic of love (a 'Love-ayana' akin to Ramayana), reading poetry on the moon, and deriving sweet joy even from gentle lovers' spats, comparing their clashes to two flowers colliding and spilling sweet nectar.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Simile

Pachai kilai elaigalukkullae / Pachai kili olithal pola

Compares hiding one's feelings to a green parrot concealing itself within green tree leaves.

Metaphor & Metonymy

Poiyin kaiyil aayiram poottu / Meiyin kaiyil ottrai saavi

Compares the red beak of the parrot to shyness that exposes hidden affection, and truth/lies to key and locks.

Edukki / Alliteration & Rhyme (Monai)

Poo illaamal solai illai / Poi illaamal kaadhal illai

Repetition of initial 'P' sound ('Pachai kilai', 'Pachai kili') and 'Poo'/'Poi' for rhythmic elegance.

Neologism / Wordplay

Lovevaayanam ezhuthida seivom

Combines English 'Love' with the epic 'Ramayana' to coin 'Lovevaayanam' (an epic grand tale of love written by a new Kamban).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song features music composed by A. R. Rahman for the 2002 film Alli Arjuna (directed by K. Subash, starring Manoj Bharathiraja and Richa Pallod). The lyricist Vairamuthu plays on traditional Tamil literary tropes, referencing the legendary Tamil poet Kamban and transforming 'Ramayana' into 'Love-ayana'.

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