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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thaai

From Penguin · 2020

Lyricist
Vivek
Singers
Anand Aravindakshan, Santhosh Narayanan
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Details
Penguin2020

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Meththayaai un vaiyurumYour belly served as a soft mattress,
Moththamaai un uyirumYour entire life force,
Suththamaai en udhiramPurely my blood and lineage,
Niththamum nee koduthaaiYou gave to me every single day.
Male
Maarbum koduthaaiYou gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Maarbum koduthaaiYou gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Garbamaai enai sumandhuCarrying me safely inside your womb,
Unnaiyae unavalanthuMeasuring out your own self as my sustenance,
Arpamaai kidandha ennaiMe who lay there insignificant and raw,
Sirppamaai mudithu vaithaaiYou sculpted me into a fine work of art.
Male
Naan payila nee silirthaaiWhen I learned, you thrilled with joy,
Naan muyala nee viyarthaaiWhen I strived, you broke into a sweat,
Naan thuyila nee isaithaaiWhen I fell asleep, you sang soothing lullabies,
Naan uyara nee vizhithaaiFor me to rise high, you stayed awake in vigil.
Male
Hmm mm mm mm…Hmm mm mm mm...
Male :Maarbum koduthaaiMale: You gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Thaalae laeloo laeloo laelooThalaeloo laeloo laeloo...
Thaalae laelaeloo laeloo laelaelooThalae laelaeloo laeloo laelaeloo...
Male
Thottilil naan azhuthaalIf I wept inside my cradle,
Thulli vandhu kaadhalithaaiYou came leaping to shower your love.
Kitta vandha katterumbaiEven a biting ant that crept near me,
Katti vaithu nee udhaithaaiYou caught and kicked away in protection.
Male
Kannukkul ennai vaithuKeeping me protected inside your eyes,
Kan imaiyil kaaval vaithuGuarding me with your eyelashes as shields,
Kangaroo kutty polaJust like a joey inside a kangaroo's pouch,
Unnodu otti vaithaaiYou kept me clung closely to yourself.
Male
Nee ennai oottri sutta dhosaiThe simple dosa you poured and fried for me,
Eppadiyo nei manakkumSomehow possessed the rich aroma of pure ghee.
Unnai ootri suttathaal thaanBecause you poured your very love into making it,
Uyir varai adhu inikkumIt tastes sweet right down to my soul.
Male
Hmm mm mm mm…Hmm mm mm mm...
Male :Maarbum koduthaaiMale: You gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Meththayaai un vaiyurumYour belly served as a soft mattress,
Moththamaai un uyirumYour entire life force,
Suththamaai en udhiramPurely my blood and lineage,
Niththamum nee koduthaaiYou gave to me every single day.
Male
Un uyiril paadhi vettiCutting away half of your own life,
En uyiril serthu kattiBinding it closely to mine,
Ulagaththu paasam ellaamAll the affection present in this world,
Enakkaai kotti vaithaaiYou poured out abundantly just for me.
Male
Jenmam ondru enakku irundhaalIf I am granted another birth in future,
Pirandha udan kan vizhippenI will open my eyes immediately upon birth,
Thaai aaga nee illai endraalAnd if you are not there as my mother,
Thayangamal uyir thurappenI will relinquish my life without hesitation.
Male
Yugam pala aanaalumEven if many eras pass by,
Un mugam kaana thavam iruppenI will undergo penance just to see your face.
Un garbam serum varaiUntil I reach your sacred womb again,
Pirakkaamal kaathiruppenI will wait without taking birth anywhere else.
Male
Hmm mm mm mm…Hmm mm mm mm...
Male :Maarbum koduthaaiMale: You gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Hmm mm mm mm…Hmm mm mm mm...
Male :Maarbum koduthaaiMale: You gave me your breast for nourishment,
Un manadhum koduthaaiYou gave me your heart,
Naan valiyil thudithaalIf I writhed in pain,
Un madiyum koduthaaiYou gave me your lap to rest upon.
Male
Meththayaai un vaiyurumYour belly served as a soft mattress,
Moththamaai un uyirumYour entire life force,
Suththamaai en udhiramPurely my blood and lineage,
Niththamum nee koduthaaiYou gave to me every single day.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a profoundly emotional tribute to maternal love and sacrifice, titled 'Kolame' / 'Pranam' (Dhosai Song) from the mystery thriller movie Penguin (2020), composed by Santhosh Narayanan with lyrics by Vivek. It depicts a child expressing ultimate gratitude towards their mother, describing how she sacrificed her energy, health, comfort, and youth to nourish, raise, and protect her child like a sculptor shaping a piece of stone into art. The lyrics vividly highlight tender childhood memories like sleeping on a mother's lap, her vigilance against any small danger, the magical sweetness of simple homemade food infused with love, and an eternal vow to choose no one else as a mother in future births.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monorime / Ethekai (Rhyming pattern)

Naan payila nee silirthaai / Naan muyala nee viyarthaai

Lines 17-20 feature a rhyming ending structure ('silirthaai', 'viyarthaai', 'isaithaai', 'vizhithaai') creating rhythmic harmony and emotional crescendo.

Simile

Kangaroo kutty pola / Unnodu otti vaithaai

Comparing the protective bond between mother and child to a baby kangaroo in its mother's pouch ('Kangaroo kutty pola').

Metaphor

Arpamaai kidandha ennai / Sirppamaai mudithu vaithaai

Comparing the unshaped fetus/child to raw stone transformed into a sculpture ('Sirppamaai mudithu vaithaai').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is popularly known as 'The Dhosai Song' among Tamil music fans due to its endearing reference to a mother's home-cooked food. Penguin (2020) is an OTT-released emotional thriller starring Keerthy Suresh, centered entirely around a mother's relentless search for her missing child.

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