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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thai Madiyae

From Red · 2002

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Tippu
Music director
Deva
Details
Red2002

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Prasanna-vadanamOne with a pleasant and radiant face
Saubhagyadam bhagyadhamBestower of supreme good fortune and prosperity
Hastabhyam abhaya-pradamGranting protection and fearlessness with both hands
Mani-ganair-nana vidhair-bhusithamAdorned with various kinds of precious gems
Male
Thaai madiyaeO mother's lap
Unnai thedugirenI am searching for you
ThaaragaiyumAlong with the stars
Uruga vaadugirenI melt and wither away in grief
Male
Paththu thingal ennai sumanthaayaeYou carried me in your womb for ten months
Oru paththae nimidamFor just ten brief minutes
Thaai madi thaa thaayaeGive me your motherly lap, O mother
Nee karuvil moodi vaitha en oodambuThis body of mine which you kept protected in your womb
Nadu theruvil kidakkirathu paarthaayooDid you see it lying abandoned in the middle of the street?
Udhiram velliyerum kaayangalilFrom these wounds where blood keeps spilling
En uyirum olugum unnai vaarthaayooDid you see my very life force leaking out as well?
Deivangal ingillaiThere are no gods here
Unnai alaikkirenIt is you whom I call for
Male
Thaai madiyaeO mother's lap
Unnai thedugirenI am searching for you
ThaaragaiyumAlong with the stars
Uruga vaadugirenI melt and wither away in grief
Male
Vinnai idikkum thozhgalShoulders that could touch and shatter the sky
Mannai alakkum kaalgalFeet that could measure the vast earth
Alli koodutha kaigalHands that gave away generosity in abundance
Asaivil vanthathennaWhy have they come to a complete standstill?
Male
Kaanalgal thinnum kanngalEyes that consumed mirages and grand visions
Kanninthu nirkkum ithalgalLips that stand soft and compassionate
Uthavi seiyum paarvaiA gaze that always offered help to others
Uyir kurainthathennaWhy has the life inside them diminished?
Male
Bharatha porgalEven after the great Mahabharata wars
MudinthappinaalumHave come to an end
Kodumaigal ingae korayavillaiCruelties in this world have not lessened
Yesugal endrooEven though noble figures like Jesus
MaandapinnaalumHave passed away
Siluvaigal innum marikkavillaiThe crosses of suffering have not disappeared yet
Male
Thaai madiyaeO mother's lap
Unnai thedugirenI am searching for you
ThaaragaiyumAlong with the stars
Uruga vaadugirenI melt and wither away in grief
Male
Padai nadathum veeranA brave warrior who leads a righteous force
Pasithavargal thozhanA true friend to the hungry and destitute
Pagaivarukkum nanbanA friend even to his bitter enemies
APadum thuyaram yennaWhy does he suffer such immense agony?
Male
Thaai paalaai unda raththamThe blood formed by consuming mother's milk
Tharai vilunthathennaWhy has it spilled onto the cold ground?
Ivan perukkettra vannamAppropriate to his grand name and stature
Nilam sivanthathennaWhy has the earth turned crimson red?
Male
Theemaigal endrumWhy is it that evil deeds, always
Aayudham yendhiWielding lethal weapons
Thaergalil yeri varuvathennaArrive riding swiftly on war chariots?
Dharmangal endrumWhile righteousness and justice, always
Pallakkil yeriRiding slowly in a palanquin
Thaamathamaaga varuvathennaArrive with such agonizing delay?
Male
Thaai madiyaeO mother's lap
Unnai thedugirenI am searching for you
ThaaragaiyumAlong with the stars
Uruga vaadugirenI melt and wither away in grief
Male
Paththu thingal ennai sumanthaayaeYou carried me in your womb for ten months
Oru paththae nimidamFor just ten brief minutes
Thaai madi thaa thaayaeGive me your motherly lap, O mother
Nee karuvil moodi vaitha en oodambuThis body of mine which you kept protected in your womb
Nadu theruvil kidakkirathu paarthaayooDid you see it lying abandoned in the middle of the street?
Udhiram velliyerum kaayangalilFrom these wounds where blood keeps spilling
En uyirum olugum unnai vaarthaayooDid you see my very life force leaking out as well?
Deivangal ingillaiThere are no gods here
Unnai alaikkirenIt is you whom I call for
Female
Prasanna-vadanamOne with a pleasant and radiant face
Saubhagyadam bhagyadhamBestower of supreme good fortune and prosperity
Hastabhyam abhaya-pradamGranting protection and fearlessness with both hands
Mani-ganair-nana vidhair-bhusithamAdorned with various kinds of precious gems

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Thaai Madiye from the film Red (2002) is an emotionally charged lament that contrasts divine slokas with the painful, bloody reality of human suffering. The protagonist, a generous and noble warrior who lived to help the needy and protect the helpless, lies mortally wounded on the street. Bleeding severely, he calls out not for divine intervention from absent gods, but for the comforting warmth of his mother's lap to rest one final time.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Second letter rhyming in Tamil prosody)

Vinnai idikkum thozhgal / Mannai alakkum kaalgal

Matching of the second consonant sound 'nn' across adjacent lines to create rhythmic harmony.

Hyperbole & Metaphor

Vinnai idikkum thozhgal / Mannai alakkum kaalgal

Exaggerated metaphorical imagery depicting the hero's immense stature and physical strength.

Antithesis / Contrast

Theemaigal endrum Aayudham yendhi... Dharmangal endrum Pallakkil yeri Thaamathamaaga varuvathenna

Vairamuthu powerfully contrasts evil charging swiftly on war chariots with weapons against righteousness arriving tardily in a slow palanquin.

Alliteration (Monaai)

Paththu thingal ennai sumanthaayae / Oru paththae nimidam

Repetition of the initial 'Pa' sound creating phonetic unity in the line.

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 2002 Tamil action film 'Red' starring Ajith Kumar and directed by Singampuli, this track was composed by Deva with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The song vividly combines Sanskrit stotram chants with deeply poignant Tamil lyrics during a crucial climax moment where the protagonist is fatally injured.

Keep listening

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