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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thanimai Naerndhadho

From Sivagangai Seemai · 1959

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
S. Varalakshmi
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Sivagangai Seemai1959

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Thanimai nernthathoDid loneliness befell you?
Idhayam vendhathathoDid your heart burn in grief?
Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyooDid you come seeking peace?
Sarugu polavae puyalil aadiyaeSwaying like a dry leaf in a storm,
Uravu thedi vanthaaiyooDid you come searching for loved ones?
Female
Thanimai nernthathoDid loneliness befell you?
Idhayam vendhathathoDid your heart burn in grief?
Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyooDid you come seeking peace?
Sarugu polavae puyalil aadiyaeSwaying like a dry leaf in a storm,
Uravu thedi vanthaaiyooDid you come searching for loved ones?
Female
Siragu odinthathooWere your wings broken?
Kalugu vendrathoDid the eagle prevail?
Siragu odinthathooWere your wings broken?
Kalugu vendrathoDid the eagle prevail?
Sidhari odi vanthaaiyooDid you flee in scatter and run here?
Thaembum nenjamae aaravillaiyooHas your sobbing heart not healed?
Padhari vaadi vanthaaiyoo…ooo..ooo…oooDid you come anxious and withered?
Female
Thanimai nernthathoDid loneliness befell you?
Idhayam vendhathathoDid your heart burn in grief?
Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyooDid you come seeking peace?
Sarugu polavae puyalil aadiyaeSwaying like a dry leaf in a storm,
Uravu thedi vanthaaiyooDid you come searching for loved ones?
Female
Annaiyin naadumThe motherland,
Mannavar veedumAnd the royal abode,
Adimai aavathae needhiyooIs it justice that they become enslaved?
Annaiyin naadumThe motherland,
Mannavar veedumAnd the royal abode,
Adimai aavathae needhiyooIs it justice that they become enslaved?
Female
Aattruvaar illai thaettra aal illaiThere is none to console, none to comfort,
Alaivadhae engal jaadhiyooIs wandering endlessly our fate?
Aattruvaar illai thaettra aal illaiThere is none to console, none to comfort,
Alaivadhae engal jaadhiyooIs wandering endlessly our fate?
Alaivadhae engal jaadhiyooIs wandering endlessly our fate?
Female
Thanimai nernthathoDid loneliness befell you?
Idhayam vendhathathoDid your heart burn in grief?
Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyooDid you come seeking peace?
Sarugu polavae puyalil aadiyaeSwaying like a dry leaf in a storm,
Uravu thedi vanthaaiyooDid you come searching for loved ones?
Female
Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyooDid you come seeking peace?
Uravu thedi vanthaaiyooDid you come searching for loved ones?
Sidhari odi vanthaaiyooDid you flee in scatter and run here?
Padhari vaadi vanthaaiyoo..Did you come anxious and withered?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song from Sivagangai Seemai expresses deep sorrow, displacement, and grief arising from war and colonial oppression. It questions the suffering of innocent people who are tossed around like dry leaves in a violent storm, forced to wander in search of peace and loved ones after losing their freedom and homes. Through questioning tones, the lyricist lamenting the subjugation of the motherland and the kingdom, highlighting the tragic state of a refuge-seeking people with no one left to offer comfort or healing. It vividly conveys the anguish of resistance and defeat under British rule.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Sarugu polavae puyalil aadiyae

Compares the displaced, helpless person to a dry leaf ('sarugu') tossed helplessly in a storm ('puyalil aadiyae').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Siragu odinthathoo / Kalugu vendratho

The 'eagle' ('kalugu') metaphorically represents predatory enemy forces, while the 'broken wings' represent vanquished resistance.

End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

Amaidhi naadi vanthaaiyoo

Repeated long vowel endings in rhetorical questions ('nernthatho', 'vendhathatho', 'vanthaaiyoo') create a melancholic lamentation structure.

Edhugai (Second-letter Assonance)

Annaiyin naadum / Mannavar veedum

The second consonant sound 'nn' matches across consecutive lines ('Annaiyin' and 'Mannavar').

Did you know?

Trivia

Sivagangai Seemai (1959) was written and produced by poet Kannadasan himself to portray the historical resistance of the Maruthu Pandiyar brothers against British rule. The film's music was composed by Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, and this emotional song was sung by S. Varalakshmi.

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