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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thendralukku Endru

From Payanam 1976 Film · 1976

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
Payanam 1976 Film1976

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Sevvaanathin vanna nilaavumIsn't the colorful moon in the red evening sky
Chinnavalthaan androA young girl as well?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Sevvaanathin vanna nilaavumIsn't the colorful moon in the red evening sky
Chinnavalthaan androA young girl as well?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Male
{Velli thaeril ulla silaikkuFor the idol residing in the silver chariot
Ennaal thirunaaloWhen is the grand festival day?
Minnal meni mega kuzhalaalWith a lightning-like body and cloud-like hair
Thannai arivaalo} (2)Will she come to know herself? (2)
Paal vanna poo mullaiLooking at the milk-white jasmine blossom
Paarthaal podhathoIs that not enough?
Paalaivanathil kaaviri aaruWill the Kaveri river in the desert
Bairavi paadathoNot sing in the ragam Bhairavi?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Sevvaanathin vanna nilaavumIsn't the colorful moon in the red evening sky
Chinnavalthaan androA young girl as well?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Male
Kamban vandhaal kaviyam paadaIf Kamban were to arrive and sing an epic
Karpanai oru kodiTen million imaginations would blossom
Kannan kanda raadhai kooda eedilladiEven Krishna's beloved Radha is no match, my dear
Thaththi thaavum sithira muthuThe hopping and bounding artistic pearl
Sippiyil vilaiyaadiPlaying inside the seashell
Thazhuva pogum thalaivan yaaroWho is the hero destined to embrace her
Kaadhal uravaadiIn a bond of divine love?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Male
{Pattuchaelai kattum solaiThe garden clad in a silk saree
Vaaduthu kan pattuWithers under evil eyes
Panneer sombu munnaal nindruStanding before us with a pot of rosewater
Vaavendradhu} (2)It invited us to enter (2)
Ethanai solli ithanai azhagaiExpressing so much, how can I sing
Naan paaduvenOf all this exquisite beauty?
Inba thamizhil ullathaiyellaamWhatever resides in sweet Tamil
Alli tharugindrenI gather and offer it all to you
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?
Sevvaanathin vanna nilaavumIsn't the colorful moon in the red evening sky
Chinnavalthaan androA young girl as well?
Male
Thendralukku endrum vayadhuIsn't the age of the gentle breeze always
Pathinaarae androSixteen?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song celebrates eternal youth, feminine beauty, and romantic longing through vivid imagery of nature. The lyrics assert that nature—symbolized by the gentle breeze (thendral) and the twilight moon—is perennially sixteen years old, representing timeless freshness. Kannadasan crafts rich allegories comparing the heroine to a temple deity on a silver chariot, a pristine jasmine, and a rare pearl playing within a shell.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

Thendralukku endrum vayadhu Pathinaarae andro

Compares the freshness of the breeze and twilight moon to a 16-year-old youth, symbolizing everlasting beauty.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

Kannan kanda raadhai kooda eedilladi

Extolling the heroine's supreme beauty by stating that even Radha, praised in classical legends by Lord Krishna, cannot compare to her.

Personification (Maanidamayamaakkal)

Paalaivanathil kaaviri aaru Bairavi paadatho

Attributes human traits to nature, describing the desert river singing in Bhairavi ragam and the garden dressed in a silk saree welcoming guests with rosewater.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Paal vanna poo mullai / Paarthaal podhatho / Paalaivanathil kaaviri aaru

Repetition of the 'P' sound at the beginning of words across consecutive lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the iconic lyricist Kannadasan for the 1976 film 'Payanam', the line 'Thendralukku endrum vayadhu pathinaaru' became a legendary phrase in Tamil popular culture, frequently quoted to describe timeless elegance and youth.

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