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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Uyire Uyire

From Bombay · 1995

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Hariharan, K. S. Chithra
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Bombay1995

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Uyirae uyirae vandhu ennodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, come and merge with me.
Uyirae uyirae ennai unnodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, merge me with yourself.
Ninaivae ninaivae endhan nenjodu kalandhuviduOh memory, oh memory, merge with my heart.
Nilavae nilavae indha vinnodu kalandhuviduOh moon, oh moon, merge with this sky.
Kaadhal irundhaal endhan kannodu kalandhuviduIf love exists, merge with my eyes.
Kaalam thaduthaal ennai mannodu KalandhuviduIf time stops us, let me merge with the earth.
Male
Uyirae uyirae vandhu ennodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, come and merge with me.
Ninaivae ninaivae endhan nenjodu kalandhuviduOh memory, oh memory, merge with my heart.
Male
En suvaasa kaatru varumpaadhai paarthuWatching the path along which my breath arrives...
Female
Uyirae uyirae indru unnodu kalandhuvittenOh my life, oh my life, today I have merged with you.
Uravae uravae indru en vaasal kadandhuvittenOh my kin, oh my beloved, today I have crossed my threshold.
Ninaivae ninaivae undhan nenjodu niraindhuvittenOh memory, oh memory, I have filled your heart.
Kanavae kanavae undhan kannodu karaindhuvittenOh dream, oh dream, I have dissolved in your eyes.
Male
Kaadhal irundhaal endhan kannodu kalandhuviduIf love exists, merge with my eyes.
Kaalam thaduthaal ennai mannodu kalandhuviduIf time stops us, let me merge with the earth.
Uyirae uyirae vandhu ennodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, come and merge with me.
Ninaivae ninaivae endhan nenjodu kalandhuviduOh memory, oh memory, merge with my heart.
Female
Oor paarvai paarthae uyirthandha penmaiWomanhood that breathed life into me with just a single glance...
Male
Uyirae uyirae vandhu ennodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, come and merge with me.
Uyirae uyirae ennai unnodu kalandhuviduOh my life, oh my life, merge me with yourself.
Ninaivae ninaivae endhan nenjodu kalandhuviduOh memory, oh memory, merge with my heart.
Nilavae nilavae indha vinnodu kalandhuviduOh moon, oh moon, merge with this sky.
Female
Mazhaipol mazhaipol vandhu mannodu vizhundhuvittenLike rain, like rain, I fell onto the earth.
Manampol manampol undhan oonodu uraindhuvittenAs my heart desired, I froze within your flesh.
Uyirae uyirae indru unnodu kalandhuvittenOh my life, oh my life, today I have merged with you.
Ninaivae ninaivae undhan nenjodu niraindhuvittenOh memory, oh memory, I have filled your heart.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Uyire Uyire is a hauntingly emotional ballad from Mani Ratnam's 1995 masterpiece Bombay, featuring music composed by A.R. Rahman, lyrics by Vairamuthu, and vocals by Hariharan and K.S. Chithra. The song captures the intense longing, devotion, and stakes of two lovers separated by religious turmoil and societal boundaries. They express a passion so absolute that separation is equivalent to death, pleading to merge completely with each other's soul, breath, and existence.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukkuthodar (Repetition / Anaphora)

Uyirae uyirae vandhu ennodu kalandhuvidu

Repetition of words like 'Uyirae uyirae', 'Ninaivae ninaivae', and 'Nilavae nilavae' at the start of lines creates poetic emphasis and heightened emotional resonance.

Uvamai (Simile)

Mazhaipol mazhaipol vandhu mannodu vizhundhuvitten

The lover compares her sudden, complete surrender to rain falling heavily onto the earth ('Mazhaipol... vandhu mannodu vizhundhuvitten').

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Ninaivae ninaivae undhan nenjodu niraindhuvitten

Use of matching verbal suffixes like 'kalandhuvidu', 'kalandhuvitten', and 'niraindhuvitten' across line endings forms a continuous rhythmic pattern.

Contrast (Juxtaposition)

Kaadhal irundhaal endhan kannodu kalandhuvidu / Kaalam thaduthaal ennai mannodu Kalandhuvidu

Contrasts the bliss of uniting with the lover ('kannodu kalandhuvidu') against the tragic alterative of death ('mannodu kalandhuvidu').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman with iconic vocals by Hariharan and K.S. Chithra, 'Uyire' (dubbed as 'Tu Hi Re' in Hindi) remains one of Indian cinema's greatest romantic songs. It was beautifully filmed at the Bekal Fort in Kerala amidst misty wind and crashing waves, featuring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala.

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