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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Uyirin Nizhale

From Rajangam · 1981

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Rajangam1981

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Uyirin nizhalae vilagakoodaathuThe shadow of my soul must not move away,
Adi nenju sudugindrathae…ae….Oh, the deep heart burns inside...
Enai thaangum sumaithaangiIf the rest-stone that supports me
Sumaiyaagi ponaalItself turns into a burden,
Kanneeril vizhi moozhkumae….My eyes will drown in tears...
Female
Uyirin nizhalae vilagakoodaathuThe shadow of my soul must not move away,
Adi nenju sudugindrathae…ae….Oh, the deep heart burns inside...
Enai thaangum sumaithaangiIf the rest-stone that supports me
Sumaiyaagi ponaalItself turns into a burden,
Kanneeril vizhi moozhkumae….My eyes will drown in tears...
Female
{Pooththiruntha thaamarai pooThe lotus flower that had bloomed,
Neeril azhukkanathaiyyaaHas become soiled in the water, oh sir;
Pedhai magal vaazhkkaiyindruToday, this innocent girl's life
Soga vazhakkaanathaiyyaa} (2)Has become a case of sorrow, oh sir.
Female
Un varavu kandathanaalUpon seeing your arrival,
Oralavu naan sirichenI smiled to some extent;
Kaval ondru vanththathindruAs a distress arrived today,
Koonthalukku poo mudichchenI adorned my hair with flowers.
Nanathavanam thee pidichchaaIf the garden of joy catches fire,
Yaarai solli naan azhaippaenWhom shall I call out to and weep?
Nanathavanam thee pidichchaaIf the garden of joy catches fire,
Yaarai solli naan azhaippaenWhom shall I call out to and weep?
Female
Uyirin nizhalae vilagakoodaathuThe shadow of my soul must not move away,
Adi nenju sudugindrathae…ae….Oh, the deep heart burns inside...
Enai thaangum sumaithaangiIf the rest-stone that supports me
Sumaiyaagi ponaalItself turns into a burden,
Kanneeril vizhi moozhkumae….My eyes will drown in tears...
Kanneeril vizhi moozhkumae….My eyes will drown in tears...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song expresses intense emotional distress and heartbreak. The narrator mourns the loss of a sanctuary, comparing their partner or protector to a traditional 'sumaithaangi' (a stone bench built for weary travellers to rest heavy burdens). When the very pillar of support becomes a heavy burden itself, the protagonist is left helpless and grief-stricken. Through vivid imagery of a bloomed lotus getting soiled in murky water and a lush garden of joy catching fire, lyricist Vairamuthu captures the tragedy of an innocent woman whose happiness is abruptly consumed by sorrow, leaving her with no one to turn to for solace.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Enai thaangum sumaithaangi Sumaiyaagi ponaal

Compares a supportive loved one to a 'sumaithaangi' (resting stone) that unexpectedly turns into a heavy burden ('sumai').

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Nanathavanam thee pidichchaa

Compares a happy life full of peace and love to a blooming garden ('nandhavanam') catching fire.

Irony / Contrast

Pooththiruntha thaamarai poo Neeril azhukkanathaiyyaa

Contrasts a clean, blooming lotus with soiled water, reflecting how pure intentions/life became tarnished.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written during lyricist Vairamuthu's early rise in Tamil cinema in the early 1980s, the song uses classical Tamil cultural metaphors like 'Sumaithaangi' (stone pillars historically placed along walking paths for porters to rest) to convey profound emotional dependency.

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