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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Vaan Mevum

From Macha Rekai · 1950

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singer
S. Varalakshmi
Music director
C. R. Subbaraman
Details
Macha Rekai1950

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Female
Vaan maevum nilavaeOh moon residing in the sky,
Endhan vaazhvum idhanaIs my life meant to be just this?
Aaha en kaadhal poi thaanaAh, was my love merely a lie?
Female
Vaan maevum nilavaeOh moon residing in the sky,
Endhan vaazhvum idhanaIs my life meant to be just this?
Aaha en kaadhal poi thaanaAh, was my love merely a lie?
Female
Maraa inbathaalaeBecause of enduring sweet feelings,
Aasai madhana unnalaeDesirable Cupid, because of you,
Maraa inbathaalaeBecause of enduring sweet feelings,
Aasai madhana unnalaeDesirable Cupid, because of you,
Kalaimaan yemaandhaLike a deceived stag,
Kaanal neeraai aanen innaalaeToday I have become like a mirage.
Kaadhal poidhaanaeIs love indeed a lie?
Female
Vaan maevum nilavaeOh moon residing in the sky,
Endhan vaazhvum idhanaIs my life meant to be just this?
Aaha en kaadhal poi thaanaAh, was my love merely a lie?
Female
Peraasai yaavumae neerezhuthaagavaeAll my great desires turned into words written on water,
Peraasai yaavumae neerezhuthaagavaeAll my great desires turned into words written on water,
Sooravazhiyil sidhariya malar polavaeJust like a flower scattered in a whirlwind,
Kaadhal poi thaanaIs love a lie?
Female
Vaan maevum nilavaeOh moon residing in the sky,
Endhan vaazhvum idhanaIs my life meant to be just this?
Aaha en kaadhal poi thaanaAh, was my love merely a lie?
Female
Ilavu kaathae endrumAm I like the parrot that waited endlessly for the silk-cotton fruit?
Yengiya killaithaanaA longing parrot, indeed?
Igameedhil sugabogam yaavumaeAre all worldly pleasures and joys
Kanavuthaana kanavuthaanaJust a dream, just a dream?
Kaadhal poi thaanaIs love a lie?
Female
Vaan maevum nilavaeOh moon residing in the sky,
Endhan vaazhvum idhanaIs my life meant to be just this?
Aaha en kaadhal poi thaanaAh, was my love merely a lie?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Vaan maevum nilavae from the 1950 film Macha Rekai expresses the intense grief and disillusionment of a heartbroken lover. Addressing the silent moon in the sky, the singer questions if her deep romantic devotion was built on a falsehood and laments the tragic state her life has fallen into. Rich in classic Tamil poetic imagery, the song employs striking metaphors including a stag deceived by a mirage, words written upon water, a flower destroyed in a whirlwind, and a parrot waiting in vain for the silk-cotton fruit to ripen. Ultimately, the piece reflects on the fleeting nature of worldly pleasures and romantic ideals, reducing them to a passing dream.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

“Sooravazhiyil sidhariya malar polavae”

Comparing the protagonist's helpless emotional state to a flower scattered away by a destructive cyclone.

Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)

“Peraasai yaavumae neerezhuthaagavae”

Describing desires as 'words written on water' (neerezhuthu), indicating their complete instability and quick disappearance.

Proverbial Allegory

“Ilavu kaathae endrum Yengiya killaithaana”

Utilizing the famous Tamil idiom 'Ilavu kaatha kili' (a parrot waiting for the silk-cotton fruit, which explodes into useless cotton) to portray futile hope.

Rhetorical Question

“Aaha en kaadhal poi thaana”

Repeatedly questioning if love is merely a deception to emphasize heartbreak and existential angst.

Did you know?

Trivia

Macha Rekai (1950) featured music by master composer C. R. Subbaraman and was sung by the actress-singer S. Varalakshmi herself. Lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass seamlessly blended classical Tamil literary idioms (like 'Ilavu kaatha kili' and 'Neerezhuthu') into contemporary film lyrics to convey deep sorrow.

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