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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Vaarayo Vennilave

From Missiamma · 1955

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singers
A. M. Rajah, P. Leela
Music director
Rajeswara Rao
Details
Missiamma1955

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyaeWon't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyaeWon't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Male
Agambaavam konda sadhiyaalDue to a wife filled with arrogance,
Arivaal uyarndhidum pathi naanI am a husband elevated by intelligence.
Agambaavam konda sadhiyaalDue to a wife filled with arrogance,
Arivaal uyarndhidum pathi naanI am a husband elevated by intelligence.
Sathi pathi virodham migavaeWith intense conflict between husband and wife,
Sidhaindhadhu idham tharum vaazhvaeA pleasant life has been completely shattered.
Female
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyae…ae…Won't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyae…ae….Won't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Female
Vaakkurimai thandha pasiyaalDriven by hunger brought by contractual obligations,
Vaazhndhidavae vandha sathi naanI am the wife who arrived just to make a living.
Vaakkurimai thandha pasiyaalDriven by hunger brought by contractual obligations,
Vaazhndhidavae vandha sathi naanI am the wife who arrived just to make a living.
Nambida seivaar nesamHe feigns affection to make one believe,
Nadippadhellaam veli veshamAll his acting is merely an outward facade.
Male
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyaeWon't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Male
Than pidivaadham vidaadhuShe does not give up her stubbornness,
En manam pol nadakkaadhuNor does she act according to my wishes.
Than pidivaadham vidaadhuShe does not give up her stubbornness,
En manam pol nadakkaadhuNor does she act according to my wishes.
Namakkena edhuvum sollaadhuShe says nothing meaningful to us,
Nammaiyum pesa vidaadhuNor does she allow us to speak.
Female
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Kelaaiyo engal kadhaiyae..ae…Won't you listen to our story?
Vaaraaiyo vennilaavaeWon't you come, O bright white moon?
Female
Anudhinam seivaar modiEvery day they put on an act of indifference,
Agamagizhvaar poraadiFinding inner joy in constant fighting.
Anudhinam seivaar modiEvery day they put on an act of indifference,
Agamagizhvaar poraadiFinding inner joy in constant fighting.
Illaram ippadi nadandhaalIf domestic life proceeds in this manner,
Nallaraamaamo nilavaeWill it ever be considered a virtuous life, O moon?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Vaaraaiyo Vennilaave is an iconic duet from the classic Tamil film Missiamma (1955). Sung as a humorous mock-argument between a couple pretending to be married to secure a job, the song features the characters complaining about each other's flaws by addressing the moon as a neutral confidant. The husband laments his wife's stubbornness and vanity, while the wife criticizes his pretense and superiority complex. Through witty verse and playful banter, lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass captures the hidden romantic tension and ego clashes between the lead characters. Addressing the moon serves as a poetic device to express their internal frustration and unspoken affection masked behind constant bickering.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Apostrophe

Vaaraaiyo vennilaavae

Addressing an inanimate object or natural entity directly as if it can hear and respond; the singers talk directly to the moon ('vennilaavae').

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyming)

Agambaavam konda sadhiyaal / Arivaal uyarndhidum pathi naan

A traditional Tamil poetic device where the second letter of consecutive lines share the same consonant sound ('g' in Agambaavam and Agamagizhvaar, or 'n' in Anudhinam / Agamagizhvaar).

Rhetorical Question

Illaram ippadi nadandhaal / Nallaraamaamo nilavae

Asking a question not for an answer, but to make a point about the state of their chaotic household.

Alliteration (Monaai)

Sathi pathi virodham migavae

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in a line (e.g., 'Sathi pathi').

Did you know?

Trivia

This legendary song was composed by S. Rajeswara Rao and rendered by A. M. Rajah and P. Leela. The Tamil movie Missiamma (1955) was shot simultaneously alongside its Telugu counterpart Missamma, where the corresponding song 'Ravooyi Chandamama' became an equally historic hit. The song remains one of the most famous moon-addressed duets in South Indian cinema.

Keep listening

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