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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Vetti Vetti Veru

From Manikuyil · 1993

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Arun Mozhi
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Manikuyil1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamae…Vetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence...
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumae…Just bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread...
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamaeVetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumaeJust bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread
Katti vecha paattum kaalam ellaam vaazhum hoA well-crafted song will also live on for all eternity, ho!
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamaeVetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumaeJust bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread
Male
Naa manakka paattedukkaWhen I sing with a fragrant heart,
Poo manakkum kaadu thaanThe entire forest blossoms with fragrance.
Poo manakkum kaadu ellaamThis whole fragrance-filled forest
Naam pirandha veedu thaanIs the very home where we were born.
Nandhavanam yaedhu indha idam maadhiriIs there any flower garden quite like this place?
Vandugalin reengaaram andhi pagal raathiriWhere bees hum continuously through dusk, day, and night.
Thendral enum thaeraeri en manasu odumRiding on the chariot named breeze, my heart rushes,
Then podhigaiyin maelaeri thaenisaiyai paadumClimbing atop the southern Podhigai hills, it sings sweet honeyed melodies.
Pullingangal naan paada thulli thulli aadum hoLittle birds hop and dance merrily as I sing, ho!
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamaeVetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumaeJust bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread
Male
Kaattu vellam pola vandhuArriving like a wild forest torrent,
Paattu vellam paayudhuA flood of song comes rushing forth.
Paattu vellam paaivadhaalaeBecause this flood of song flows,
Boomi ellaam pookkudhuThe entire earth blossoms into bloom.
Pacha maram poovaadaiThe green tree wears a garment of flowers,
Katti kondu aadudhuDrapes it around and sways in delight.
Paakkurappo aalaana pennai pola thonudhuLooking at it, it feels like a maiden who has just come of age.
Enna solla aathaadi vanna vanna kolamOh my, what colorful rangoli patterns nature draws!
Athanaiyum kaarkaalam kaattugira jaalamAll of these are magical marvels displayed by the monsoon season.
Ithanaiyum naan paada thoongudhammaa naalum hoAs I sing all this, my daily weary days go to sleep, ho!
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamaeVetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumaeJust bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread
Katti vecha paattum kaalam ellaam vaazhum hoA well-crafted song will also live on for all eternity, ho!
Male
Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamaeVetiver roots carry their distinct fragrant essence
Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumaeJust bundling them together is enough for the scent to spread

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic folk-themed song draws a beautiful poetic parallel between the natural, enduring fragrance of vetiver (Khus roots) and timeless music. Lyricist Vaali conveys that just as vetiver roots naturally waft aroma without needing artificial enhancement, an authentic, soulful song stays alive across generations without fading away. The singer rejoices in the lush beauty of nature, viewing the vibrant forest as their home. Through vivid imagery of humming bees, breeze chariots, rivers of songs, and blooming trees adorned like young maidens during the monsoon, the song celebrates music as an inseparable element of the natural world that soothes human weary life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uravagam)

Thendral enum thaeraeri en manasu odum

Compares the gentle breeze to a chariot ('thendral enum thaer') upon which the singer's heart travels.

Simile (Upamai)

Kaattu vellam pola vandhu

Uses 'pola' (like) to compare the sudden flow of music to a wild forest flood.

Personification

Pacha maram poovaadai Katti kondu aadudhu

Attributes human actions to a green tree, describing it as wearing a garment of flowers and dancing like a young maiden.

Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Vetti vetti vaeru adhan vaasamae / Katti vecha podhum vandhu veesumae

Rhyming of the second consonant ('tti' in Vetti / Katti) creating rhythmic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song comes from the 1993 movie 'Manikuyil' starring Murali. Although the audio track is deeply rooted in Tamil folk traditions, it famously uses the rustic scent of 'vettiveru' as a central motif to symbolize timeless artistic creations.

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