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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Vizhiyo Urangavillai

From Nee Vazha Vendum · 1977

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
P. Susheela, P. Jayachandran
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
Nee Vazha Vendum1977

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
Oru kanavo varavumillaiNor does any dream come.
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
Oru kanavo varavumillaiNor does any dream come.
Kanavinilaenum thalaivanai kaanaTo see my hero at least in a dream,
Kannae nee uranguOh my eyes, please sleep!
Avan kaatchiyai nee vazhanguGrant me a vision of him,
Kaatchiyai nee vazhangu….mmm…..Grant me a vision... mmm...
Female
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
Oru kanavo varavumillaiNor does any dream come.
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
Oru kanavo varavumillaiNor does any dream come.
Kanavinilaenum thalaivanai kaanaTo see my hero at least in a dream,
Kannae nee uranguOh my eyes, please sleep!
Avan kaatchiyai nee vazhanguGrant me a vision of him,
Kaatchiyai nee vazhangu….mmm…..Grant me a vision... mmm...
Female
Thalaiyinil soodaTo wear upon my head,
Malarsaram kettaenI asked for a garland of flowers,
Mul mudi sootti vaiththaaiBut you crowned me with a crown of thorns.
Thalaiyinil soodaTo wear upon my head,
Malarsaram kettaenI asked for a garland of flowers,
Mul mudi sootti vaiththaaiBut you crowned me with a crown of thorns.
Karangalil poda valaigalai kettaenI asked for bangles to wear on my hands,
Vilanginai pootti vaiththaaiBut you locked me in shackles.
Vilanginai pootti vaiththaaiYou locked me in shackles.
Male
Kadalukkukkooda karai irukkumEven the sea has a shore
Antha alaigalai thadupatharkkuTo stop those surging waves,
Manthukku mattum karai illaiyaeYet the mind alone has no shore,
Intha ninaivinai thadupatharkkuTo stop these relentless memories,
Ninaivinai thadupatharkkuTo stop these memories.
Male
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
En manathil amaithiyillaiThere is no peace in my heart.
Female
Uravinaikaatti pirinthavar polLike those who showed love only to abandon,
Ingu pagaivargal yaarum illaiThere are no greater enemies here.
Oliyinai thanthu vizhigalai ketpathuTo grant sight and then demand the eyes back,
Yaarukkum niyaayam illaiIs fair to no one.
Male
Bhoomiyai vaanam thoduvathu polJust as the sky appears to touch the earth,
Ingu paarvaiyil therigirathuIt only seems so to our sight.
Purinthu kollaamal irukkum varaaiAs long as it remains misunderstood,
Ellaam mayakkamaai irukkukirathuEverything remains an illusion,
Mayakkamaai irukirathuIt remains an illusion.
Female
Vizhiyo urangavillaiMy eyes do not sleep,
Oru kanavo varavumillaiNor does any dream come.
Male :Kanavo varavumillaiMale: Nor does any dream come.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Vizhiyo Urangavillai' conveys the painful insomnia and emotional torment of a woman grieving heartbreak and separation. Pining for her beloved, she pleads with her own eyes to fall asleep so she might at least reunite with him in her dreams. She laments how fate or her partner betrayed her trust—offering thorns instead of requested flowers, and fetters instead of bangles. Her heart feels burdened by overwhelming memories that know no boundaries. Written with typical philosophical depth by Kannadasan, the song reflects on human relationships and perception. It highlights the injustice of being shown love (light) only for it to be snatched away. Kannadasan compares romantic ideals to the horizon—where the sky seems to touch the earth—illustrating how deceptive life's promises can be until one sees through the painful illusion.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Contrast / Antithesis (Muran)

Malarsaram kettaen / Mul mudi sootti vaiththaai

Contrasts gentle flowers ('Malarsaram') with a painful crown of thorns ('Mul mudi') to highlight fate's cruelty.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Vizhiyo urangavillai / Oru kanavo varavumillai / En manathil amaithiyillai

The repetitive suffix '-illai' creates a melodic and melancholic end-rhyme scheme emphasizing loss and absence.

Simile (Upamai)

Bhoomiyai vaanam thoduvathu pol

Compares false hopes and misunderstandings in love to the optical illusion of the horizon where earth meets sky.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Manthukku mattum karai illaiyae

Metaphorically compares the human mind and its memories to a shoreless ocean that cannot contain its waves.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan for the 1977 film 'Nee Vazha Vendum', this song is revered for Vani Jairam's expressive rendition. Kannadasan's lines comparing the shore of an ocean to the boundary of the human mind ('Kadalukkukkooda karai irukkum...') remain iconic in Tamil film music history as a classic example of philosophical romantic tragedy.

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