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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yaakai Thiri

From Aaytha Ezhuthu · 2004

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
A. R. Rahman, Sunitha Sarathy
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Aaytha Ezhuthu2004

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Fanaaa fanaaa….Destroyed in passion, consumed...
Fanaaa fanaaa….Destroyed in passion, consumed...
Fanaaa fanaaa …Destroyed in passion, consumed...
Fanaaa fanaaa….Destroyed in passion, consumed...
Chorus
Yaakkai thiriThe body is the wick,
Kaadhal sudarLove is the flame.
Male :AnbaeMale: My beloved,
Chorus :Jeevan nadhiChorus: Life is the river,
Kaadhal kadalLove is the ocean.
Male :NenjaeMale: Oh heart,
Male
Piravi pizhaiBirth is an error,
Kaadhal thirutham nenjaeLove is the correction, oh heart.
Female :Aaaa…aaa….aa..Female: Aaaa…aaa….aa..
Male :Irudhayam kalMale: The heart is a stone,
Kaadhal sirpam anbaeLove is the sculpture, my beloved.
Chorus
Yaakkai thiriThe body is the wick,
Kaadhal sudarLove is the flame.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female
Thoduvom thodarvomWe shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom thuravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall renounce.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom iravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall pass away.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom uravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall unite as family.
Female
Jenmam vidhaiBirth is the seed,
Kaadhal pazhamLove is the fruit.
Logam dhvaithamThe worldly existence is duality,
Kaadhal advaithamLove is oneness (non-duality).
Sarmam soonyamThe physical body is temporary nothingness,
Kaadhal pinniyamLove is divine merit.
Maanudam maayamMankind is mere illusion,
Kaadhal amaramLove is immortal.
Chorus
Ulagathin kaadhal ellaamAll the love across this world
Ondrae ondrae adhuIs one and the same.
Ullangal maari maariMoving from one heart to another,
Payanam pogumIt continues its journey.
Chorus
Yaakkai thiriThe body is the wick,
Kaadhal sudarLove is the flame.
Male :AnbaeMale: My beloved,
Chorus :Jeevan nadhiChorus: Life is the river,
Kaadhal kadalLove is the ocean.
Male :NenjaeMale: Oh heart,
Male
Piravi pizhaiBirth is an error,
Kaadhal thirutham nenjaeLove is the correction, oh heart.
Female :Aaaa…aaa….aa..Female: Aaaa…aaa….aa..
Male :Irudhayam kalMale: Irudhayam kal
Kaadhal sirpam anbaeLove is the sculpture, my beloved.
Chorus
Yaakkai thiriThe body is the wick,
Kaadhal sudarLove is the flame.
Male :Fanaaa fanaaa….Male: Dissolve in love, consumed...
Female
Thoduvom thodarvomWe shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom thuravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall renounce.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom iravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall pass away.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom uravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall unite as family.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom iravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall pass away.
Male :Fanaaa aa….Male: Dissolve in love... aa...
Male
Sapa mapa mapa mapa mapaMusical notes (Swaras): Sa-pa ma-pa ma-pa ma-pa ma-pa
Mapa ni nee paa mapaMa-pa ni nee paa ma-pa
Sapa mapa mapa mapaSa-pa ma-pa ma-pa ma-pa
Ga ma sa ga riGa ma sa ga ri
Mapa mapa mapa mapaMa-pa ma-pa ma-pa ma-pa
Ri ri ga pa fa saaRi ri ga pa fa saa
Panidhapa ma ga ri saPa-ni-dha-pa ma ga ri sa
Female
Yeyo yeyo yeyo yeyoVocalizing rhythmic beats (Yeyo yeyo yeyo yeyo)
Yeyo yeyo yeyoVocalizing rhythmic beats (Yeyo yeyo yeyo)
Male : FanaaahMale: Dissolve in love...
Male
Nee nee sasa nee nee sasaSwaras: Nee nee sasa nee nee sasa
Pa gi ri pa pa gi ri paPa gi ri pa pa gi ri pa
Pa gi ri pa ri pa gi ri paaPa gi ri pa ri pa gi ri paa
Pa gi ri pa pa gi ri paPa gi ri pa pa gi ri pa
Saa saa ga ma saa ga maSaa saa ga ma saa ga ma
Saa ga ma saa ga ma saaSaa ga ma saa ga ma saa
Female :Yeyo yeyo yeyo yeyoFemale: Vocalizing rhythmic beats (Yeyo yeyo yeyo yeyo)
Yeyo yeyo yeyoVocalizing rhythmic beats (Yeyo yeyo yeyo)
Male
Aaaa aaa aaaaa aaaaaVocal melody: Aaaa aaa aaaaa aaaaa
AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaVocal melody: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Female
{Thoduvom thodarvomWe shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom thuravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall renounce.
Male :Nee nee sasa nee nee sasaMale: Swaras (Nee nee sasa nee nee sasa)
Ga ga sasaGa ga sasa
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom iravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall pass away.
Male :Nee nee sasa nee nee sasaMale: Swaras (Nee nee sasa nee nee sasa)
Ga ga sasaGa ga sasa
Female :Thoduvom thodarvomFemale: We shall touch, we shall continue,
Padarvom maravom uravomWe shall spread, we shall forget, we shall unite as family.
Male :Nee nee sasa nee nee sasaMale: Swaras (Nee nee sasa nee nee sasa)
Ga ga sasa} (2)Ga ga sasa (Repeat x2)
Male
Fanaaa fanaaa….Dissolve in love, consumed...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Yaakkai Thiri' is a high-energy, philosophically charged track from Mani Ratnam's 2004 political drama 'Aaytha Ezhuthu', composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The song explores the Sufi concept of 'Fanaa' (dissolution/immersion in passion) alongside Advaita philosophy. It portrays the physical body as merely a temporary vessel or wick ('Yaakkai thiri') while love is the eternal light or flame ('Kaadhal sudar') that outlasts individual human lives.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Yaakkai thiri / Kaadhal sudar

Compares human body ('Yaakkai') directly to a lamp wick ('thiri') and love ('Kaadhal') to the flame/light ('sudar').

Muran (Antithesis)

Logam dhvaitham / Kaadhal advaitham

Contrasts the dualistic nature of the physical world ('Dhvaitham') with the non-dualistic, unifying nature of love ('Advaitham').

Iyaipu (Rhyming end words)

Thoduvom thodarvom / Padarvom maravom thuravom

Employs matching suffixes ('-om') across consecutive verbs to create a rhythmic, chant-like effect.

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Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman and sung by A.R. Rahman, Karthik, Sunitha Sarathy, and Tanvi Shah, the song integrates the Sufi term 'Fanaa' into Tamil film music lyrics. The Hindi counterpart of the film, 'Yuva', features 'Fanaa' sung by A.R. Rahman and Sunitha Sarathy with lyrics by Mehboob.

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