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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yamma Yamma

From 7aum Arivu · 2011

Lyricist
Kabilan
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Shweta Mohan
Music director
Harris Jayaraj
Details
7aum Arivu2011

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Yamma yamma kaadhal ponnamaOh dear, oh dear, my golden girl of love
Nee ena vittu ponathennammaWhy did you leave me and go, my girl?
Nenjukulla kaayam aachammaMy heart has been wounded, my girl
En pattam poochi saayam pochammaMy butterfly has lost its vibrant colors, my girl
Male
Adi aanoda kaadhal kai rega polaeHey, a man's love is permanent like the lines on a palm
Pennoda kaadhal kai kutta polaeA woman's love is temporary like a handkerchief
Kanavukulla avala vechenaeI kept her inside my dreams
En kanna renda thirudi ponaalaeYet she stole away both my eyes and left
Pullaankulala kaiyil thanthaalaeShe placed a flute in my hands
En moochu kaatha vaangi ponaalaeAnd stole away my breath as she left
Male
Pombalaiya nambi kettuponavanga rombaMany are those who got ruined by trusting a woman
Andha varisaiyil naanum ippa kadaisiyil ninnenAnd in that long queue, I now stand at the very end
Mutheduka ponaal un moochadangum thannaalIf you dive for pearls, your breath holds automatically
Kaadhal muthedutha pinnaalBut after diving and retrieving the pearl of love
Manam pithamaagum pennaalOne's mind goes insane because of the woman
Male
Ava kaiyavituthaan poyaachuShe let go of my hand and walked away
Kannu rendumae poiyaachuBoth my eyes proved to be deceitful
Kaadhal enbathu veen pechuLove is just useless, empty talk
Manam unnalae punnaai pochuMy heart has turned into a painful wound because of you
Male
Kaadhal paathai kallu mulludaThe path of love is full of stones and thorns, man
Adhai kadanthupona aalae illadaaThere is no person who has successfully crossed it, man
Kaadhal oru bothai maathiraLove is an intoxicating pill
Adhai pottukitta moongil yaathiraiTaking it leads straight to a journey on a funeral bier
Male
Yamma yamma kaadhal ponnamaOh dear, oh dear, my golden girl of love
Nee ena vittu ponathennammaWhy did you leave me and go, my girl?
Nenjukulla kaayam aachammaMy heart has been wounded, my girl
En pattam poochi saayam pochammaMy butterfly has lost its vibrant colors, my girl
Female
…………………………………………
Male
Ota potta moongil athu paatu paada koodumA piece of bamboo with holes pierced in it can play a song
Nenjil ota potta pinnum manam unna pathi paadumEven after my heart has been pierced with holes, it still sings about you
Vanthu ponathaaru oru nanthavana theruWho came and went like a garden street?
Nambi nonthu ponen paaru ava poo illa naaruLook at me, broken after trusting her; she is not a flower, but a harsh fiber
Male
Enna thittam potu nee thirudaadhaeDo not plot and steal from me
Etta ninnu nee varudaadhaeDo not stroke me standing from afar
Katterumbu pol nerudaadhaeDo not irritate me like a fire ant
Manam thaangadhae thaangadhaeMy heart cannot tolerate it, cannot tolerate it
Male
Vaanavillin kolam neeyammaYou were the colorful pattern of a rainbow
En vaanam thaandi ponathengammaWhy did you cross beyond my sky, my girl?
Kaadhal illaa ooru engadaaWhere is a town where love doesn't exist, my friend?
Enna kanna katti kooti pongadaaBlindfold me and take me away to such a place, my friend
Male
Yamma yamma kaadhal ponnamaFemale :………………..Oh dear, oh dear, my golden girl of love
Nee ena vittu ponathennammaFemale :……………………Why did you leave me and go, my girl?
Nenjukulla kaayam aachammaFemale :……………………My heart has been wounded, my girl
En pattam poochi saayam pochammaFemale :…………………My butterfly has lost its vibrant colors, my girl
Male
…………………………………….

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Yamma Yamma' from 7aum Arivu expresses the deep pain, grief, and despair of a heartbroken lover abandoned by his beloved. The protagonist laments how deeply he loved and trusted her, only to be left with emotional scars and shattered dreams. He reflects cynically on the nature of love, describing it as an intoxicating drug that leads to destruction and comparing a woman's love to fleeting objects. Through poetic imagery of a flute created through pain or a colorful butterfly losing its hues, the lyrics convey an overwhelming sense of betrayal. The protagonist feels so tormented by the memories of his lost love that he desperately pleads to be taken to a place where love does not exist at all, highlighting the tragic weight of unrequited affection.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

En pattam poochi saayam pochamma

Compares his vibrant life and happiness to a colorful butterfly that has lost its colors due to heartbreak.

Simile

Pennoda kaadhal kai kutta polae

Uses explicit comparison ('polae' - like) to compare a woman's love to a handkerchief that is easily discarded or temporarily used.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Enna thittam potu nee thirudaadhae / Etta ninnu nee varudaadhae / Katterumbu pol nerudaadhae

Consonant end rhyming with the suffix '-adhae' across consecutive lines creates a rhythmic, lamenting cadence.

Metaphor

Kaadhal oru bothai maathira

Directly equates love to an intoxicating pill ('bothai maathira') that clouds judgment.

Imagery & Irony

Ota potta moongil athu paatu paada koodum / Nenjil ota potta pinnum manam unna pathi paadum

Draws poetic imagery of a bamboo flute created by making holes in it, using it as an analogy for a heart pierced with pain that still sings songs of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although the composer and singers were listed as unknown in the provided prompt, 'Yamma Yamma' was composed by Harris Jayaraj for the 2011 sci-fi action film '7aum Arivu' (directed by A.R. Murugadoss, starring Suriya and Shruti Haasan). The track was rendered by the legendary playback singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam alongside Swetha Mohan, and Kabilan's emotional lyrics made it one of the most memorable Tamil heartbreak anthems of that decade.

Keep listening

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