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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yeruthae Mooligai Poguthae

From Poovum Puyalum · 1988

Lyricist
S. A. Rajkumar
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
S. A. Rajkumar
Details
Poovum Puyalum1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away.
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away.
Bodhai thaan vaaliba dhesathin vaadagaiIntoxication is the rent paid in the land of youth.
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..yerudhae mooligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away... the herb rises.
Female
Nadhiyilae nadakkiren malaigalai anaikkirenI walk on rivers, I embrace the mountains.
Udalindri parakkiren nilavinai pidikkirenI fly without a body, I catch the moon.
Kaatrodu pesi pesi naan gnyaani aagirenTalking endlessly with the wind, I am becoming a sage.
Naetrillai naalai illai indrennai aalgirenThere is no yesterday, no tomorrow; today rules me.
Yogam thrarum sugam en anubhavamaeThe bliss that spiritual trance offers is my true experience.
Female
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..The herb's effect rises, time slips away...
Yerudhae mooligaiThe herb's effect rises.
Female
Paavama punniyama yaavumae poiyadaaSin or virtue, everything is a lie, my friend.
Aandiyoo arasanoo povadhum mannadaaA pauper or a king, everyone ultimately goes into the dust.
Saagatha varam tharum saamiThe deity that grants the boon of immortality,
Sariyaana sarakkondruthaanIs nothing but the right quality brew.
Boolooga sorgathai kaana sanjeevi mooligai thaanTo witness heaven on Earth, this life-giving miracle herb is the way.
Aanandhamae ellai nam ulaginilaePure bliss is the only boundary in our world.
Female
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away.
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away.
Bodhai thaan vaaliba dhesathin vaadagaiIntoxication is the rent paid in the land of youth.
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..yerudhae mooligaiThe herb's effect rises, time slips away... the herb rises.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song depicts a surreal state of psychedelic ecstasy and philosophical detachment induced by a psychoactive herb. The protagonist experiences weightlessness, imagery of floating beyond physical limits—walking on rivers, touching mountains, and reaching the moon. The lyrics express a hedonistic yet existential worldview, asserting that yesterday and tomorrow do not matter, and that worldly divisions like sin, virtue, social status, king, or beggar are rendered meaningless in the face of ultimate mortality. The song metaphorically treats intoxication as the 'rent' one pays for experiencing the realm of youth. It framing the intoxicating herb as a 'Sanjeevi' (miracle plant) that bestows earthly heaven and immortal joy, celebrating the present moment as a state of pure bliss and liberation from societal anxieties.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai

The words 'mooligai' and 'naaligai' at the end of the rhythmic phrases rhyme, creating a harmonious cadence.

Metaphor

Bodhai thaan vaaliba dhesathin vaadagai

Intoxication (bodhai) is poetically metaphorized as the 'rent' (vaadagai) paid to reside in the territory of youth (vaaliba dhesam).

Hyperbole & Surreal Imagery

Nadhiyilae nadakkiren malaigalai anaikkiren / Udalindri parakkiren nilavinai pidikkiren

The singer uses exaggerated surreal imagery—walking on water, hugging mountains, flying body-less, and catching the moon—to express high intoxication.

Monai (Initial Rhyme/Alliteration)

Saagatha varam tharum saami / Sariyaana sarakkondruthaan

The repetition of the initial consonant sound 'Sa' ('Saagatha' and 'Sariyaana') creates musical flow across lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is from 'Poovum Puyalum' (1988), with both music composition and lyrics provided by S. A. Rajkumar during the early phase of his career. Singer K. S. Chithra delivered a uniquely stylized rendition to reflect the euphoric and psychedelic theme of the song, demonstrating her remarkable adaptability across diverse musical genres in late-1980s Tamil cinema.

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