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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
Movie name
Poovum Puyalum
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
17 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai
Bodhai thaan vaaliba dhesathin vaadagai
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..yerudhae mooligai
Nadhiyilae nadakkiren malaigalai anaikkiren
Udalindri parakkiren nilavinai pidikkiren
Kaatrodu pesi pesi naan gnyaani aagiren
Naetrillai naalai illai indrennai aalgiren
Yogam thrarum sugam en anubhavamae
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..
Yerudhae mooligai
Paavama punniyama yaavumae poiyadaa
Aandiyoo arasanoo povadhum mannadaa
Saagatha varam tharum saami
Sariyaana sarakkondruthaan
Boolooga sorgathai kaana sanjeevi mooligai thaan
Aanandhamae ellai nam ulaginilae
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai
Bodhai thaan vaaliba dhesathin vaadagai
Yerudhae mooligai poguthae naaligai..yerudhae mooligai
The herb takes hold, and time slips away
The herb takes hold, and time slips away
Intoxication is the rent we pay in the land of youth
The herb takes hold, and time slips away... the herb takes hold
I walk on the river, I embrace the mountains
Bodiless, I fly and catch the moon
Talking with the wind, I turn into a sage
There is no yesterday, no tomorrow; today I rule myself
The joy of this deep bliss is mine to feel
The herb takes hold, and time slips away...
The herb takes hold
Sin or virtue, it is all a lie
Whether a beggar or a king, all end up in the dust
The god that grants the boon of never dying
Is nothing but the right potent stuff
To see heaven on earth, this Sanjeevi (life-giving) herb is the way
Pure joy is the only limit in our world
The herb takes hold, and time slips away
The herb takes hold, and time slips away
Intoxication is the rent we pay in the land of youth
The herb takes hold, and time slips away... the herb takes hold
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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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