Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Anbae Anbae

From Saadhanai · 1986

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Saadhanai1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Female
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Female
Aa… aa… aa… aa…Aa... aa... aa... aa...
Aa…aa… aa… aa…Aa... aa... aa... aa...
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Kanneerin eerangalLook at the dampness of these tears
Kallukkul paarungalEven inside a stone heart
Kaadhal mannavaa kandu sellavaaOh king of love, can I see you and then leave?
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Female
Paavai seidha paavam ennaWhat sin did this maiden commit?
Vandhu solla koodaadhoCan you not come and tell me?
Saavai innum konja neramCan death not be postponed
Thalli poda koodaadhoFor just a little longer?
Kaannin oram aavi thaengaAs life lingers at the corner of my eyes
Kaadhal dhooram paarkkirenI look into the distance of love
Kaannin oram aavi thaengaAs life lingers at the corner of my eyes
Kaadhal dhooram paarkkirenI look into the distance of love
Thaangavillai pen manamA woman's heart cannot endure this
Kaana vendum un mugamI must see your face
Kandu poga sammadhamI agree to leave after seeing you
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Kanneerin eerangalLook at the dampness of these tears
Kallukkul paarungalEven inside a stone heart
Kaadhal mannavaa kandu sellavaaOh king of love, can I see you and then leave?
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Chorus
Aaa….aa….aa…aa…aa…Aaa... aa... aa... aa... aa...
Female
Dhaegam maaindhu poga koodumThe body may perish
Kaadhal maaindhu pogaadhuBut love will never perish
Nilavu thaeindhu poga koodumThe moon may wane away
Vaanam thaeindhu pogaadhuBut the sky will never erode
Kaadhal ennum poovin meedhuUpon this flower called love
Paarai yaettri paarppadhoWill you place a heavy rock and watch?
Kaadhal ennum poovin meedhuUpon this flower called love
Paarai yaettri paarppadhoWill you place a heavy rock and watch?
Nenjil indru porkkalamToday my heart is a battlefield
Neeril moozhgum kangalumAnd my eyes are drowning in water
Saavu moondru angulamDeath is just three inches away
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...
Kanneerin eerangalLook at the dampness of these tears
Kallukkul paarungalEven inside a stone heart
Kaadhal mannavaa kandu sellavaaOh king of love, can I see you and then leave?
Female
Anbae… anbae…My beloved... My beloved...
Engae… engae…Where are you... Where are you...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This tragic Tamil song expresses the anguish of a dying or severely suffering woman calling out to her beloved. She pleads for him to return so she can see his face one final time before life slips away. Through vivid imagery, she questions the cruel fate bestowed upon her and asserts that while her mortal body and life may fade like the moon, true love remains as eternal as the sky. The lyrics emphasize deep grief, despair, and an unyielding emotional bond that transcends death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Anaphora / Repetition

Anbae… anbae… / Engae… engae…

Repeated use of 'Anbae… anbae…' and 'Engae… engae…' creates a mournful, rhythmic plea.

Metaphor

Kaadhal ennum poovin meedhu / Paarai yaettri paarppadho

Comparing love to a fragile flower ('Kaadhal ennum poovin meedhu') and hardship to a heavy rock placed upon it.

Imagery & Contrast

Nilavu thaeindhu poga koodum / Vaanam thaeindhu pogaadhu

Contrasting the waning moon (mortal life) with the unchanging sky (immortal love).

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Nenjil indru porkkalam / Neeril moozhgum kangalum

Rhyming second letters in consecutive lines: 'Dhaegam' and 'Nilavu', or 'Nenjil' and 'Neeril'.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Saadhanai' (1986) featured music composed by Ilaiyaraaja (often uncredited or misattributed in standard compilations) with poignant lyrics written by Vairamuthu during their celebrated collaborative era in 1980s Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

More from Saadhanai