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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Anbe Anbe Kollathe

From Jeans · 1998

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Hariharan, Anuradha Sriram
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Jeans1998

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Aahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Aahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Male
Anbae anbae kollaadhae kannae kannai killaadhaeMy love, my love, do not kill me; my darling, do not pinch my eyes.
Pennae punnagaiyil idhayathai vedikaadhaeO girl, do not explode my heart with your smile.
Aiyoo … unnasaivil uyirai kudikkaadhaeOh my... do not drain my life away with your subtle gestures.
Anbae anbae kollaadhae kannae kannai killaadhaeMy love, my love, do not kill me; my darling, do not pinch my eyes.
Male
Pennae unathu mellidai paarthen adadaa brahman KanjanadiO girl, I looked at your slender waist; alas, Brahma was a miser there!
Sattrae nimirnden thalai suttri ponen aahaa avanae vallaladiI looked up a bit and felt dizzy; ah, he turned out to be a generous giver above!
Minnalai pidithu thoorigai samaithuCatching lightning and turning it into a paintbrush,
Ravivarman ezhuthiya vathanamadiYour face is a portrait painted by Raja Ravi Varma!
Nooradi palingai aaradi aakki sirpigal sethukkiya uruvamadiIt is a form sculpted by artists, turning a hundred feet of marble into six feet!
Ithuvarai mannil pirantha pennil neethaan neethaan azhagiyadiAmong all women born on earth until now, you alone are the ultimate beauty!
Ithanai azhagum motham sernthuAll this beauty coming together at once...
Ennai vadhaippathu kodumaiyadiTo torment me like this is sheer cruelty!
Anbae anbae kollaadhae kannae kannai killaadhae…My love, my love, do not kill me; my darling, do not pinch my eyes...
Female
Koduthu vaitha poovae poovaeO blessed flower, blessed flower,
Aval koonthal manam solvaayaaWill you tell me the fragrance of her hair?
koduthu vaitha nadhiyae nadhiyaeO blessed river, blessed river,
Aval kulitha sugam solvaayaaWill you tell me the joy of her bathing in you?
Koduthu vaitha kaalkolusae kaalalavai solvaayaaO blessed anklet, will you tell me the measure of her feet?
Koduthu vaitha maniyae maarazhagai solvaayaaO blessed pendant, will you tell me the beauty of her chest?
Female
Aahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Aahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Male
Aahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Aahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Male
{ Anbae anbae kollaadhae } (2)My love, my love, do not kill me (repeated twice)
Kannae kannai killaadhaeMy darling, do not pinch my eyes.
Male
Aahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaahaa..aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)
Aahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aahaAahaa …aahaa…haa…aaahaa..haa..haa..haa..aaha (Vocalizations)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Anbae Anbae Kollaadhae from the 1998 movie Jeans is a captivating romantic song celebrating the overwhelming beauty of the beloved. The protagonist playfully complains that her captivating smile, graceful movements, and ethereal appearance are torturing his heart. He praises her physical attributes using mythological and artistic imagery—comparing her waist to a minimalist creation by Brahma, her face to a painting by Raja Ravi Varma rendered with lightning, and her stature to a six-foot masterpiece carved from a massive marble block. In the second stanza, the lover turns his attention to the inanimate items in close contact with her—the flower in her hair, the river where she bathes, her anklet, and her necklace—envying their closeness and addressing them directly to learn the intimate secrets of her allure. Written by Vairamuthu and composed by A. R. Rahman, the song masterfully pairs playful classical hyperbolic poetry with modern orchestration.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Uvamaani / Atisayokthi)

Nooradi palingai aaradi aakki sirpigal sethukkiya uruvamadi

Exaggerates her form as a six-foot statue sculpted by compressing a hundred feet of marble.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Minnalai pidithu thoorigai samaithu Ravivarman ezhuthiya vathanamadi

Compares her face to a painting drawn by Raja Ravi Varma using a paintbrush made of captured lightning.

Personification

Koduthu vaitha poovae poovae Aval koonthal manam solvaayaa

Addresses non-living objects (flower, river, anklet, necklace) as if they are conscious beings capable of telling her secrets.

Rhyme and Assonance (Etukai / Monai)

Anbae anbae kollaadhae kannae kannai killaadhae

Rhythmic repetition of sounds (kollaadhae/killaadhae, poovae/nadhiyae) creating a melodious lyrical flow.

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Trivia

Composed by A. R. Rahman for S. Shankar's romantic comedy 'Jeans' (1998), this song features vocals by Hariharan and Anuradha Sriram. 'Jeans' was India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards in 1999.

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