Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Cheranaadu

From Paper Rocket · 2022

Lyricist
Ku. Karthik
Singer
Ramya Nambeesan
Music director
Simon K King
Details
Paper Rocket2022

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Cheranaattil oru sundhari pennaeO beautiful girl from the Chera kingdom,
Paathu mayangudhu senthamizh kannaeMy pure Tamil eyes get spellbound looking at you.
Nenju parakkudhu enna nee pannaMy heart flies high, what have you done to me?
Aala izhukkudhu mundhiri kannaeYour cashew-nut-shaped eyes pull me in.
Female
Mandhiram illa mayangurenaeEven without any magical spell, I am mesmerized.
Thandhiram illa thayangurenaeEven without any trickery, I hesitate before you.
Aarunkaanaadhoru singaaramaeOh, you are an exquisite beauty unseen by anyone else!
Ende kannin soppanamaeYou are the dream residing in my eyes.
Chorus
{ Arimaave ittu manassullae{ Drawing with rice flour inside the heart,
Kolam varachchathu malayaalippennazhaguThe Malayali girl's beauty paints a fine pattern.
Avalannae muttiyirunnappo chuttiyuzhinjathuWhen she sat brushing close against me, what swirled around,
Siruvaani manjalavu } (2)Was the divine fragrance of Siruvani turmeric } (2)
Female
Oh poovarasa nenjula pookkudhuOh, a portia flower blossoms inside my heart!
Chorus :Polichallae polichallaeChorus: Splendid! Splendid!
Manasatha thookkuthuIt lifts up and steals my mind.
Female :Pookkalamaa paathaiyum maaruthuFemale: The path transforms into a carpet of flowers.
Chorus :Resamallae resamallaeChorus: Isn't it wonderful? Isn't it sweet?
Usurellaam thaakuthuIt touches every corner of my soul.
Female
Poonilaavu sithiramaeOh picture of flower-like moonlight!
Panjavarna rathinamaeOh five-colored precious gem!
Pranaya sowganthigamaeOh fragrant night-blooming lotus of love!
Ippo naanum sowkkiyameNow I too am completely at bliss.
Female
Santhananthaan vaasathulaIn the fragrance of sandalwood,
Suntharano pakkathulaWith my handsome beloved right beside me,
Sorgathaiyae paakayilaAs I behold heaven right here,
Solla oru vaarthayillaThere are no words left to say.
Chorus
{ Arimaave ittu manassullae{ Drawing with rice flour inside the heart,
Kolam varachchathu malayaalippennazhaguThe Malayali girl's beauty paints a fine pattern.
Avalannae muttiyirunnappo chuttiyuzhinjathuWhen she sat brushing close against me, what swirled around,
Siruvaani manjalavu } (2)Was the divine fragrance of Siruvani turmeric } (2)
Female
Cheranaattil oru sundhari pennaeO beautiful girl from the Chera kingdom,
Paathu mayangudhu senthamizh kannaeMy pure Tamil eyes get spellbound looking at you.
Nenju parakkudhu enna nee pannaMy heart flies high, what have you done to me?
Aala izhukkudhu mundhiri kannaeYour cashew-nut-shaped eyes pull me in.
Female
Mandhiram illa mayangurenaeEven without any magical spell, I am mesmerized.
Thandhiram illa thayangurenaeEven without any trickery, I hesitate before you.
Aarunkaanaadhoru singaaramaeOh, you are an exquisite beauty unseen by anyone else!
Ende kannin soppanamaeYou are the dream residing in my eyes.
Chorus
{ Arimaave ittu manassullae{ Drawing with rice flour inside the heart,
Kolam varachchathu malayaalippennazhaguThe Malayali girl's beauty paints a fine pattern.
Avalannae muttiyirunnappo chuttiyuzhinjathuWhen she sat brushing close against me, what swirled around,
Siruvaani manjalavu } (2)Was the divine fragrance of Siruvani turmeric } (2)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from 'Paper Rocket' celebrates a vibrant, cross-cultural romantic feeling using a mixture of Tamil and Malayalam linguistic motifs. The lyrics depict a protagonist mesmerized by the captivating beauty of their beloved, comparing her charm to traditional Kerala motifs like rice flour art (Kolam), fresh Siruvani turmeric, and fragrant sandalwood. The music and lyrics convey a lighthearted, blissful state of falling in love where words fall short of describing the heavenly joy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Mandhiram illa mayangurenae / Thandhiram illa thayangurenae

The lines end with matching rhyming suffixes like 'mayangurenae' and 'thayangurenae' to create a smooth rhythm.

Uvamai (Metaphor / Imagery)

Aala izhukkudhu mundhiri kannae

'Mundhiri kannae' compares the expressive eyes of the beloved to cashew nuts, a creative regional imagery.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyming)

Mandhiram illa mayangurenae / Thandhiram illa thayangurenae

The second consonant 'n' ('ndh') matches across both words 'Mandhiram' and 'Thandhiram'.

Code-Mixing / Bilingual Parallelism

Aarunkaanaadhoru singaaramae / Ende kannin soppanamae

Seamlessly mixes Malayalam phrases ('Ende kannin soppanamae', 'Arimaave ittu manassullae') with Tamil lines to highlight the regional Chera-Tamil connection.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is featured in the web series 'Paper Rocket' (2022) directed by Kiruthiga Udhayanidhi with music by Harris Jayaraj. Sung by popular actress and singer Remya Nambeesan, who brings authentic Malayalam pronunciation to the lyrics, the song highlights the cultural fusion between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Keep listening

More from Paper Rocket