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Isaimozhi
Kadal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Elay Keechaan

From Kadal · 2012

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singers
A. R. Rahman, Chorus
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Kadal
Movie release year
2012
Lyrics added on
24 Aug 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Yei yei yei yei
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Male :Yemaa seela namma
Kadalamma allithara
Aama seela ava
Alai veesi sirikira
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Male :Yemaa seela namma
Kadalamma allithara
Aama seela ava
Alai veesi sirikira
Elae keechan vanthaachu
Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu
Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu
Elae keechan vanthaachu
Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu
Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Vaa lae konda lae
Kattu maram konda le
Gundu meena alli vara
Konda lae hae ae..
Elae keechan vanthaachu
Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu
Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu
Yelaa yelaa
Paai virichaa aiyoo
Va va vaasal thedi thedi
Vaaraan keechan
Un keechan raavoda koovi kitta
Kanna keppan raaloda raaloda
Meesa onna keppan keechan
Yelelo
Pulivesam pottu
Yelelo
Varuvaan… keechan… varuvaan
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Oo…ooo….oo…ooo….oo…
Mmm….mmm….mmm….mm…
Oo…ooo….oo…ooo….oo…
Hey sada sada sadavena
Kaathula aadum
En saaram yela un pera paadaatha
Oru oru oru oru oru oo
Orutharam orutharam orasa
Posukkunu usupura usura
Unakaaga valaiyonnu valaiyonnu
Virichirukken na thavam irukken
Nee vizhuvennu vilakkena uthikkittu
Muzhichirukken na arakirukan
Nee vena sonna enga enga
Povaano thoma
Oththa alaiyila midhakura
Odam pol un nenapula
Na methanthu kedakkuren
Ora paravaiyaala sirucha enna
Elae keechan vanthaachu
Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu
Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu
Hey hey hey hey
Vaa lae konda lae
Kattu maram konda le
Gundu meena alli vara
Konda lae hae ae..
Nee thidu thidukka
Enna suthivalaika
Naan vela velakka
Thala kiru kirukka
Nee paatha nodiyae
Hey pithu pidikka
En thoothukudi yae
Unna thooki izhukka thooki izhukka
Ethana macham
Hey ethana latcham
Atha enni mudichae
Namma thookam tholachom
Hey oththa beediya
Nee mutham kodutha
En anna madiya
Enna vaari edutha vaari edutha
Yemaa seela namma
Kadalamma allithara
Aama seela ava
Alaiveesi sirikira
Elae keechan vanthaachu
Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu
Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu
Vaa lae konda lae
Ela poda konda lae
Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
Male :Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
Vaa lae konda lae
Ela poda konda lae
Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
Male :Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
Vaa lae konda lae
Ela poda konda lae
Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
Male :Pogum megam meena
Thoovum konda lae
{Vaa lae konda lae
Kattu maram konda le
Gundu meena alli vara
Konda lae hae ae…} (2)
Male :Yelae keechaan
{Vaa lae konda lae
Kattu maram konda le
Gundu meena alli vara
Konda lae hae ae…} (2)
Male :Vaa lae konda lae
Kattu maram konda le
Gundu meena alli vara
Konda lae hae ae..
Hey, hey, hey, hey!
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Male: With an open lap, our
Mother Sea gives in abundance,
Draped in ocean waters,
She tosses her waves and smiles!
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Male: With an open lap, our
Mother Sea gives in abundance,
Draped in ocean waters,
She tosses her waves and smiles!
Hey, Keechan has arrived!
Our precious girl of Soosa has arrived too!
Hey, Lord Jesus has showered His blessings!
Hey, Keechan has arrived!
Our precious girl of Soosa has arrived too!
Hey, Lord Jesus has showered His blessings!
Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh
Come on, bring it on!
Bring the catamaran!
To scoop up fat fish,
Bring it on, hey!
Hey, Keechan has arrived!
Our precious girl of Soosa has arrived too!
Hey, Lord Jesus has showered His blessings!
Ela ela
If you spread out the mat, oh my!
Searching for your doorstep,
Keechan is coming!
In the dead of night, calling out close, your Keechan
Will ask to see your eyes; along with the prawns,
Keechan will ask for a touch of his mustache!
Elelo
In a tiger disguise,
Elelo
He will come... Keechan... will come!
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Oh... oh... oh... oh... oh...
Mmm... mmm... mmm... mm...
Oh... oh... oh... oh... oh...
Hey, rustling and fluttering,
Blowing in the sea breeze,
Doesn't my lungi sing your name, boy?
One, one, one, one, an "ooh",
Just one gentle brush of your touch,
And you suddenly stir up my soul!
Just for you, a net, a net
I have cast, and I wait in eager hope!
Believing you will fall for me, burning like lamp oil,
I stay awake, restless with desire!
If you say you don't want me, where, oh where
Will this Thoma go?
Floating on a single wave,
Like a little boat in your thoughts,
I lie drifting endlessly!
You smiled at me like a seashore bird, and...
Hey, Keechan has arrived!
Our precious girl of Soosa has arrived too!
Hey, Lord Jesus has showered His blessings!
Hey hey hey hey
Come on, bring it on!
Bring the catamaran!
To scoop up fat fish,
Bring it on, hey!
With your sudden startles,
Encircling and cornering me,
As I try to slip away,
My head spins around!
The very second you looked,
Hey, love's madness took hold!
Oh my Thoothukudi girl,
To sweep you up and pull you close!
How many beauty spots,
Hey, so many hundreds of thousands!
Trying to count them all,
We lost our night's sleep!
Hey, like passing a single beedi,
You gave me a kiss!
Onto my gentle lap,
You scooped me up into your arms!
With an open lap, our
Mother Sea gives in abundance,
Draped in ocean waters,
She tosses her waves and smiles!
Hey, Keechan has arrived!
Our precious girl of Soosa has arrived too!
Hey, Lord Jesus has showered His blessings!
Come on, bring it on!
Bring it to cast the net, bring it on!
The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
Male: The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
Come on, bring it on!
Bring it to cast the net, bring it on!
The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
Male: The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
Come on, bring it on!
Bring it to cast the net, bring it on!
The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
Male: The drifting clouds will pour down
Like a shower of fish, bring it on!
{Come on, bring it on!
Bring the catamaran!
To scoop up fat fish,
Bring it on, hey!} (x2)
Male: Hey, Keechan!
{Come on, bring it on!
Bring the catamaran!
To scoop up fat fish,
Bring it on, hey!} (x2)
Male: Come on, bring it on!
Bring the catamaran!
To scoop up fat fish,
Bring it on, hey!
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Yelae Keechaan' from Mani Ratnam's 'Kadal' (2012) is a vibrant, coastal folk track that captures the spirit, faith, and romantic fervor of the fishing community in southern coastal Tamil Nadu. Set in the Tuticorin region, the song celebrates Mother Ocean ('Kadalamma') providing abundantly for the fishermen while praising divine blessings from Jesus ('Eesaa'). It introduces the protagonist Keechan and his beloved Soosa, celebrating their joyful union among the village folk. The lyrics mix everyday maritime imagery—catamarans, nets, fish, waves, and night boats—with playful romantic banter. Keechan expresses his total infatuation, comparing his drifting thoughts to a boat lost on a wave and describing his waiting for her love as an intense penance. The song stands as an authentic slice of coastal Tamil Christian culture and coastal life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification (உருவகப்படுத்துதல்)

Kadalamma allithara... Alai veesi sirikira

Mother Ocean (Kadalamma) is personified as a benevolent mother who bestows fish and smiles through her rolling waves.

Simile (உவமை அணி)

Oththa alaiyila midhakura odam pol un nenapula na methanthu kedakkuren

The protagonist compares his mind drifting in his beloved's thoughts to a small wooden boat floating helplessly on a single wave.

Assonance & Rhyme (எதுகை / மோனை)

Elae keechan vanthaachu / Namma susaa ponnum vanthaachu / Hey eesaa varam pozhinjachu

Rhythmic end-rhyming and line-rhyming common in maritime folk chants (Amba songs) creating enthusiasm.

Hyperbole (உயர்நவிற்சி அணி)

Pogum megam meena thoovum konda lae

An exaggerated poetic expression describing clouds showering fish directly from the sky.

Did you know?

Trivia

Lyricist Madhan Karky spent time interacting with local Christian fisherfolk in Tuticorin to capture their unique dialect, idioms, and terminology (such as 'Eesaa' for Jesus and 'Anna madi' for Mother Mary's lap). Although the song context marks music as unknown, it was composed by A.R. Rahman, who also sang the track alongside Alphonse Joseph.

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