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Isaimozhi
Mankatha album cover
Lyrics & meaning

En Nanbane

From Mankatha · 2011

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Yuvan Shankar Raja, Madhushree
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Movie name
Mankatha
Movie release year
2011
Lyrics added on
25 Mar 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
………………………………
En nanbanae
Ennai eithaai oh
En paavamaai
Vanthu vaaithaai
Un polavae
Nalla nadigan oh
Oor engilum
Illai oruvan
Nallavargal yaaro
Theeyavargal yaaro
Kandukondu kanni yaarum
Kaadhal seivathillayae
Gangai nathiyellam
Kaanal nathi endru
Pirpaadu gnyanam vanthu
Laabam ennavo
Kaadhal enbathu
Kanavu maaligai
Purinthu kolladi
En thozhiyae
Unmai kaadhalai
Naan thedi paarkiren
Kaanavillaiyae en thozhiyae
Valakaiyai pidithu
Valakaiyil vizhunthen
Valakaram pidithu
Valam vara ninaithen
Uravenum kavidhai
Uyirinil varainthen
Ezhuthiya kavidhai yen
Mudhal vari mudhal
Muzhuvathum pizhai
Vizhigalin vali
Vizhunthadhu mazhai
Ellam unnaal thaan
Idhuva undhan gnyangal
Enaken indha kaayangal
Kizhithaai oru kaadhal oviyam oh …
Murugan mugam aaru thaan
Manithan mugam nooru thaan
Ovvondrum veru veru niramo
En nanbanae ennai eithaai
Kaadhal velluma
Kaadhal thorkuma
Yaarum arinthathillayae
En thozhiyae
Kaadhal oviyam
Kizhinthu ponatha
Kavalai yenadi
Idhuvum kadanthidum
Adikadi enai nee
Anaithathai ariven
Anbenum vilakai
Anaithadhu ariyen
Puyal vanthu saaitha
Maram oru viragu
Unakena theriyum
En idhayathil vanthu
Vizhunthadhu idi
Ela manam engum
Irunthadhu vali
Yamma yamma
Ulagil ulla pengalae
Uraipen oru ponmozhi
Kaadhal oru kanavu maaligai oh oh
Ethuvum angu maayam thaan
Ellam varnajaalam thaan
Nambamal vaazhvathendrum nalamae
Kaadhal enbathu
Kanavu maaligai
Purinthu kolladi
En thozhiyae
Unmai kaadhalai
Naan thedi paarkiren
Kaanavillaiyae en thozhiyae
………………………………………….
...
Oh my friend,
You shot an arrow at me, oh,
As my sin,
You came into my life.
Like you,
A fine actor, oh,
In the entire world,
There is no one else.
Who is good,
And who is evil,
No maiden finds out before
Falling in love.
That all Ganges rivers
Are just mirage rivers,
Realizing wisdom later—
What is the gain in that?
Love is nothing but
A palace of dreams,
Understand this, my dear,
My friend.
True love,
I keep searching for,
I cannot find it, my friend.
Holding onto your right hand,
I fell into a trap.
Holding your hand,
I wished to walk around the sacred fire.
A poem called relationship,
I etched within my soul.
Why, in the poem I wrote,
From the very first line,
Is it entirely a mistake?
Through my eyes,
A rain of tears poured down.
It is all because of you.
Is this your sense of justice?
Why inflict these wounds on me?
You tore apart a painting of love, oh...
Lord Murugan has six faces,
But man has a hundred faces,
Does each face wear a different color?
My friend, you shot an arrow at me.
Will love win,
Or will love lose?
No one really knows.
My friend,
The painting of love,
Has it been torn apart?
Why worry, my dear?
This too shall pass.
That you frequently
Embraced me, I knew;
That you extinguished the lamp of love,
I did not know.
A tree brought down by a storm
Becomes mere firewood;
Do you even realize that?
Striking right into my heart,
A thunderbolt fell.
All across my tender heart,
There was only pain.
Oh my, oh my,
Women of the world,
I will share a golden word of advice:
Love is a palace of dreams, oh oh,
Everything there is mere illusion,
It is all magic and trickery,
Living without believing in it is always best.
Love is nothing but
A palace of dreams,
Understand this, my dear,
My friend.
True love,
I keep searching for,
I cannot find it, my friend.
...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Nanbane' from Mankatha expresses deep grief, pain, and disillusionment following a painful romantic betrayal. The female narrator laments how a trusted partner turned out to be a deceptive actor with multiple hidden faces, destroying her innocent dreams of marriage and lifelong togetherness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kaadhal enbathu Kanavu maaligai

Compares love to a palace built of fragile dreams ('Kanavu maaligai') and a painting that can be torn ('Kaadhal oviyam').

Contrast / Hyperbole

Murugan mugam aaru thaan Manithan mugam nooru thaan

Contrasts divine multi-faced mythology (Lord Murugan's six faces) with human deceitfulness (a hundred faces).

Pun / Double Entendre (Sledai)

Anaithathai ariven / Anaithadhu ariyen

Plays on the dual meanings of 'Anaithal' (embracing someone affectionately vs. extinguishing a lamp/flame).

Imagery / Analogy

Gangai nathiyellam Kaanal nathi endru

Compares deceptive love to a mirage river pretending to be the holy Ganges.

Keep listening

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