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Isaimozhi
En Swasa Kaatre album cover
Lyrics & meaning

En Swasa Kaatre

From En Swasa Kaatre · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
M. G. Sreekumar, K. S. Chithra
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
En Swasa Kaatre
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
1 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
Un ninaivugal en swasa manadhu ennadi
Naan paadum paattae panneer ootrae neeyadi
Mudhal mudhal vandha kaadhal mayakkam
Moochu kuzhalgalin vaasal adaikkum
Kaigal theendumaa…kangal kaanumaa…kaadhal thondrumaa
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
Idhayathai thirudi konden
Enn uyirinai tholaithuvitten
Idhayathai thirudi konden
Enn uyirinai tholaithuvitten
Tholaindhadhai adaiyavae marumurai kaanbenaa
Aaahhhaaaaaaa..lalalalalaaaaa…
Lalalalaaaalaaaalalalalah ah ah ah ah…
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
Un ninaivugal en swasa manadhu ennadi
Naan paadum paattae panneer ootrae neeyadi
Mudhal mudhal vandha kaadhal mayakkam
Moochu kuzhalgalin vaasal adaikkum
Kaigal theendumaa…kangal kaanumaa…kaadhal thondrumaa
En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi
Mmmmmm……aaaaa…..
Aaaaaaaa……..aaaaaa…….aaaaaaa…..aaa..
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
Your memories fill my breathing heart—what is happening to me?
You are the song I sing, a spring of rosewater.
This dizzy trance of first love
blocks the pathway of my breath.
Will our hands touch? Will our eyes meet? Will love be born?
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
I stole a heart,
and lost my very life.
I stole a heart,
and lost my very life.
Will I see you again to reclaim what was lost?
Aah haa... la la la laa...
La la la laa... ah ah ah ah...
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
Your memories fill my breathing heart—what is happening to me?
You are the song I sing, a spring of rosewater.
This dizzy trance of first love
blocks the pathway of my breath.
Will our hands touch? Will our eyes meet? Will love be born?
You are the very breath I breathe, my breath of life.
Mmm... aah...
Aah... aah... aah... aah...
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'En Swasa Kaatre' expresses the breathless intensity and overwhelming trance of falling deeply in love for the first time. The protagonist elevates the beloved to the status of vital air, stating that their very survival and thought processes depend entirely on her presence and memory. The lyrics colorfully portray love as both a soothing fountain of rosewater and a breathtaking condition that literally chokes the airwaves in awe. The singer grapples with losing their soul to love and desperately wonders if they will ever meet again to feel whole once more.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

“En swasa kaatrae swasa kaatrae neeyadi”

Compares the beloved directly to essential breath ('swasa kaatrae') and a refreshing spray of rosewater ('panneer ootrae').

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi)

“Moochu kuzhalgalin vaasal adaikkum”

Exaggerates the overwhelming feeling of love by describing it as literally blocking the air passages/windpipes.

Alliteration / Initial Consonance (Monaai)

“Mudhal mudhal vandha kaadhal mayakkam”

Repetition of the 'M' sound across words ('Mudhal', 'mayakkam', 'Moochu') creating a rhythmic flow.

Rhyme / Internal Rhyme (Iyaibu)

“Kaigal theendumaa…kangal kaanumaa…kaadhal thondrumaa”

Symmetrical end-rhymes ('theendumaa', 'kaanumaa', 'thondrumaa') emphasizing questioning and yearning.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'En Swasa Kaatre' was composed by A. R. Rahman for the 1999 romantic drama of the same title, directed by K. S. Ravi. The track features vocals by M. G. Sreekumar and K. S. Chithra, with evocative lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. Rahman's orchestration famously blends traditional Indian melodies with lush, sweeping Western symphonic arrangements.

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