Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

En Ullam Azhagana

From Cinema Paithiyam · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Cinema Paithiyam
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
5 Jun 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai
Athil un vannamae ponnooviyam
Nizhalaadum padam endrum neeyallaavaa
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai…ee….
Kannaadu thirumaeni avan thanthathu
Nee kann vaiththu paaraamal thuyar kondathu
Kannaadu thirumaeni avan thanthathu
Nee kann vaiththu paaraamal thuyar kondathu
Pon manjal poonthegam poo pondrathu
Pon manjal poonthegam poo pondrathu
Adhu poligindrathu unnai valam vanthathu
Adhu poligindrathu unnai valam vanthathu
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai
Athil un vannamae ponnooviyam
Nizhalaadum padam endrum neeyallaavaa
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai…ee….
Idhamaana idhazh undu padam podavae
Dhinam isai koottum idai undu oli ketkavae
Idhamaana idhazh undu padam podavae
Dhinam isai koottum idai undu oli ketkavae
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai
Athil un vannamae ponnooviyam
Nizhalaadum padam endrum neeyallaavaa
En ullam azhagaana velliththirai…ee…
My heart is a beautiful silver screen
My heart is a beautiful silver screen
My heart is a beautiful silver screen
And upon it, your image is a golden painting
Aren't you the moving picture playing on it forever?
My heart is a beautiful silver screen...
God gave me this body that pleases the eyes
Yet it grieves because you do not look at it
God gave me this body that pleases the eyes
Yet it grieves because you do not look at it
This golden, blooming body is tender like a flower
This golden, blooming body is tender like a flower
It shines with beauty as it circles around you
It shines with beauty as it circles around you
My heart is a beautiful silver screen
And upon it, your image is a golden painting
Aren't you the moving picture playing on it forever?
My heart is a beautiful silver screen...
There are soft lips here to project the picture
And a waist that makes music every day to bring the sound
There are soft lips here to project the picture
And a waist that makes music every day to bring the sound
My heart is a beautiful silver screen
And upon it, your image is a golden painting
Aren't you the moving picture playing on it forever?
My heart is a beautiful silver screen...
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

In 'En Ullam Azhagaana Velliththirai', the protagonist metaphorically transforms her heart into a movie screen ('velliththirai') on which her beloved's form is continuously projected like a golden film ('ponnooviyam'). Kannadasan brilliantly integrates cinematic terminology—picture, screen, color, projection, and sound—into a traditional romance composition to suit the theme of the movie 'Cinema Paithiyam'. The lyric celebrates feminine beauty, longing, and devotion, expressing how her physical beauty and grace find full meaning and splendor only when acknowledged by her lover.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uruvam (Metaphor)

En ullam azhagaana velliththirai

Directly equating the heart to a cinema silver screen ('En ullam azhagaana velliththirai').

Uvamai (Simile)

Pon manjal poonthegam poo pondrathu

Comparing the body's softness and beauty directly to a flower using 'pondru'.

Monaai (Alliteration)

Pon manjal poonthegam poo pondrathu

Repetition of the 'P' consonant sound ('Pon', 'poonthegam', 'poo', 'pondrathu').

Did you know?

Trivia

'Cinema Paithiyam' (1975) starring Jayachitra and Kamal Haasan is the Tamil remake of the 1971 Hindi hit film 'Guddi'. Vani Jairam, who sang this iconic M. S. Viswanathan composition, was also the playback singer for the original iconic track 'Bole Re Papihara' from 'Guddi'.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Cinema Paithiyam

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.