En Veetu Thottathil
From Gentleman · 1993
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sujatha
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Gentleman1993
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| {En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar | Ask all the flowers in my home garden |
| En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar | Ask all the window bars of my house |
| En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar | Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now |
| En nenjai sollumae} (2) | They will speak of my heart |
| Male | |
| Vaai paattu paadum pennae mounangal koodaadhu | Oh singing woman, silence does not suit you |
| Vaai poottu satham ellaam pennukku aagaadhu | Restraining your voice does not befit a woman |
| Female :Vandellaam satham pottaal poonjolai thaangaadhu | Female: If all the bees make noise, the flower garden cannot bear it |
| Mottukkal satham potaal vandukkae ketkaadhu | If the flower buds make noise, even the bees will not hear it |
| Male :Aadikku pinnalae kaveri thaangaadhu | Male: After the month of Aadi, the Kaveri river cannot be contained |
| Female :Alaana pinnaalae allippoo moodaadhu | Female: Once bloomed, the water lily does not close its petals |
| Male :Aasai thudikkindradhoo | Male: Is your heart throbbing with desire? |
| Male | |
| Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar | Ask all the flowers in your home garden |
| Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar | Ask all the window bars of your house |
| Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar | Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house |
| En peyar sollumae | It will speak my name |
| Female | |
| Sollukkum theriyaamal sollathaan vandhenae | I came to express it without even the words realizing it |
| Sollukkul artham pola sollaamal nindraenae | Like the hidden meaning inside a word, I stood without speaking |
| Male :Sollukkum arthathukkum dhoorangal kidaiyaadhu | Male: There is no distance between a word and its meaning |
| Sollaadha kaadhal ellaam sorgathil seraadhu | Unexpressed love will never reach heaven |
| Female :Ennikkai theerndhaalum muthangal theeraadhu | Female: Even if the counting ends, the kisses will not end |
| Male :Ennikkai paarthaalae muthangal aagaadhu | Male: If you count them, they cannot be called true kisses |
| Female :Mmm…anubhavamo | Female: Mmm... is this your experience speaking? |
| Female | |
| En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar | Ask all the flowers in my home garden |
| En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar | Ask all the window bars of my house |
| En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar | Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now |
| En nenjai sollumae | They will speak of my heart |
| Male | |
| Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar | Ask all the flowers in your home garden |
| Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar | Ask all the window bars of your house |
| Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar | Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house |
| En peyar sollumae | It will speak my name |
{ என் வீட்டு
தோட்டத்தில் பூவெல்லாம்
கேட்டுப்பார் என் வீட்டு ஜன்னல்
கம்பி எல்லாமே கேட்டுபார் என்
வீட்டு தென்னங்கீற்றை இப்போதே
கேட்டுபார் என் நெஞ்சை சொல்லுமே } (2)
Ask all the flowers in my home garden
Ask all the window bars of my house
Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now
They will speak of my heart
வாய்பாட்டு பாடும்
பெண்ணே மெளனங்கள்
கூடாது வாய் பூட்டு சத்தம்
எல்லாம் பெண்ணுக்கு ஆகாது
Oh singing woman, silence does not suit you
Restraining your voice does not befit a woman
Female: If all the bees make noise, the flower garden cannot bear it
If the flower buds make noise, even the bees will not hear it
Male: After the month of Aadi, the Kaveri river cannot be contained
Female: Once bloomed, the water lily does not close its petals
Male: Is your heart throbbing with desire?
வண்டெல்லாம்
சத்தம் போட்டால்
பூஞ்சோலை தாங்காது
மொட்டுக்கள் சத்தம்
போட்டால் வண்டுகே
கேட்காது
Ask all the flowers in your home garden
Ask all the window bars of your house
Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house
It will speak my name
ஆடிக்கு பின்னாலே
காவேரி தாங்காது
ஆளான பின்னாலே
அல்லி பூ மூடாது
ஆசை துடிக்கின்றதோ
I came to express it without even the words realizing it
Like the hidden meaning inside a word, I stood without speaking
Male: There is no distance between a word and its meaning
Unexpressed love will never reach heaven
Female: Even if the counting ends, the kisses will not end
Male: If you count them, they cannot be called true kisses
Female: Mmm... is this your experience speaking?
உன் வீட்டு
தோட்டத்தில் பூவெல்லாம்
கேட்டுப்பார் உன் வீட்டு ஜன்னல்
கம்பி எல்லாமே கேட்டுபார் உன்
வீட்டு தென்னங்கீற்றை
ஒவ்வொன்றாய் கேட்டுபார்
என் பெயர் சொல்லுமே
Ask all the flowers in my home garden
Ask all the window bars of my house
Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now
They will speak of my heart
சொல்லுக்கும்
தெரியாமல் சொல்லத்தான்
வந்தேனே சொல்லுக்குள்
அர்த்தம் போல சொல்லாமல்
நின்றேனே
Ask all the flowers in your home garden
Ask all the window bars of your house
Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house
It will speak my name
சொல்லுக்கும்
அர்த்ததுக்கும் தூரங்கள்
கிடையாது சொல்லாத
காதல் எல்லாம் சொர்க்கத்தில்
சேராது
எண்ணிக்கை
தீர்ந்தாலும் முத்தங்கள்
தீராது
எண்ணிக்கை
பார்த்தாலே முத்தங்கள்
ஆகாது
ம்ம் அனுபவமோ
என் வீட்டு
தோட்டத்தில் பூவெல்லாம்
கேட்டுப்பார் என் வீட்டு ஜன்னல்
கம்பி எல்லாமே கேட்டுபார் என்
வீட்டு தென்னங்கீற்றை இப்போதே
கேட்டுபார் என் நெஞ்சை சொல்லுமே
உன் வீட்டு
தோட்டத்தில் பூவெல்லாம்
கேட்டுப்பார் உன் வீட்டு ஜன்னல்
கம்பி எல்லாமே கேட்டுபார் உன்
வீட்டு தென்னங்கீற்றை
ஒவ்வொன்றாய் கேட்டுபார்
என் பெயர் சொல்லுமே
{En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Ask all the flowers in my home garden
En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Ask all the window bars of my house
En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar
Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now
En nenjai sollumae} (2)
They will speak of my heart
Vaai paattu paadum pennae mounangal koodaadhu
Oh singing woman, silence does not suit you
Vaai poottu satham ellaam pennukku aagaadhu
Restraining your voice does not befit a woman
Female :Vandellaam satham pottaal poonjolai thaangaadhu
Female: If all the bees make noise, the flower garden cannot bear it
Mottukkal satham potaal vandukkae ketkaadhu
If the flower buds make noise, even the bees will not hear it
Male :Aadikku pinnalae kaveri thaangaadhu
Male: After the month of Aadi, the Kaveri river cannot be contained
Female :Alaana pinnaalae allippoo moodaadhu
Female: Once bloomed, the water lily does not close its petals
Male :Aasai thudikkindradhoo
Male: Is your heart throbbing with desire?
Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Ask all the flowers in your home garden
Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Ask all the window bars of your house
Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar
Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house
En peyar sollumae
It will speak my name
Sollukkum theriyaamal sollathaan vandhenae
I came to express it without even the words realizing it
Sollukkul artham pola sollaamal nindraenae
Like the hidden meaning inside a word, I stood without speaking
Male :Sollukkum arthathukkum dhoorangal kidaiyaadhu
Male: There is no distance between a word and its meaning
Sollaadha kaadhal ellaam sorgathil seraadhu
Unexpressed love will never reach heaven
Female :Ennikkai theerndhaalum muthangal theeraadhu
Female: Even if the counting ends, the kisses will not end
Male :Ennikkai paarthaalae muthangal aagaadhu
Male: If you count them, they cannot be called true kisses
Female :Mmm…anubhavamo
Female: Mmm... is this your experience speaking?
En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Ask all the flowers in my home garden
En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Ask all the window bars of my house
En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar
Ask the coconut leaves of my house right now
En nenjai sollumae
They will speak of my heart
Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Ask all the flowers in your home garden
Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Ask all the window bars of your house
Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar
Ask each and every coconut leaf of your house
En peyar sollumae
It will speak my name
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
En Veettu Thottathil is a classic romantic duet from the 1993 Tamil film Gentleman, composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The song captures an intimate conversation between two lovers. The female protagonist claims that her surroundings—the garden flowers, window grills, and coconut leaves—stand as silent witnesses to her deep, unexpressed love. Her lover responds by encouraging her to shed her hesitation and speak her heart aloud. Through playful banter and nature-inspired imagery, such as the flooding Kaveri river, blooming lilies, and buzzing bees, the pair explore the depth of unspoken affection, passion, and the eternal nature of romantic love.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification
“En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar”
Inanimate elements of the house and garden (flowers, window bars, coconut leaves) are given human traits, portrayed as witnesses capable of speaking about love.
Simile / Analogy
“Sollukkul artham pola sollaamal nindraenae”
The speaker compares standing silently with unexpressed emotions to the implicit meaning residing silently within a spoken word.
Anaphora (Repetition for emphasis)
“En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar”
The repetitive phrasing of En veettu / Un veettu at the start of consecutive lines creates a rhythmic, musical structure.
Nature Metaphor
“Aadikku pinnalae kaveri thaangaadhu”
The overflowing Kaveri river post-Aadi is used as a metaphor for passion that can no longer be restrained.
Did you know?
Trivia
En Veettu Thottathil is an iconic song from director Shankar's debut film Gentleman (1993), featuring music by A. R. Rahman. Sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and P. Susheela (with Sujatha Rangarajan in alternate versions), the track highlights Vairamuthu's poetic mastery in using traditional Tamil Sangam-style nature imagery to portray romantic banter.
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