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Gentleman album cover
Lyrics & meaning

En Veetu Thottathil

From Gentleman · 1993

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sujatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Gentleman
Movie release year
1993
Lyrics added on
15 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar
En nenjai sollumae} (2)
Vaai paattu paadum pennae mounangal koodaadhu
Vaai poottu satham ellaam pennukku aagaadhu
Female :Vandellaam satham pottaal poonjolai thaangaadhu
Mottukkal satham potaal vandukkae ketkaadhu
Male :Aadikku pinnalae kaveri thaangaadhu
Female :Alaana pinnaalae allippoo moodaadhu
Male :Aasai thudikkindradhoo
Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar
En peyar sollumae
Sollukkum theriyaamal sollathaan vandhenae
Sollukkul artham pola sollaamal nindraenae
Male :Sollukkum arthathukkum dhoorangal kidaiyaadhu
Sollaadha kaadhal ellaam sorgathil seraadhu
Female :Ennikkai theerndhaalum muthangal theeraadhu
Male :Ennikkai paarthaalae muthangal aagaadhu
Female :Mmm…anubhavamo
En veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
En veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
En veettu thennangeetrai ippoadhae kettuppaar
En nenjai sollumae
Un veettu thottathil poovellam kettuppaar
Un veettu jannal kambi ellaamae kettuppaar
Un veettu thennangeetrai ovvondrai kettuppaar
En peyar sollumae
Ask all the flowers in my garden,
Ask all the bars on my window,
Ask the coconut fronds at my home right now,
They will tell you what is in my heart.
Singing girl, you shouldn't stay so silent.
Locking your lips does not suit a woman.
If all the bees buzz at once, the flower garden cannot bear it.
If the flower buds make a whisper, even the bees cannot hear it.
After the month of Aadi, the Kaveri river overflows.
Once it comes of age, the water lily never closes.
Is desire throbbing within you?
Ask all the flowers in your garden,
Ask all the bars on your window,
Ask each and every coconut frond at your home,
They will whisper my name.
I came to tell you without even the words knowing,
Like the meaning inside a word, I just stood in silence.
There is no distance between a word and its meaning.
A love that is never spoken will never reach heaven.
Even if numbers run out, kisses will never end.
If you start counting them, they aren't truly kisses.
Mmm... is that from experience?
Ask all the flowers in my garden,
Ask all the bars on my window,
Ask the coconut fronds at my home right now,
They will tell you what is in my heart.
Ask all the flowers in your garden,
Ask all the bars on your window,
Ask each and every coconut frond at your home,
They will whisper my name.
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

Keep listening

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