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Nerrukku Ner album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Engenge Engenge

From Nerrukku Ner · 1997

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Hariharan, Asha Bhosle
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Nerrukku Ner
Movie release year
1997
Lyrics added on
4 Feb 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
……………………………….
Engengae engengae engae
Inbam ullathendru thedi kolladhae
Oh thallipo thallipo intha
Panju nenjam pathikollum varadhae
Naan oru kumizhi nee oru kaatru
Thodadhae nee thodadhae
Nee oru kilithaan naan unthan kilaithaan
Selaadhae thalli selaadhae
Oh ennama ennama unthan
Nenjil ulla vali enna ennama
Aaaa …… aaaa …….. aaaaaaaaa
En thookathil en uthadugal
Un per solli puzhambum puzhambum oore ezhumbum
En kaalgalil pon kolusugal
Un per solli olikum olikum uyirai edukum
Poo polae iruntha manam indru mungilpol
Vedikuthadi sakiyae sakiyae sakiyae
Idhayam thudikum udalin veliyae
………………………………………
Engengae engengae engae
Inbam ullathendru thedi kolladhae
…………………………………………
………………………………………..
En veethiyil un kaaladi en raavelam
Olikum olikum idhayam thudikum
Un aadaiyin pon noolilae en jeevanum
Thudikum thudikum uyire valikum
Naan unnai thurathiyadipathum
Nee enthan thookam paripathuvum sariya muraiya
Kaadhal piranthaal idhudhaan gathiya
……………………………………….
Engengae engengae engae
Inbam ullathendru thedi kolladhae
Oh thallipo thallipo intha
Panju nenjam pathikollum varadhae
Naan oru kumizhi nee oru kaatru
Thodadhae nee thodadhae
Nee oru kilithaan naan unthan kilaithaan
Selaadhae thalli selaadhae
Ennama ennama unthan
Nenjil ulla vali enna ennama
...
Where, oh where, where
Do not search, thinking happiness lies elsewhere
Oh, move away, move away, for this
Cotton-soft heart will catch fire, do not come near
I am a bubble, you are a breeze
Do not touch me, do not touch me
You are a parrot, and I am your branch
Do not go away, do not walk away
Oh dear, what is it, what is it, inside your
What is the pain in your heart, my dear?
Aaaa... aaaa... aaaaaaaaa
In my sleep, my lips
Mutter your name over and over until the town awakes
The golden anklets on my feet
Chime your name repeatedly, stealing my breath away
My heart that was like a flower now bursts open
Like dry bamboo, my dear friend, my friend
My heart beats outside my very body
...
Where, oh where, where
Do not search, thinking happiness lies elsewhere
...
...
Your footsteps on my street all night long
Echo repeatedly, making my heart race
In the golden thread of your garment, my life force
Trembles repeatedly, my very soul aches
My chasing after you endlessly
And your snatching my sleep away—is that fair, is that right?
When love is born, is this our only destiny?
...
Where, oh where, where
Do not search, thinking happiness lies elsewhere
Oh, move away, move away, for this
Cotton-soft heart will catch fire, do not come near
I am a bubble, you are a breeze
Do not touch me, do not touch me
You are a parrot, and I am your branch
Do not go away, do not walk away
What is it, what is it, inside your
What is the pain in your heart, my dear?
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Engengae Engengae' portrays a bittersweet romantic duet expressing the intense angst, fragility, and overwhelming emotions that accompany young love. The lovers exchange contrasting metaphors of distance and closeness—comparing themselves to fragile bubbles vulnerable to wind, yet also as inseparable as a parrot and its perch. They confess how love has disturbed their peace, making them whisper names in sleep and feel their hearts throb outside their bodies. The lyricist Vairamuthu weaves vivid imagery of cotton catching fire and bamboo bursting to symbolize how serene minds turn turbulent under the spell of romantic yearning. Ultimately, the song captures the paradox of love: a painful yet inescapable plight that both lures and terrifies the lovers.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Panju nenjam pathikollum varadhae”

Compares the delicate heart to soft cotton ('Panju') that easily catches fire when drawn too close to love.

Metaphor

“Naan oru kumizhi nee oru kaatru”

Compares the speaker to a fragile water bubble and the lover to wind, emphasizing delicacy and risk of destruction.

Simile

“Poo polae iruntha manam indru mungilpol”

Uses explicit comparative words 'polae' (like a flower) and 'pol' (like bamboo) to show the transformation of a gentle heart into something cracking under heat/pressure.

Anaphora / Repetition (Iyaipu/Adukkuthodar)

“Thodadhae nee thodadhae”

Repeats 'Thodadhae' for dramatic emphasis, conveying frantic emotional vulnerability.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Nerrukku Ner' (1997) was produced by Mani Ratnam and directed by Vasanth. It featured the soundtrack composed by Deva, with 'Engengae' being a standout duet rendered by Asha Bhosle and Hariharan. The film marked the acting debut of Suriya alongside Vijay.

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