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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ennavale Adi Ennavale

From Kadhalan · 1994

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
P. Unnikrishnan
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Kadhalan1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmmMmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Male
Ennavalae adi ennavalaeOh my girl, hey my beloved girl,
Endhan idhayathai tholaithu vittenI have lost my heart.
Endha idam adhu tholaintha idamWhere is the place where I lost it?
Andha idathaiyum maranthu vittenI have forgotten that place too.
Male
Undhan kaal kolusilThinking that it was lost
Adhu tholainthadhendruIn the sound of your foot anklets,
Undhan kaaladi thedi vanthenI came seeking the footprints of your feet.
Male
Kaadhal endraal perum avasthaiyendruThat love is a great torment,
Unnai kandathum kandu kondenI realized the moment I saw you.
Endhan kazhuthu varai indru kaadhal vanthuWith love rising up to my neck today,
Iru kanvizhi pithungi nindrenI stood with both my eyes wide and bulged.
Male
Ennavalae adi ennavalaeOh my girl, hey my beloved girl,
Endhan idhayathai tholaithu vittenI have lost my heart.
Female
……………………………….
Male
Vaai mozhiyum enthan thaai mozhiyumMy spoken words and my mother tongue,
Indru vasapada villaiyadiAre not under my control today, my girl.
Vayitrukum thondaikum uruvamillaBetween my stomach and throat, a shapeless
Oru urundayum uruzhuthadiLump of emotion rolls around, my girl.
Male
Kaathirunthaal ethir paarthirunthaalWhen waiting and anticipating for you,
Oru nimisamum varusamadiEven a single minute feels like a whole year, my girl.
Kangal ellam ennai paarpathupolAs if every pair of eyes around is watching me,
Oru kalakamum thondruthadiA sense of restlessness and panic arises, my girl.
Male
Idhu sorgamaaIs this heaven,
Naragamaa solladi ullapadiOr hell? Tell me truthfully as it is.
Naan vaazhvathum vidaikonduWhether I live or take leave from life and
Povathum un vaarthaiyil ullathadiDepart, rests entirely in your words, my girl.
Male
Ennavalae adi ennavalaeOh my girl, hey my beloved girl,
Endhan idhayathai tholaithu vittenI have lost my heart.
Female
………………………………………..
Male
Gokilamae nee kural koduthaalOh cuckoo bird, if you call out to me,
Unnai kumbitu kan adipenI will bow to you in reverence and wink.
Gopuramae unnai saaithukonduOh majestic tower, leaning close to you,
Undhan koonthalil meen pidipenI will catch fish in the ocean of your dark hair.
Male
Vennilavae unnai thoonkavaikaOh silver moon, to make you sleep,
Undhan viraluku sodukedupenI will gently snap your fingers.
Varudavarum poongaatraiyellamAll the soft breeze that comes caressing,
Konjam vadikatti anupivaipenI will filter it pure and send it to you.
Male
En kaadhalin thevaiyaiThe deep longings of my love,
Kaadhukul odhivaipenI will whisper softly into your ears.
Un kaaladi ezhuthiya kolangalThe patterns drawn by your footsteps on the ground,
Puthu kavithaigal endruraipenI will recite as newly born poems.
Male
Ennavalae adi ennavalaeOh my girl, hey my beloved girl,
Endhan idhayathai tholaithu vittenI have lost my heart.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Ennavalae' is a classic romantic ballad expressing the overwhelming, euphoric, and agonizing state of a young man deeply in love. He describes how falling in love has completely disrupted his senses—making him lose his heart, lose control over his speech, and perceive time as standing still. He poetically narrates his vulnerability, where his very existence and happiness hang on the response of his beloved. In the later verses, his expression turns intensely surreal and poetic as he offers romantic, imaginative gestures to cherish her—such as filtering the wind for her comfort, snapping her fingers to put her to sleep like the moon, and treating her footprints as verses of poetry. The song beautifully captures the innocence, grandeur, and emotional intensity of first love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Rhyming second letter)

Endhan idhayathai tholaithu vitten / Endha idam adhu tholaintha idam

The second character 'n' (ndh) in 'Endhan' and 'Endha' creates a harmonious rhyming rhythm in Tamil poetry.

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Oru nimisamum varusamadi

Exaggerates the agonizing sensation of waiting, stating that a single minute feels like an entire year.

Metaphor

Un kaaladi ezhuthiya kolangal / Puthu kavithaigal endruraipen

Compares the faint dust patterns left by her footsteps to newly composed poetic verses.

Personification / Apostrophe

Vennilavae unnai thoonkavaika

Addresses the beloved metaphorically as the moon ('Vennilavae') and offers to put her to sleep.

Did you know?

Trivia

This song marked the playback singing debut of classical vocalist P. Unnikrishnan in Tamil cinema. His rendition of 'Ennavalae', composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu, earned Unnikrishnan the coveted National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer on his very first film song. Vairamuthu also won the National Film Award for Best Lyrics for this soundtrack.

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