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Lyrics & meaning

Enthan Nenjam

From Kathalithal Pothuma · 1967

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari
Music director
S. Vedhachalam
Details
Kathalithal Pothuma1967

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Endhan nenjam yaarai kandu oodumooTowards whom will my heart run upon seeing them?
Eppodhu ondraiondru koodumoWhen will they come together as one?
Male :Endhan nenjam yaarai kandu oodumooMale: Towards whom will my heart run upon seeing them?
Eppodhu ondraiondru koodumoWhen will they come together as one?
Chorus
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
Female
Paavai kangal thevai indri pesaadhuA maiden's eyes will not speak without a reason,
Male :PesaadhuMale: Will not speak,
Female :Pesum bodhu badhil varamal thoongaadhuFemale: When they do speak, they won't sleep without getting an answer,
Male :ThoongaadhuMale: Won't sleep,
Male :Aasaiyendru thoodhu vittaal vaaradhu ..Male: Love won't just arrive if a messenger is sent out of desire,
Female :VaaradhuFemale: Won't arrive,
Male :Angum kooda aasai vandhaal maaradhuMale: Once desire arises there too, it will never change,
Female :MaaradhuFemale: Won't change,
Female
Enna ullam pengal konda ullamoWhat kind of heart is this heart that women possess?
Male :Illaiyendra pinnum kooda sollumooMale: Will it still express love even after saying no?
Chorus
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
Male
Neer illadha megam vandhaal mazhaiyedhu ..If a cloud comes without water, where is the rain?
Female :Mazhai yedhuFemale: Where is the rain?
Male :Nilavilladha vaanam paarthaal oliyedhu .Male: If you look at a sky without the moon, where is the light?
Female :OliyedhuFemale: Where is the light?
Female :Oruvar mattum kaadhal kondaal mudivedhu ..Female: If only one person feels love, what is the outcome?
Male :MudivedhuMale: What outcome?
Female :Oru kaiyaalae thaalam pottaal oliyaedhu ..Female: If you try to beat a rhythm with just one hand, where is the sound?
Male :OliyedhuMale: Where is the sound?
Male
Enna ullam pengal konda ullamoWhat kind of heart is this heart that women possess?
Female :Illaiyendra pinnum kooda sollumooFemale: Will it still express love even after saying no?
Chorus
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala
O jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laalaOh jingilaala jingilaala jingilaala laala

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful duet explores the delicate nuances of romantic attraction, mutual affection, and female sentiment. Through a lively back-and-forth dialogue, the lovers ponder when their hearts will unite and playfully debate the riddles of love and human nature. The song highlights how a woman's eyes speak volumes without words and how true love cannot be forced by messengers—it must blossom naturally from both sides. To emphasize reciprocity, the lyrics employ vivid natural and everyday analogies: a cloud without water cannot rain, a night sky without the moon holds no brightness, and one hand alone cannot produce a clap. The lovers conclude that love requires equal participation from both partners, celebrating the delightful paradox of a woman's heart that often hesitates or says 'no' while secretly harboring a profound 'yes'.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Paavai kangal thevai indri pesaadhu / Pesum bodhu badhil varamal thoongaadhu

The line endings 'pesaadhu' and 'thoongaadhu' create a rhythmic end-rhyme structure characteristic of classical Tamil film poetry.

Analogy / Metaphor (Uvamai)

Oru kaiyaalae thaalam pottaal oliyaedhu

Kannadasan uses the universal idiom of 'clapping with one hand' to represent unrequited or one-sided love, arguing that love needs two hearts in harmony to create joy.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Neer illadha megam vandhaal... / Nilavilladha vaanam paarthaal...

The initial letter 'Neer' and 'Nilavilladha' form a pleasing Monai pattern across parallel poetic lines.

Paradox / Muran

Illaiyendra pinnum kooda sollumoo

Highlights the paradox of female affection in romantic Tamil literature—where a verbal denial ('no') subtly conceals an underlying acceptance ('yes').

Did you know?

Trivia

This song from 'Kathalithal Pothuma' (1967) features musical composition by S. Vedhachalam, a notable composer and instrumentalist of the 1960s Tamil cinema era. The track brings together T. M. Soundararajan and L. R. Eswari, a famous vocal pairing known for energetic, rhythm-heavy duets. Kannadasan masterfully blends high-level poetic metaphors (such as waterless clouds and single-handed rhythmic claps) with modern, westernized vocal scatting ('jingilaala') to cater to the mid-60s youth culture.

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