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Isaimozhi
Tughlaq Durbar album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaami Kaami

From Tughlaq Durbar · 2020

Lyricist
Madhan Karky
Singers
Govind Vasantha, Swasthika Swaminathan
Music director
Govind Vasantha
Movie name
Tughlaq Durbar
Movie release year
2020
Lyrics added on
3 Jul 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaancha kaattula kaadhal koovuthu
Ka ka kee kee ka ka kee kee ku koo
Konjam kaathula kaadhal kekkuthu
Ke keh kai kai ko koh kow
Ganam kaadhula kaichal kazhuthula
Kaaranatha kaaranatha kaaranatha kelu
Kaajal kannula kikkaaki kikkaaki
Kaathellam ka ka ki kee
Kaapi kotta kannukaari
Kattikitta kettikaari
Kaadhal ketta kaara kovam
Kaatta koodathae
Kaattu kaattu koonthal kaari
Kaajukathilli kaadhukkaari
Kaadhalikka kodi kelvi
Ketkka koodathae
Kaalamellaam kaalamellaam
Kaathirukka kaalamilla
Kaathaagavo keethaagavo kaami
Kaattarellaam kaattarellaam
Kattalaiya keppathilla
Kaanathadhum kekkathadhum kaami
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
Kaapi kotta kannukaari
Kattikitta kettikaari
Kaadhal ketta kaara kovam
Kaatta koodathae
Kaattu kaattu koonthal kaari
Kaajukathilli kaadhukkaari
Kaadhalikka kodi kelvi
Ketkka koodathae
Hey kavithayila kadhaiyila thaan
Kanda kaadhal karumanga keppen
Kanavula thaan kanavula thaan
Color koottai kattikitten
Kanakkula thaan kanakkula thaan
Killi killaadi kedi kingu
Kiliyonna kanakku panni kirukkaanaan
Ka ka ki ki ku ku ke ke
Kai kai kai kai kai ko ko kow
Ka ka ki ki ku ku ke ke
Kai kai ko ko kow
Hey kanna kaathil
Kiliya keechen
Kuyila kooven getha kelen
Kai kai kai kai
Kaiya koduda kovakkara kowthari
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaadhal kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
Kaami kaami kaami kaami
Kaami kaami kaadhal kaami
Kaami konjam kaadhal kaami kaamatchiyae
In a dry forest, love cries out,
Ka Kaa Ki Kee, Ka Kaa Ki Kee, Ku Koo,
A whisper of love is heard in the ear,
Ke Kae Kai Kai, Ko Ko Kau.
A weight in the ear, a fever in the neck,
Ask for the reason, the reason, the reason!
With kohl in her eyes giving such a buzz,
The whole ear buzzes with Ka Kaa Ki Kee!
Girl with coffee-bean eyes,
A clever one when held close,
When asked for love, such fiery anger—
You shouldn't show it!
Girl with wild, flowing hair,
Girl with ears as sweet as kaju katli (cashew sweet),
To fall in love, ten million questions—
You shouldn't ask!
All through life, all through time,
There is no time left to wait,
Show it to me as a story or as a song!
Wild mountain streams,
Never obey any command,
Show me what has never been seen or heard!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
Girl with coffee-bean eyes,
A clever one when held close,
When asked for love, such fiery anger—
You shouldn't show it!
Girl with wild, flowing hair,
Girl with ears as sweet as kaju katli (cashew sweet),
To fall in love, ten million questions—
You shouldn't ask!
Hey, only in poetry, only in poems,
Had I ever heard of this crazy thing called love!
Only in dreams, only in dreams,
Have I built colourful castles!
Only in his clever schemes,
He was a sharp player, a crafty king,
Trying to woo a pretty girl, he lost his mind!
Ka Kaa Ki Kee, Ku Koo, Ke Kae,
Kai Kai Kai Kai Kai, Ko Ko Kau,
Ka Kaa Ki Kee, Ku Koo, Ke Kae,
Kai Kai, Ko Ko Kau.
Hey darling, into your ears,
I will not screech like a parrot,
I will sing like a cuckoo, just listen to my swagger!
Hand, hand, hand, hand,
Give me your hand, you angry partridge!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me love,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
Show me, show me, show me, show me,
Show me, show me, show me love,
Show a little love, show me, Kamakshi!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Kaami Kaami' is an upbeat, quirky love track featuring playful lipogrammatic wordplay and rhythmic scatting. The male singer playfully pleads with his beloved (addressed lovingly as Kamakshi) to drop her anger and endless questioning and simply shower him with love. He describes her striking features—her dark coffee-bean eyes, soft cashew-sweet ears, and wild hair—while expressing how crazy in love he has become.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Lipogram / Consonantal Alliteration (K-Vargam / Kakkaram)

Kaancha kaattula kaadhal koovuthu

Madhan Karky intentionally constructs almost every word across the lines starting with the Tamil 'K' family consonant sounds (Ka, Kha, Ga, Ki, Ke, Ku, Ko), creating a unique phonetic lipogrammatic constraint.

Metaphor

Kaapi kotta kannukaari

Comparing the girl's dark and vivid eyes to coffee beans ('Kaapi kotta kannukaari') and her soft ears to the sweet delicacy cashew katli ('Kaajukathilli kaadhukkaari').

Anaphora / Epanalepsis

Kaami kaami kaami kaami

The repetitive usage of the word 'Kaami' creates a driving rhythmic momentum and emphasizes the urgent plea for love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Lyricist Madhan Karky experimented with constrained writing in this song by basing the entire vocabulary heavily around the 'Ka' consonant group in Tamil, pairing it with unconventional modern imagery like 'Kaaju-kathilli' and 'Kaapi kotta'.

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