Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kaathellam Poo Manakka

From Gypsy · 2019

Lyricist
Yugabharathi
Singer
Pradeep Kumar
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Details
Gypsy2019

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kaathellaam poo manakkaWith the whole wind smelling of flowers,
Kadalellaam meen sirikkaWith fish smiling across the entire sea,
Oothaatam un vanappuYour beauty flows like a spring breeze,
Ulla vanthu poonthiruchaeIt has entered deep inside me.
Paakkatha jodhi ellaamAll the divine lights I had never seen,
Parthenae un mugathilI witnessed them in your face.
Nokkama pogurathenna velli nilavaeWhy do you walk away aimlessly, silver moon?
Male
Kaatu kaatu kaatuShow, show, show,
Kannil thisai ah kaatuShow the direction through your eyes.
Meetu meetu meetuStrum, strum, strum,
Mannil isai ah meetuStrum music onto this earth.
Rendu kannukullaInside both your eyes,
Rekka kattura unnaYou attach wings to yourself,
Alli konda enna thanga nilavaeYou gathered me up, my golden moon.
Male
Paal vazhi theruvilOn the street of the Milky Way,
Amuthooriya mugamaeO face overflowing with nectar,
Unakaana kaanaUnending for you,
Uraiyaadhoo kaalamWill time not engage in conversation?
Oliyaathae oliyaeO light, do not hide yourself,
Thirai maraiyaathae piraiyaeO crescent moon, do not hide behind curtains.
Kadal madi polae ennaiyaeLike the lap of the ocean upon me,
Uyir thaluvaayoo thunaiyaeWill you embrace my soul, my companion?
Male
Unna pola yaaroWho else is like you?
Kooda varuvaaroWill anyone journey along with me?
Ullavarai mann melaeAs long as I exist upon this earth,
Naadoodi naanaeI am a nomad,
Neeyum ennai polaeAnd you too are just like me.
Ooo ooo hoooOoo ooo hooo
Male
Kaatu kaatu kaatuShow, show, show,
Kannil thisai ah kaatuShow the direction through your eyes.
Meetu meetu meetuStrum, strum, strum,
Mannil isai ah meetuStrum music onto this earth.
Rendu kannukullaInside both your eyes,
Rekka kattura unnaYou attach wings to yourself,
Alli konda enna thanga nilavaeYou gathered me up, my golden moon.
Male
Paravai mozhigalLanguages of the birds,
Therinthae kaadavoomKnowing them, let us cross over.
Iravin kilaiyilOn the branch of the night,
Isaigal koodavomLet us gather music.
Male
Iyarkkai madiyilIn the lap of nature,
Marikkum aganthaiEgos vanish and die.
Kilinjal nilavaiThe sea-shell like moon,
Edukkum kulanthaiA child picking it up.
Sivanin sangeethamThe music of Shiva,
Pugai aagutheyTurns into smoke.
Nodiyil per andam uravaaguthaeIn a second, the vast cosmos becomes kin,
Sugamaaguthae sugamaaguthaeBecoming peaceful, becoming blissful.
Male
Vendaamae oorgalWe need no towns or cities,
Vendaamae pergalWe need no names or identities,
Vaikaamal povom thadaiyangalaeLet us move forward without leaving any footprints or tracks.
Male
Kaatu kaatu kaatuShow, show, show,
Kannil thisai ah kaatuShow the direction through your eyes.
Meetu meetu meetuStrum, strum, strum,
Mannil isai ah meetuStrum music onto this earth.
Rendu kannukullaInside both your eyes,
Rekka kattura unnaYou attach wings to yourself,
Alli konda enna thanga nilavaeYou gathered me up, my golden moon.
Male
Thanga nilavae…ae….O golden moon...
Thanga nilavae..ae…O golden moon...
Thanga nilavae….ae….ae….ae…O golden moon...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kaathellaam Poo Manakka (Desaandhi) from the film Gypsy is a bohemian anthem celebrating nomadic life, romantic devotion, and spiritual oneness with nature. The lyrics present a world free of artificial borders, societal labels, and rigid identities, where nature itself acts as a living, breathing companion to human emotions. The narrator addresses his beloved as a celestial guide—a golden moon—inviting her to strum music into the earth and wander endlessly beside him. The song transitions from romantic admiration to mystical contemplation. It portrays human ego dissolving in nature's lap, bird songs becoming understood languages, and cosmic harmony bringing inner bliss. Ultimately, it captures the free-spirited essence of a traveler who leaves no tracks behind, seeking joy purely through love, music, and nature.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Repetition (Epizeuxis)

Kaatu kaatu kaatu

Rapid repetition of words like 'Kaatu' and 'Meetu' adds rhythm and emphasizes the passionate urge to seek direction and music.

Personification

Kadalellaam meen sirikka

Attributing human traits like 'smiling' to fish in the ocean creates a joyful, magical realism in nature.

Metaphor

Alli konda enna thanga nilavae

Addressing the beloved as 'Thanga Nilavae' (Golden Moon) elevates her to a radiant, guiding force in his universe.

Anaphora & Parallelism

Vendaamae oorgal / Vendaamae pergal

The repeated use of 'Vendaamae' at the start of adjacent lines reinforces the philosophical rejection of societal boundaries.

Did you know?

Trivia

Gypsy (2019) is a road movie directed by Raju Murugan exploring human unity beyond religious and political boundaries. The song features singer Pradeep Kumar's signature vocal textures set to Santhosh Narayanan's rustic acoustic arrangement, blending acoustic guitar, folk percussion, and atmospheric soundscapes to reflect the wandering protagonist's lifestyle.

Keep listening

More from Gypsy