Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Panchalankuruchi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaatrai Niruthi

From Panchalankuruchi · 1996

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Panchalankuruchi
Movie release year
1996
Lyrics added on
30 Oct 2025

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaatrai niruthi ketkkiren
Enna idhu enna idhu
Kadalai azhaithu ketkkiren
Enna idhu enna idhu
Pookalai thirandhu ketkkiren
Enna idhu enna idhu
Sooriyan enna iravil kaayudhu
Vaanavil enna tharaiyil aaduthu
Thaavani enna siragaai ponadhu
Vinnmeenellaam nilavaai aanadhu
Manadhum vayadhum thadumaariyadhae
Mannum vinnum idamaariyadhae
Idhuthaan idhuthaan kaadhal endrae
Inbam kaavil kuyil kooviyadhae
I stop the wind and ask,
What is this? What is this?
I call out to the sea and ask,
What is this? What is this?
I open up the flowers and ask,
What is this? What is this?
Why is the sun shining at night?
Why is a rainbow dancing on the ground?
How did my half-sari turn into wings?
All the stars have turned into moons,
My heart and my youth are stumbling,
Earth and sky have swapped places,
Saying, 'This is it, this is love!'
A cuckoo sang in the grove of joy.
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song captures the innocent wonder and euphoria of a young woman experiencing love for the first time. Overwhelmed by new sensations, she questions nature—the wind, the sea, and the flowers—about the surreal changes occurring around and within her. The world appears completely inverted and magical: the sun shines at night, stars multiply into moons, and her traditional attire feels light enough to act as wings. Ultimately, nature itself confirms through the song of a cuckoo bird in a blissful grove that this wondrous transformation is indeed love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Kaatrai niruthi ketkkiren

Addressing natural elements like the wind, ocean, and blossoms as sentient companions capable of listening and answering.

Anaphora / Repetition (Adukkuthodar)

Enna idhu enna idhu

The recurring question 'Enna idhu enna idhu' highlights the protagonist's persistent state of bewilderment and wonder.

Hyperbole (Uruvagamm / Exaggeration)

Sooriyan enna iravil kaayudhu

Using impossible natural occurrences like the sun shining at night to describe the intense internal brightness brought by romance.

Metaphor

Thaavani enna siragaai ponadhu

Comparing the half-saree (thaavani) to wings, representing weightlessness, freedom, and emotional flight.

Rhyme / End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

Manadhum vayadhum thadumaariyadhae

Matching rhyming suffixes ('thadumaariyadhae' and 'idamaariyadhae') which enhance the lyrical flow and musical rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

Panchalankuruchi (1996) is a rural drama directed by Seeman, starring Prabhu and Madhoo. This track showcases K. S. Chithra's expressive vocal delivery set to Deva's rustic melodic style, featuring Vairamuthu's signature use of nature imagery to express romantic awakening.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Panchalankuruchi

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.