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Kappalotiya Tamizhan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaatru Veliyidai

From Kappalotiya Tamizhan · 1961

Lyricist
Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyaar
Singers
P. Susheela, P. B. Sreenivas
Music director
G. Ramanathan
Movie name
Kappalotiya Tamizhan
Movie release year
1961
Lyrics added on
21 Mar 2025

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaatru veliyidai kannaama kannamma
Female :Aahaa..Aahaa..
Male :Kaatru veliyidai kannaama kannamma
Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Kaatru veliyidai kannaama kannamma
Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Amudhootrinai otha idhazhgalum
Idhazhgalum
Male :Aahaa..aahaa..
Amudhootrinai otha idhazhgalum
Nilavoori thadhumbum vizhigalum
Male :Amudhootrinai otha idhazhgalum
Nilavoori thadhumbum vizhigalum
Pathu maatru ponn otha nin maeniyum
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..
Pathu maatru ponn otha nin maeniyum
Indha vaiyathil yaan ulla mattilum
Ennai vetru ninaivindri pesiyae
Ingor vinnavanaaga puriyume
Ennai vetru ninaivindri pesiyae
Ingor vinnavanaaga puriyume
Kaatru veliyidai kannaama kannamma
Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Nee enadhu innuyir kannamma
Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..
Nee enadhu innuyir kannamma
Endha neramum sindhanai pottruven
Nee enadhu innuyir kannamma
Thuyar poyina poyina thunbangal
Thuyar poyina poyina thunbangal
Ninai ponnena konda pozhudhile
Endhan vaayinile amudhoorudhe
Kannamma endra paer sollum bodhile
Kannamma
Female :Hmm
Male :Kannamma
Female :Hmm
Male :Kannamma endra paer sollum bodhile
Endhan vaayinile amudhoorudhe
Uyir theeyinile valar jodhiye
Endran sindhanaiye endran siththame
Kaatru veliyidai kannaama kannamma
Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Female :Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Both :Nindran kadhalai enni kalikkindren
Female : Haa..aaa..aaa..aaa..
In the vast open air, Kannamma, my Kannamma,
Female: Aaha... aaha...
Male: In the vast open air, Kannamma, my Kannamma,
I rejoice, thinking of your love.
In the vast open air, Kannamma, my Kannamma,
I rejoice, thinking of your love.
Your lips like a spring of nectar,
Those lips of yours,
Male: Aaha... aaha...
Your lips like a spring of nectar,
Your eyes brimming with moonlight,
Male: Your lips like a spring of nectar,
Your eyes brimming with moonlight,
Your form radiant like pure gold,
Haa... aaa... aaa... aaa...
Your form radiant like pure gold,
As long as I live in this world,
Freeing my mind of all other thoughts,
Makes me feel like a heavenly being right here!
Freeing my mind of all other thoughts,
Makes me feel like a heavenly being right here!
In the vast open air, Kannamma, my Kannamma,
I rejoice, thinking of your love.
You are my precious life, Kannamma,
Haa... aaa... aaa... aaa...
You are my precious life, Kannamma,
I will cherish your thoughts at every moment.
You are my precious life, Kannamma,
All sorrows are gone, all miseries have fled,
All sorrows are gone, all miseries have fled,
The moment I treasured you like pure gold!
Sweet nectar fills my mouth,
Whenever I speak the name Kannamma!
Kannamma...
Female: Mmm...
Male: Kannamma...
Female: Mmm...
Male: Whenever I speak the name Kannamma,
Sweet nectar fills my mouth!
O radiant flame growing from the fire of life,
My every thought, my very soul!
In the vast open air, Kannamma, my Kannamma,
I rejoice, thinking of your love.
Female: I rejoice, thinking of your love.
Both: I rejoice, thinking of your love.
Female: Haa... aaa... aaa... aaa...
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This timeless composition by Mahakavi Subramanya Bharathiyar, featured in the historical biopic 'Kappalottiya Thamizhan' (1961), expresses ecstatic romantic love and spiritual devotion addressed to 'Kannamma'. Standing under the open sky amidst the gentle breeze, the lover rejoices in the thought of Kannamma, describing her lips as a fountain of nectar, her eyes overflowing with moonlight, and her form radiant like pure gold. Her single-minded love elevates him from mortal earthly existence to the divine realm of heavenly beings. Merely uttering her name fills his mouth with nectar and banishes all life's sorrows, as she embodies the luminous flame within his very soul and consciousness.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

“Amudhootrinai otha idhazhgalum”

Compares Kannamma's lips to a fountain of sweet nectar ('Amudhootrinai otha idhazhgalum').

Uvamai (Simile)

“Pathu maatru ponn otha nin maeniyum”

Compares her complexion and body to pure 10-carat fine gold ('Pathu maatru ponn otha nin maeniyum').

Adukkuthodai (Reduplication / Anaphora)

“Thuyar poyina poyina thunbangal”

The word 'poyina' (gone) is repeated consecutively for emotional emphasis on the removal of grief.

Uruvagamb (Metaphor)

“Uyir theeyinile valar jodhiye”

Directly metaphorizes Kannamma as the radiant divine flame growing within the fire of life ('Uyir theeyinile valar jodhiye').

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic track from 'Kappalottiya Thamizhan' (1961)—a biopic on freedom fighter V. O. Chidambaram Pillai starring Sivaji Ganesan—is one of Subramanya Bharathiyar's most famous romantic-philosophical poems. Composed in Carnatic classical style by G. Ramanathan (predominantly in Suddha Dhanyasi ragam), P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela rendered this duet, making it one of the most celebrated Bharathiyar compositions in Tamil cinema history.

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