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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kanava Ninaiva

From Aasal · 2010

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
V. V. Prasanna, Manjari
Music director
Bharathwaj
Details
Aasal2010

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Male
Kanavaa ninaivaaIs it a dream or reality?
En kangal thedum devaO Lord whom my eyes search for!
Uravaa uyiraaAre you my relation or my life?
En manadhil pootha poovaaAre you the flower that blossomed in my heart?
Male
Unai veraaga purinjiduvenaWill I ever understand you as someone separate?
Enai theeyaga sudubaval neeyaAre you the one who burns me like fire?
Mazhaiyaai mandhilLike rain onto the earth,
Vizhunthaval neeyae thaanaWere you the one who fell?
Male
Kanavaa ninaivaaIs it a dream or reality?
En kangal thedum devaO Lord whom my eyes search for!
Uravaa uyiraaAre you my relation or my life?
En manadhil pootha poovaaAre you the flower that blossomed in my heart?
Male
Unai veraaga purinjiduvenaWill I ever understand you as someone separate?
Enai theeyaga sudubaval neeyaAre you the one who burns me like fire?
Mazhaiyaai mandhilLike rain onto the earth,
Vizhunthaval neeyae thaanaWere you the one who fell?
Female
Haa…aa..haa….aaa…Haa...aa..haa....aaa...
Aaa….aaa….aaa…aa…Aaa....aaa....aaa...aa...
Aaa….aaa….aaa…aa…Aaa....aaa....aaa...aa...
Haa…aa..haa…aaa….Haa...aa..haa...aaa....
Haaaa….aa…aaa…aaa….aa….Haaaa....aa...aaa...aaa....aa....
Haa.a…aaa…..aaa…..aa….Haa.a...aaa.....aaa.....aa....
Female
Enai thaangum pui thaaiyaeO illusory mother who holds me!
Uyiraana mei neeyaeYou are the true living reality!
Idhayathil indru ketkkumThat which is heard in the heart today,
Isai neeyadaYou are that music, my dear!
Female
Kadalora alai neeyaeYou are the wave on the seashore,
Enai theenda varuvaaiyaeWill you come to touch me?
Nizhalaaga naanum anbaeI am like a shadow, my love,
Nijam neeyadaYou are the reality, my dear!
Female
Malaril manamaaiLike fragrance within a flower,
Ondru sernthavan neeyadaYou are the one who merged as one!
Female
Kanavaa ninaivaaIs it a dream or reality?
En kangal thedum devaO Lord whom my eyes search for!
Uravaa uyiraaAre you my relation or my life?
En manadhil pootha poovaaAre you the flower that blossomed in my heart?
Male
Unai veraaga purinjiduvenaWill I ever understand you as someone separate?
Enai theeyaga sudubaval neeyaAre you the one who burns me like fire?
Female
Mazhaiyaai mandhilLike rain onto the earth,
Vizhunthavan neeyae thaanaWere you the one who fell?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Kanavaa Ninaivaa' is a deeply emotional romantic song from the 2010 film Aasal. The song expresses the protagonist's profound awe and confusion over love, contemplating whether the presence of the beloved is a beautiful dream or a living reality. The lyrics blend feelings of passion, warmth, and existential connection to describe a bond so intense that it blurs the line between illusion and truth. Through rich poetic metaphors involving rain, blossoms, waves, and shadows, Vairamuthu captures the overwhelming nature of deep spiritual and emotional devotion between two lovers.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

“Mazhaiyaai mandhil Vizhunthaval neeyae thaana”

Compares the arrival of the beloved to rain falling onto the earth ('Mazhaiyaai mandhil').

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

“En manadhil pootha poovaa”

Directly equates the lover to a flower blooming within the heart ('manadhil pootha poovaa').

Antithesis (Muran)

“Nizhalaaga naanum anbae / Nijam neeyada”

Uses contrasting ideas like dream vs. reality ('Kanavaa ninaivaa') and shadow vs. truth ('Nizhalaaga naanum / Nijam neeyada').

Second Letter Rhyme (Edhugai)

“Kadalora alai neeyae / Nizhalaaga naanum anbae”

The second letter 'da' matches in 'Kadalora' and 'Nizhalaaga' across lines, giving rhythmic structure.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Aasal' (2010) marked the 50th film milestone for veteran music composer Bharadwaj, who previously delivered massive musical blockbusters for actor Ajith Kumar such as 'Kadhal Mannan', 'Amarkalam', and 'Attahasam'.

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