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Isaimozhi
Amma Kanakku album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kanavugal

From Amma Kanakku · 2016

Lyricist
Isaignani Ilayaraja
Singer
Vandana Srinivasan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Amma Kanakku
Movie release year
2016
Lyrics added on
10 Sept 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kanavugal paliththidum
Kaalamum namakkena kanindhiduma
Ninaippadhu nadandhidum neramum
Kaigalil palan tharumaa
Nadandhadhai
Ninaithaal thuyaram
Adhu vidiyaadhu
Ninaippadhinaalae mudivum
Maari pogaadhu
Kanavugal paliththidum
Kaalamum namakkena kanindhiduma
Ninaippadhu nadandhidum neramum
Kaigalil palan tharumaa
Will the time when dreams come true
ever ripen in our favor?
Will the moment our wishes happen
place its rewards in our hands?
Thinking about
what has happened brings only sorrow,
and it will never see a dawn.
Just by dwelling on it,
the outcome will not change.
Will the time when dreams come true
ever ripen in our favor?
Will the moment our wishes happen
place its rewards in our hands?
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song expresses a deep sense of philosophical contemplation and emotional anguish regarding hope, destiny, and perseverance. The protagonist wonders if time will ever turn in their favor to fulfill their long-cherished dreams and yield the rewards of their effort. The lyrics offer a pragmatic reflection on grief, pointing out that endlessly ruminating on past miseries cannot change the ultimate outcome nor bring about a brighter tomorrow. It balances melancholic questioning with an underlying realization of reality.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Kanavugal paliththidum / Kaalamum namakkena kanindhiduma

Repetition of the initial consonant sound 'Ka' across 'Kanavugal', 'Kaalamum', and 'kanindhiduma'.

Metaphor

Kaalamum namakkena kanindhiduma

Comparing time to a fruit that must 'ripen' (kanindhiduma) to bear reward in one's hands.

Rhetorical Question

Ninaippadhu nadandhidum neramum / Kaigalil palan tharumaa

The lyrics pose questions asking if time will ripen and deliver results, underscoring the speaker's internal uncertainty and longing.

Anaphora / Root Repetition

Ninaithaal thuyaram ... Ninaippadhinaalae mudivum

Repeated use of the verb root 'Ninai' (think/remember) across lines to emphasize the futility of overthinking past sorrows.

Did you know?

Trivia

Amma Kanakku (2016) is the official Tamil remake of the critically acclaimed Hindi film 'Nil Battey Sannata'. Maestro Ilaiyaraaja not only composed the film's soundtrack but also penned the lyrics for this reflective song, highlighting his dual skill as a composer and a thoughtful lyricist.

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