Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kangal Inainthathenna Male

From Snegithi · 1970

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Details
Snegithi1970

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kangal inainthathennaWhy did our eyes meet?
Kadhal piranthathennaWhy was love born?
Kaalam pirinththathennaWhy did time separate us?
Kavithai siriththathennaWhy did poetry mock us?
Male
Kangal inainthathennaWhy did our eyes meet?
Kadhal piranthathennaWhy was love born?
Kaalam pirinththathennaWhy did time separate us?
Kavithai siriththathennaWhy did poetry mock us?
Male
Mana koviyilai naan moodivittenI have closed the temple of my heart,
Innum dheivam therivathennaYet why does the deity still appear?
Male
Kaagith poovilum vandu varumEven to a paper flower, a beetle comes,
Kaanal neerukkum paraavai varumEven to a mirage, a bird comes;
Kaagith poovilum vandu varumEven to a paper flower, a beetle comes,
Kaanal neerukkum paraavai varumEven to a mirage, a bird comes;
Male
Kaadhal ponaal maanida vaazhvilIf love is lost in human life,
Nimmathi engu varumWhere can peace ever be found?
Mana koviyilai naan moodivittenI have closed the temple of my heart,
Innum dheivam therivathennaYet why does the deity still appear?
Male
Vaanam pozhinththu bhoomiyilaeThe sky showered down onto the earth,
Adhil megam peruvathu yeadhumilaiYet from that, the cloud gains nothing back;
Vaanam pozhinththu bhoomiyilaeThe sky showered down onto the earth,
Adhil maegam peruvathu yeadhumillaiYet from that, the cloud gains nothing back;
Male
Naanoru vaanam avaloru meagamI am the sky, she is a cloud,
Irandum inaiyavillaiAnd the two never united.
Mana koviyilai naan moodivittenI have closed the temple of my heart,
Innum dheivam therivathennaYet why does the deity still appear?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song captures the deep anguish of unfulfilled love and the lingering heartbreak after separation. The narrator laments the cruelty of fate, questioning why destiny brought two hearts together only to pull them apart. Even after attempting to shut down all emotions—metaphorically closing the doors to the temple of the mind—the memory of the beloved remains, lingering like an unshakeable deity. Through evocative metaphors of nature, such as beetles seeking paper flowers, birds chasing mirages, and clouds pouring rainfall with no reward, Kannadasan beautifully articulates the illusion, futility, and eternal longing inherent in lost love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Mana koviyilai naan moodivitten / Innum dheivam therivathenna

Compares the mind to a temple ('Mana koviyil') and the beloved/love to a deity ('dheivam'), illustrating how sacred yet painfully persistent the memory remains.

Anaphora / Initial Rhyme (Moona)

Kangal inainthathenna / Kadhal piranthathenna / Kaalam pirinththathenna / Kavithai siriththathenna

The repetition of the initial 'Ka-' sound across consecutive lines ('Kangal', 'Kadhal', 'Kaalam', 'Kavithai') creates a rhythmic and melodic flow.

Imagery / Paradox

Kaagith poovilum vandu varum / Kaanal neerukkum paraavai varum

Uses paradoxical imagery of insects approaching fake paper flowers and birds flocking to mirages to emphasize how love deceives with false hope.

Analogy

Naanoru vaanam avaloru meagam / Irandum inaiyavillai

Compares the lover and his beloved to the sky and a cloud, existing in the same realm yet destined never to merge permanently into one entity.

Did you know?

Trivia

Featuring lyrics by the legendary poet Kannadasan, this song from Snegithi (1970) showcases his signature style of combining philosophical questioning with romantic grief, utilizing powerful imagery from nature to depict emotional suffering.

Keep listening

More from Snegithi