Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Time Illa album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan

From Time Illa · 2020

Lyricist
Manu Parthiban
Singers
Bamba Bakya, Ramya Nambeesan
Music director
L. G. Bala
Movie name
Time Illa
Movie release year
2020
Lyrics added on
21 Dec 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Hey kanmani
Anbodu kaadhalan
Naan yengurenadi
Hey ponmani
Unnaala dhaanadi
Naa saagurenadi
Heyy hey eh eh eh
Hey kanmani
Anbodu kaadhalan
Naan yengurenadi
Hey ponmani
Unnaala dhaanadi
Naa saagurenadi
Unnai enni paarkaiyil
Thala suthuthadi
Unnai marakka ninaikaiyil
Vaazhkai muttudhadi
Unnai enni paarkaiyil
Thala suthuthadi
Unnai marakka ninaikaiyil
Vaazhkai muttudhadi
Kanmani …kanmani
Anbodu kaadhalan
Naan yengurenadi
Ohohooo….ponmani
Unnaala dhaanadi
Naa saagurenadi
…………………..
Abiraamiyae thaalattum saamiyae…
Naanthaanae theriyumaa…
Sivagamiyae..
Sivanil neeyum paadhiyae…
Adhuvum unakku puriyumaaaaa…
Undaana kaadhal endrum
Thannalae maaripona
Maayam enna
Ponmaanae ponmaanae
Ohhhhh…
Enthan kaadhal anapodhum
Thannalae maaripogum
Undhan kaadhal
Maaradhu senthaenae…
Endhan kaadhal ennavendru
Sollamal yenga yenga
Azhugai vanthadhu
Endhan sogam unnai thakkum
Endrennum podhu vandha
Alugai nindradhu…
Hey my dearest,
with love, your sweetheart,
I am yearning for you, girl.
Hey my precious gem,
it is only because of you,
that I am dying, girl.
Hey hey eh eh eh...
Hey my dearest,
with love, your sweetheart,
I am yearning for you, girl.
Hey my precious gem,
it is only because of you,
that I am dying, girl.
Whenever I think of you,
my head spins, girl.
Whenever I try to forget you,
my life hits a wall, girl.
Whenever I think of you,
my head spins, girl.
Whenever I try to forget you,
my life hits a wall, girl.
My dearest... my dearest,
with love, your sweetheart,
I am yearning for you, girl.
Oh ho ho... my precious gem,
it is only because of you,
that I am dying, girl.
...
Oh Abhirami, goddess who lulls me to sleep...
do you know it is me?
Oh Sivagami...
you are the other half of Shiva...
do you even realize that?
The love that once blossomed,
how did it change all on its own—
what mystery is this,
my golden deer, my golden deer?
Oh...
Even if it is my love
that fades away on its own,
your love
will never change, my sweet honey...
Unable to express what my love is,
as I longed and longed,
tears began to flow.
Thinking that my grief would hurt you,
the moment that thought crossed my mind,
my tears came to a stop...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Female
Male
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Time Illa' expresses the bittersweet pain of deep love, longing, and emotional anguish. The protagonist describes how thoughts of his beloved cause his mind to spin, while attempting to forget her makes life feel utterly directionless. He pours out his devotion, balancing intense heartbreak with a protective desire not to burden her with his grief.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Intertextual Allusion (Ainthu Thinai / Pop Culture Homage)

Abiraamiyae thaalattum saamiyae…

Directly quotes and echoes iconic lines from the legendary song 'Kanmani Anbodu' from the movie Gunaa (1991), utilizing classical tropes of divine love (Abirami, Sivagami).

Etukai (Second Letter Rhyming)

Hey kanmani ... Hey ponmani

Rhyming of the second letter 'n' in consecutive lines (Kanmani / Ponmani).

Anaphora / Repetition

Unnai enni paarkaiyil ... Unnai marakka ninaikaiyil

Repetition of conditional framing ('Unnai...') to emphasize the emotional dilemma of remembering vs forgetting.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics heavily paraphrase and reference Ilaiyaraaja's iconic track 'Kanmani Anbodu Kadhalan' from the 1991 Kamal Haasan classic 'Gunaa', reimagining its classic romantic letter-reading sequence within a modern indie track context.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.