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Lyrics & meaning

Kanmani Anbodu

From Gunaa · 1991

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Kamal Haasan, S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Gunaa
Movie release year
1991
Lyrics added on
24 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kanmani anboda kaadhalan
Naan
Naan
Hmm
Ezhuthum kaditham … letter chi … kaduthasi
Illa kadithamae irukatum … padi
Kanmani anbodu kaadhalan
Naan ezhuthum kadithamae
Ha ha ha … paataavae padichitiyaa
Apa nanum … mothala kanmani sonala
Inga ponmani potuka
Ponmani un veetla sowkiyama
Na inga sowkiyam
Ponmani un veetil sowkiyama
Naan ingu sowkiyame
Unna nenachu paakumbothu kavitha
Manasula aruvi maari kottuthu
Aana atha ezhuthanunu okantha
Antha ezhuthuthan vaartha
Unnai enni paarkaiyil kavithai kottuthu
Athai ezhutha ninaikaiyil vaarthai muttuthu
Athae thaan … ah ha … pramaatham
Kavitha kavitha … padi
Kanmani anbodu kaadhalan
Naan ezhuthum kadithamae
Ponmani un veetil sowkiyama
Naan ingu sowkiyamae
Unnai enni paarkaiyil kavithai kottuthu
Athai ezhutha ninaikaiyil vaarthai muttuthu
Oh ho … kanmani anbodu kaadhalan
Naan ezhuthum kadithamae
La la la la la la la la la la …..
Ponmani un veetil sowkiyama
Naan ingu sowkiyamae
La la la la la la la la la la …..
Mmm .. enaku undaana kaayam
Athu thannala aaridum
Athu ennavo theriyala
Enna maayamo theriyala
Enaku onnumae aavarathu illa
Ithayum ezhuthika
Nadula nadula manae thaenae ponmanae
Ithellam potukanum
Itho paaru enaku enna kaayamnalum
En udambu thaangidum
Un udambu thaangumaa
Thaangaathu
Abirami … abirami abirami
Athayum ezhuthanuma
Haan …
Ithu kaadhal
En kaadhal ennanu sollama
Yenga yenga azhugaiyaa varuthu
Aana naa azhuthu en sogam unna thaakidumo
Apdinu nenaikum pothu varra azhuga kooda ninnuduthu
Manithar unarndhukolla ithu manitha kaadhal alla
Athaiyum thaandi punithamanathu
Undaana kaayamengum thannalae aaripona
Maayam enna ponmanae ponmanae
Enna kaayam aana pothum
En meni thaangi kollum
Unthan meni thaangaathu senthaenae
Enthan kaadhal ennavendru sollamal
Yenga yenga azhugai vanthathu
Enthan sogam unnai thaakum
Endrennumbothu vantha azhugai ninrathu
Manithar unarnthu kolla
Ithu manitha kaadhal alla
Athaiyum thaandi punithamanathu
Abiramiyae thaalaatum saamiyae
Naan thaanae theriyuma
Sivagamiyae sivanil neeyum paathiyae
Athuvum unaku puriyuma
Suba laali laaliyae laali laaliyae
Abirami laaliyae laali laaliyae
Abiramiyae thaalaatum samiyae
Naan thaanae theriyuma unaku puriyuma
La la la la la la la la la la …
La la la la la la la la la la …
Lala lala lala la … lala lala lala la
Lala lala lala la … lala lala lala la
To darling Kanmani, with love, your lover...
I...
I...
Hmm...
...am writing this letter... letter, you see... note...
No, let it be "letter"... read it.
To darling Kanmani, with love, from your lover,
this is the letter I write.
Ha ha ha... you turned it into a song!
Then I will too... earlier I said Kanmani, right?
Put "Ponmani" here.
Ponmani, is all well at your home?
I am doing well here.
Ponmani, is all well at your home?
I am doing well here.
When I think of you, poetry...
...pours into my heart like a waterfall.
But when I sit down to write it...
...the words just refuse to come out.
When I think of you, poetry pours out;
when I try to write it down, words fail me.
That's exactly it... Aha... brilliant!
Pure poetry! Sing it!
To darling Kanmani, with love, from your lover,
this is the letter I write.
Ponmani, is all well at your home?
I am doing well here.
When I think of you, poetry pours out;
when I try to write it down, words fail me.
Oh ho... To darling Kanmani, with love, from your lover,
this is the letter I write.
La la la la la la la la la la...
Ponmani, is all well at your home?
I am doing well here.
La la la la la la la la la la...
Mmm... any wound I have suffered,
it heals all on its own.
I don't know why,
I don't know what magic it is,
nothing ever harms me.
Write this down too.
In between, add "my deer, my honey, my golden doe"...
You have to include all these.
Look, whatever wound I receive,
my body can bear it.
Can your body bear it?
It cannot.
Abhirami... Abhirami, Abhirami...
Should I write that too?
Yes...
This is love...
Unable to put into words what my love is,
as I yearn and yearn, tears well up.
But wondering if my crying and sorrow will hurt you,
the tears that were rising suddenly stop.
For mortals to understand, this is no ordinary human love;
it is sacred, far beyond that.
Every wound that was caused healed all on its own—
what magic is this, my golden doe, my golden doe?
Whatever injury may happen,
my body will endure it,
but your tender body cannot bear it, my sweet honey.
Without expressing what my love truly is,
as I yearned and yearned, tears flowed.
Thinking that my sorrow might hurt you,
the moment I thought of that, my tears stopped.
For mortals to comprehend,
this is no ordinary human love;
it is sacred, far beyond that.
O Abhirami! The deity who sings your lullaby,
don't you know that it is me?
O Sivakami! You are the other half of Shiva,
do you understand that too?
May auspicious lullabies soothe you, lali laliye,
A lullaby to you, Abhirami, lali laliye,
O Abhirami! The deity who sings your lullaby,
is indeed me, don't you know? Do you understand?
La la la la la la la la la la...
La la la la la la la la la la...
Lala lala lala la... Lala lala lala la
Lala lala lala la... Lala lala lala la
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kanmani Anbodu Kaadhalan is a legendary masterwork from the 1991 movie Gunaa. The song takes the form of a letter dictation between Gunaa, a mentally troubled man obsessed with an idealized divine devotion, and his beloved Abirami. As Gunaa speaks raw, unpolished prose, Abirami transforms his spoken thoughts into structured, beautiful poetic verses, bridging the gap between casual dialogue and transcendent music. Thematically, the song elevates romantic affection into divine, spiritual love (Bhakti). Gunaa asserts that his love is far beyond ordinary mortal comprehension (manitha kaadhal alla, athaiyum thaandi punithamanathu). He selflessly suppresses his own tears and physical pain so that his sorrow will not distress Abirami, showcasing an unconditional, divine bond.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

Unnai enni paarkaiyil kavithai kottuthu

Compares the spontaneous flow of emotions to a pouring waterfall.

Terms of Endearment (Korvai / Konjal Vaarthai)

Nadula nadula manae thaenae ponmanae

Use of sweet traditional metaphors like deer, honey, and gold to address the beloved.

Juxtaposition / Form Innovation

Ha ha ha … paataavae padichitiyaa

Seamlessly transitions spoken dialogue into poetic lyrics and musical melody.

Spiritual Allusion (Devotional Imagery)

Sivagamiyae sivanil neeyum paathiyae

Draws upon Hindu mythological imagery of Shiva and Ardhanarishvara (Shiva and Parvati as half of each other) to describe divine love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali and sung by Kamal Haasan and S. Janaki, this song is considered a unique experiment in Indian cinema for blending spoken dialogue directly into lyrical poetry. The cave location in Kodaikanal where the sequence was filmed became so famous after the movie that it was officially renamed 'Guna Caves'.

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