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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kanmaniye Kanmaniye

From Chinna Vathiyar · 1995

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Rohini
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Chinna Vathiyar1995

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Yaei……taxi taxiHey... taxi, taxi!
Chae…..samayaththukku oru taxi kooda kedaikkaathaeSigh... you can't even find a single taxi when you need one!
Female
Yaei……look aravindh….dont touch meHey... look Aravind... don't touch me!
Taxi taxi…..Taxi, taxi...
Male
Kannmaniyae kannmaniyaeMy darling, my beloved,
Solluvathai keluListen to what I say!
Female :Shutup dont talk to meFemale: Shut up, don't talk to me!
Yaei……taxi taxi taxiHey... taxi, taxi, taxi!
Male
En ponmanikku kobam vanthaaWhen my golden darling gets angry,
Minnum pani poovuShe looks like a glistening snow flower!
Female :Evalaavathu yaemaanthavaFemale: Some gullible woman
Kaadhula poo vachchiruppaaWould have been fooled (flowers behind her ears)!
Ava kitta poe solluGo and tell her!
Male
Sindhuthadi sindhuthadi muththu mazhai poovuA pearl rain flower is showering, showering!
Female :Adadaa en kaviyarasar kambaaFemale: Oh my, look at my emperor of poets, Kamban!
Male :Un ponnudambil eeram pada vanthu vidum novuMale: If your golden body gets wet, illness will come!
Female :Aahaa…..aadu nanaiyuthunnu onaayi azhuthathaaFemale: Aha... like a wolf weeping crocodile tears that the sheep is getting wet!
Male
Veen kobam yaenWhy this unnecessary anger?
Female :Jajaja jajaa…Female: Jajaja jajaa...
Male :Aan paavam yaenMale: Why torment an innocent man?
Female :Yae pappara pappaaFemale: Hey pappara pappaa!
Male :I love you i love youMale: I love you, I love you!
Nee engu sella koodum ennai meeriWhere can you go beyond me?
Male
En kannmaniyae kannmaniyaeMy darling, my beloved,
Solluvathai keluListen to what I say!
Female :Ketkka mudiyaathuFemale: I can't listen!
Poe tholaiyiriyaa haiyoGo get lost, oh dear!
Male :En ponmanikkuMale: To my golden darling,
Kobam vanthaa minnum pani poovuWhen anger comes, she is a glistening snow flower!
Female :Adhae pazhaiya pallaviyaFemale: Don't keep repeating
Thiruppi sollaathae poyaaThe same old refrain, go away man!
Male
Etti etti sendruWalking away step by step,
Vettum paarvai konduWith sharp cutting glances,
Sittrilam poovum yaarai theduthuWhom is this tender young flower searching for?
Female :Aah……sittrilam poovuFemale: Ah... the tender young flower
Auto theduthu taxi theduthuIs looking for an auto, looking for a taxi,
Innoru jodikku aala kooda thedumOr might even look for another partner!
Male
Sol yaen ippadi yaen ammani naadagamTell me, why this drama, my lady?
Female :Aamaa….naadagam….thirunaavukkarasiFemale: Yes... drama... queen of speech!
Solla vanthuttaaru thirunaavukkarasarThe king of speech has come to lecture!
Male
Niththam niththam ennai suttri suttri vanthuHovering around me day after day,
Vattamae potta mogam theernthathaaHas the desire that circled me finally ended?
Female :Aamaa….theenthu pochchuFemale: Yes... it's over!
Empty-a suththittu irukkenI am wandering around empty!
Haiyo poettu vareengalaaOh dear, are you putting on a show?
Male
Oh singaariyae ingaenadi aaththiramOh beautiful girl, why this anger here?
Female :Aaththiramaa summaa iruyyaaFemale: Anger? Just stay quiet, man!
Vayiru paththikkittu eriyuthu fire engineMy stomach is burning on fire, bring a fire engine!
Male
Nee illaamal naanaa en poongodiCan I exist without you, my flowering creeper?
Female :Aama aama aama aama aamaFemale: Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!
Male :Naan illamal neeyum ingaethadiMale: And where are you without me, girl?
Female :Tho irukkenae nallaaththaanae irukken paaruFemale: Look, I'm right here doing just fine!
Male
Poonthendralae en selvamaeOh gentle breeze, my treasure!
Raa paappapaa rappaa paappapaaRaa paappapaa rappaa paappapaa
I love you i love youI love you, I love you!
Nee engu sella koodum ennai meeriWhere can you go beyond me?
Male
En kannmaniyae kannmaniyaeMy darling, my beloved,
Solluvathai keluListen to what I say!
Female :Stop it menFemale: Stop it, man!
Kettu kettu pulichchu pochchupaaI'm sick and tired of listening to this!
Male :En ponmanikkuMale: To my golden darling,
Kobam vanthaa minnum pani poovuWhen anger comes, she is a glistening snow flower!
Female :Intha cinema dialogue ellaam solliFemale: Don't bore me
Enna bore adikkaathae poyaaBy spouting all these cinema dialogues, go away man!
Male
Veen kobam yaenWhy this unnecessary anger?
Female :VeveveveFemale: Veveveve
Male :Aan paavam yaenMale: Why torment an innocent man?
Female :Paavam my footFemale: Torment my foot!
I love you i love youI love you, I love you!
Nee engu sella koodum ennai meeriWhere can you go beyond me?
Male
En kannmaniyae kannmaniyaeMy darling, my beloved,
Solluvathai keluListen to what I say!
Female :Hello can youFemale: Hello, can you
Give me lift thankyouGive me a lift? Thank you!
Male :En ponmanikkuMale: To my golden darling,
Kobam vanthaa minnum pani poovuWhen anger comes, she is a glistening snow flower!
Male
Suttum vizhi sudar endru oru poi konduIf one sings with a lie like 'radiant fire of scorching eyes',
Paadinaal aahaa oho engiraaiYou say 'aha, oho' in praise!
Female :Adhu bharathiyar paattuyaaFemale: That is Bharathiyar's poem, man!
Avanavan tune-naththaan thiruduraannaaWhile others steal tunes,
Nee paataiyae thiruduraYou steal the poem itself!
Male
Poi paattil sonnaalIf said in poetic lying,
Kavi engiraai kannmaniYou call it poetry, my darling!
Female :Ada paaviFemale: Oh you sinner!
Bharathiyar paataiyae poingiriyaaCalling Bharathiyar's poem a lie?
Male
Un mel aasai vaiththuOut of love for you,
Naan or poiyai sonnaalIf I tell a lie,
Seeridum thendral aagi pogiraaiYou become a raging storm!
Female :Yes….unakkaaga maiyyam konda inth puyalFemale: Yes... this cyclone that centered for you
Ippo karaiya kadanthuduchchu poHas crossed the coast now, go!
Male
Mei paattil solvenI will tell it in true poetry,
Yattru kolvaai kannmaniWill you accept it, my darling?
Female :Nee poiyyilae piranthuFemale: You were born in lies,
Poiyilae valanthavanAnd grew up in lies!
Un kitta yaethuyaa meiyiWhere is the truth in you, man?
Male
Thaenai pondra kadhal vempaagumaaWill love, which is like honey, turn bitter?
Female :Haa kaadhalaavathu kaththirikkaaFemale: Ha, love or eggplant!
Male
Devi ennai sera veempaagumaaWill joining me, goddess, turn into stubbornness?
Female :Dont follow meFemale: Don't follow me!
Male :En nenjilae un manthiramMale: In my heart is your chant!
Raa paappapaa rappaa paappaaRaa paappapaa rappaa paappaa
I love you i love youI love you, I love you!
Nee engu sella koodum ennai meeriWhere can you go beyond me?
Male
En kannmaniyae kannmaniyaeMy darling, my beloved,
Solluvathai keluListen to what I say!
Female :Periya krishna paramaathmaaFemale: What a grand Lord Krishna!
Ivaru soldra geedhaiya ketkkanumaaShould I listen to the Gita he preaches?
Male :En ponmanikkuMale: To my golden darling,
Kobam vanthaa minnum pani poovuWhen anger comes, she is a glistening snow flower!
Female
Chumma iruiyyaFemale: Just keep quiet, man!
Minnuvathellaam ponnalla therinjukkoKnow that all that glitters is not gold!
Male :Veen kobam yaenMale: Why this unnecessary anger?
Female :Nee thirunthave maattaeFemale: You will never change!
Male :Aan paavam yaenMale: Why torment an innocent man?
Female :So….thangalaiyaaFemale: Sigh... intolerable!
I love you i love youI love you, I love you!
Nee engu sella koodum ennai meeriWhere can you go beyond me?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful, high-energy duet from the 1995 film Chinna Vathiyar depicts a comedic road-side argument between the hero (played by Prabhu) and heroine. The heroine is stranded on the street desperately trying to catch a taxi or auto, while the hero incessantly tries to woo her back with poetic compliments, classical allusions, and declarations of love. She sarcastically refutes every romantic verse he throws at her, comparing his weeping to crocodile tears and his poetic embellishments to outright lies, even mocking his attempts at referencing literary icons like Bharathiyar and Kamban.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani / Urvagai)

Minnum pani poovu

The male character metaphorically compares the female lead's anger to a glistening dew flower ('Minnum pani poovu').

Proverb / Idiom (Pazhamozhi)

Aahaa…..aadu nanaiyuthunnu onaayi azhuthathaa

The female character uses the popular Tamil idiom 'Aadu nanaiyuthunnu onaayi azhuthathaa' (a wolf crying because the sheep is getting wet) to accuse him of hypocritical empathy.

Literary Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)

Solla vanthuttaaru thirunaavukkarasar

The song references famous Tamil literary figures such as Thirunaavukkarasar and Kamban ('Kaviyarasar Kambaa'), juxtaposing classical literary stature with modern conversational banter.

Alliterative Rhyme (Monai)

Suttum vizhi sudar endru oru poi kondu

Repetition of the initial letter 'S' in 'Suttum vizhi sudar endru' creates acoustic rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song features vocal performance by actress Rohini alongside SPB, giving a theatrical radio-drama flair to the back-and-forth dialogue dynamics. Lyricist Vaali cleverly references Mahakavi Bharathiyar's iconic poem line 'Suttum Vizhi Sudar Thaan' and turns it into a playful debate about poetic hyperbole within modern romance.

Keep listening

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