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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kannamma

From Siren · 2024

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Haricharan
Music director
G. V. Prakash Kumar
Details
Siren2024

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kannamma kannammaOh my beloved child
Kaanbena unnaiWill I see you?
Kai vaithu moodatheDo not cover
Endhan kannaiMy eyes with your hands
Male
Kannamma kannammaOh my beloved child
Kaanbena unnaiWill I see you?
Kai vaithu moodatheDo not cover
Endhan kannaiMy eyes with your hands
Male
Kanneer ellamAll these tears
Onna ninnuWill stand together
Unkitaa pesanumAnd talk to you
Kannae kannuOh my precious eye
Male
Un pinju paadhamYour tender tiny feet
Theendatha nenjuA heart untouched by them
Thee vachum vegadhaIs like damp cotton that won't burn
Eera panjuEven if set on fire
Male
Endhan uyiraiiYou who entered
Vandha uyiraeMy life as my very life
Kaiyil thavazhumCrawling in my hands
Saamy neethanaeYou are the deity itself
Male
Hooo ooo oo hoo ooo(Vocalizing)
Hooo oooo ooo hoo ooo oo(Vocalizing)
Male
Kannaana kannukuFor the eye that is precious
Emai mela perungobamIs there great anger towards the eyelid?
Theeratha? theeratha?Won't it end? Won't it end?
Male
Sarugaana uravonnuA relationship like a dried leaf
Usuraana malaronnaAnd a flower that is full of life
Saerathaa? saerathaa?Won't they unite? Won't they unite?
Male
Magaloada pirivenna lesaIs separation from a daughter a simple thing?
Udaiyatha manasennnaIs the heart unbreakable like
Maanasaa?A piece of hard stone?
Arai nodiyavathu paarenLook at me at least for half a second
Sudu solavathu sollenSpeak at least a harsh word
En manasoda kaayangal aaraSo that the wounds in my heart may heal
Male
Pora uyiraeOh my departing life
Pora uyiraeOh my departing life
Petha nodithanCan't the moment of birth
Thirumbi vaarathaCome back again?
Male
Kannamma kannammaOh my beloved child
Kaanbena unnaiWill I see you?
Kai vaithu moodatheDo not cover
Endhan kannaiMy eyes with your hands
Male
Kannamma kannammaOh my beloved child
Kaanbena unnaiWill I see you?
Kai vaithu moodatheDo not cover
Endhan kannaiMy eyes with your hands

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Kannamma' from Siren (2024) is a poignant depiction of a father's intense pain and yearning during his long separation from his daughter. He expresses his desperate desire to see her again, feeling that his heart without her presence is like damp cotton that smolders painfully without burning away. He pleads for even half a second of her attention or a harsh word, just to feel a connection and soothe his aching emotional wounds. The lyrics vividly highlight the sacred bond between a parent and child, portraying the daughter as a divine presence in his life and questioning why fate has withered their relationship like a dried leaf.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Thee vachum vegadha / Eera panju

Compares a heart unblessed by a child's touch to damp cotton ('eera panju') that slowly smolders but refuses to burn away completely, symbolizing unending internal pain.

Alliteration (Monai)

Kannamma kannamma / Kaanbena unnai

Repetition of the initial 'K' sound across consecutive lines creating a rhythmic, gentle musicality.

Antithesis / Contrast

Sarugaana uravonnu / Usuraana malaronna

Contrasts a withered, dried leaf relationship ('sarugaana uravu') with a vibrant, living flower ('usuraana malar') to highlight distance versus life.

Personification

Kannaana kannuku / Emai mela perungobam

Attributes human emotion (great anger) to the relationship between the eye and its eyelid.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kannamma' serves as the emotional core of the 2024 film Siren starring Jayam Ravi. Composed by G. V. Prakash Kumar with lyrics penned by Pa. Vijay, Haricharan's soulful vocal delivery beautifully conveys the grief of a father unjustly separated from his daughter for years.

Keep listening

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