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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kannamoochi Aattam

From Varnam · 2011

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singer
Haricharan
Music director
Isaac Thomas Kottukapally
Details
Varnam2011

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kannamoochi aattam nadakkumA game of hide and seek takes place
Kanna moodi kaatula irukkomWith our eyes closed, we stand in the wind
Thedi thedi tholainje ponomSearching repeatedly, we got lost
Nadappadhu ellaam nesandhaanadaEverything that happens is indeed real, my friend
Nenjila aasa vandha valithaanadaWhen desire enters the heart, it brings pain, my friend
Male
Kannamoochi aattam nadakkumA game of hide and seek takes place
Kanna moodi kaatula irukkomWith our eyes closed, we stand in the wind
Male
Kann thirakkum munnaleBefore the eyes could even open
Kaadhal selaonnu odanji ponadhuA statue of love was broken
Naan varainja oviyathilIn the painting that I drew
Vannam ellaamae saayam ponadhuAll the colors faded away
Male
Thannanthniya naethu irundhenYesterday I was all alone
Onna kanda piragu thanOnly after I saw you
Olagam enakku pidichathuDid I like this world
Neeyum ippa velagittaNow that you too have moved away
Engae poyi azhuvadhuWhere shall I go and weep?
Male
Kannamoochi aattam nadakkumA game of hide and seek takes place
Kanna moodi kaatula irukkomWith our eyes closed, we stand in the wind
Thedi thedi tholainje ponomSearching repeatedly, we got lost
Nadappadhu ellaam nesandhaanadaEverything that happens is indeed real, my friend
Nenjila aasa vandha valithaanadaWhen desire enters the heart, it brings pain, my friend
Male
Aalamara kela melaeBeneath the banyan tree
Veppanjchedi molachu pooppadhillaiyaDoesn't a neem plant sprout and bloom?
Adha paathum thirundhalaiyeEven seeing that, they haven't learned
Aiyoo ooru sanam maaravillaiyeAlas, the village people have not changed
Male
Chinna nenjile enna kanavoWhat dreams exist in this small heart?
Aathukulla vilundha seraguA feather fallen into the river
Karaikku meendum thirumbhumaWill it ever return back to the shore?
Vaanavillum kalainjittaOnce a rainbow dissolves away
Thirumbha variya mudiyumaCan it ever come back again?
Male
Kannamoochi aattam nadakkumA game of hide and seek takes place
Kanna moodi kaatula irukkomWith our eyes closed, we stand in the wind
Thedi thedi tholainje ponomSearching repeatedly, we got lost
Nadappadhu ellaam nesandhaanadaEverything that happens is indeed real, my friend
Nenjila aasa vandha valithaanadaWhen desire enters the heart, it brings pain, my friend
Male
Kannamoochi aattam nadakkumA game of hide and seek takes place
Kanna moodi kaatula irukkomWith our eyes closed, we stand in the wind

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This melancholic song from the movie 'Varnam' reflects on the pain of heartbreak, isolation, and social disillusionment. The protagonist compares life and love to a game of hide-and-seek where one gets lost while searching for happiness. Love is depicted as a fragile statue that broke before it could be admired, and as a painting whose colors have completely faded away after the lover's departure. The lyrics further express deep philosophical existential angst by comparing lost love and hope to a feather swept away in a river or a rainbow that vanishes into thin air, emphasizing that some losses in life are irreversible.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukku Thodar (Repetition)

Thedi thedi tholainje ponom

The word 'thedi' is repeated back-to-back to emphasize the continuous, desperate effort of searching.

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

Aathukulla vilundha seragu

Compares a lost soul or unrequited desire to a delicate feather trapped in a river current, symbolizing helplessness.

Visual Imagery

Vaanavillum kalainjitta

Uses the image of a fading rainbow to convey the fleeting nature of joy and beauty in life.

Monai (Alliteration)

Kannamoochi aattam nadakkum / Kanna moodi kaatula irukkom

Matching initial sounds in consecutive lines ('Kannamoochi' and 'Kanna') creating a rhythmic oral flow.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song was composed by Isaac Thomas Kottukapally, a acclaimed background score composer who won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Adaminte Makan Abu in 2011. The lyrics were penned by the late National Award-winning lyricist Na. Muthukumar.

Keep listening

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