Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kannamoochi Yenada Duet

From Kandukondain Kandukondain · 2000

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
K. S. Chithra, K. J. Yesudas
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Kandukondain Kandukondain2000

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kannamoochi yenadaWhy this game of hide-and-seek?
Male :Kannamoochi yenadaMale: Why this game of hide-and-seek?
En kannaaMy Krishna?
Female
Kannamoochi yenadaWhy this game of hide-and-seek?
En kannaaMy Krishna?
Naan kannaadi porul poladaI am fragile like an object of glass.
Male
Andha nadhiyin karaiyaiOn the bank of that river,
Naan ketten.I asked.
Andha kaatrai niruthiyumEven after stopping that wind,
KettenI asked.
Female
Andha nadhiyin karaiyaiOn the bank of that river,
Naan ketten.I asked.
Andha kaatrai niruthiyumEven after stopping that wind,
KettenI asked.
Male
{Vaan veliyai ketten{I asked the wide sky,
Vidaiyae illai (2)There was no answer at all (2)
{Irudhiyil unnai kanden{In the end, I found you,
Irudhaya poovil kanden }(2)I found you in the flower of my heart} (2)
Male
Kannamoochi yenadaWhy this game of hide-and-seek?
Female :En kannaaFemale: My Krishna
Naan kannaadi porul polada…aaa….I am fragile like an object of glass...
Female
En manam unakkoruIs my heart to you
Vilaiyaattu bommaiyaaA toy to play with?
Male :En manam unakkoruMale: Is my heart to you
Vilaiyaattu bommaiyaaA toy to play with?
Enakkena unarchigalDo I not have feelings
Thaniyaaga illaiyaaOf my own separately?
Nenjin alai urangaadhuThe waves of my heart do not sleep,
Female
Un idhazh konduWith your lips,
Vaai mooda vaaCome seal my mouth,
En kannaa…aaaa..aaa…My Krishna...
Female
Un idhazh konduWith your lips,
Vaai mooda vaaCome seal my mouth,
En kannaa..My Krishna..
Un imai konduWith your eyelids,
Vizhi mooda vaaCome close my eyes,
Un udal thaanIs not your body
En udai allavaaMy garment after all?
Female
Paarkadalil aadiya pinnumEven after bathing in the ocean of milk,
Un vannam maaravillai innumYour dark complexion has not changed yet.
Male :Paarkadalil aadiya pinnumMale: Even after bathing in the ocean of milk,
Un vannam maaravillai innumYour dark complexion has not changed yet.
Female
Kannamoochi yenadaWhy this game of hide-and-seek?
En kannaaMy Krishna
Naan kannaadi porul poladaI am fragile like an object of glass.
Female
{Vaan mazhai vizhumpodhu{When rain fell from the sky,
Malai kondu kaathaai}(2)You protected us by lifting a mountain}(2)
Kan mazhai vizhum podhuWhen rain falls from my eyes as tears,
Edhil ennai kaappaaiWith what will you protect me?
Poovin kanneerai rasippaaiYou enjoy the tears of the flower,
Female
Naan enna pennilaiyaa…Am I not a woman...
En kannaaMy Krishna
Adhai nee kaana kannillaiyaaDo you not have eyes to see that?
Un kanavugalil naan illaiyaaAm I not present in your dreams?
Female
Dhinam oosal aaduthu manasuEvery day my heart swings like a pendulum,
Ada oomai alla en kolusuAh, my anklet is not mute!
En ullmoochilae uyir neengudhaeWith my inner breath, my life force escapes,
Ennuyir thudikkaamalaeTo keep my life from throbbing in agony,
Kaappadhu un theendalaeWhat saves me is your touch alone,
Uyir thara vaa…aaa…Come to give me life...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kannamoochi Yenada is a deeply passionate and classical-infused romantic song from Kandukondain Kandukondain, drawing inspiration from the divine love between Radha and Lord Krishna. The lyrics portray a woman lamenting her beloved playing hide-and-seek with her emotions, leaving her feeling fragile like glass. She searches for him across nature—in the rivers, wind, and open sky—only to ultimately discover his presence inside her heart's own bloom. The song blends intense emotional vulnerability with mythological allegories, referencing Krishna lifting the Govardhana mountain to shield against torrential rain and his eternal dark complexion that remains unchanged even after bathing in the cosmic ocean of milk. Ultimately, the protagonist pleads for her lover's physical and emotional presence, expressing that his embrace and touch are the only forces capable of preserving her tender life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Naan kannaadi porul polada

Comparing her heart/entity to fragile glass ('kannaadi porul polada') to convey emotional delicacy.

Mythological Allusion (Puraana Kurippu)

Vaan mazhai vizhumpodhu Malai kondu kaathaai

References Lord Krishna holding the Govardhana mountain to protect his people from Indra's torrential rain.

Metaphor & Parallelism (Uruvagam)

Kan mazhai vizhum podhu Edhil ennai kaappaai

Parallels celestial rain ('Vaan mazhai') with tears flowing like rain from her eyes ('Kan mazhai').

Mythological Allusion (Puraana Kurippu)

Paarkadalil aadiya pinnum Un vannam maaravillai innum

Refers to the myth of Vishnu/Krishna in the Ocean of Milk (Paarkadal), highlighting his eternal dark blue divine hue.

Personification

Ada oomai alla en kolusu

Personifies the anklet ('kolusu') as a speaking non-mute entity that articulates her restless longing.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although the prompt context lists details as unknown, the song was actually composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu for the film Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), directed by Rajiv Menon. It is famously set in the Carnatic raga Nattakurinji and features vocals by K. S. Chithra and P. Unnikrishnan.

Keep listening

More from Kandukondain Kandukondain

Song2000
Smayiyai

Kandukondain Kandukondain