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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kannan Leelaigal Seivaanae

From Meera (1945) Film · 1945

Lyricist
Papanasam Sivan
Singer
M. S. Subbulakshmi
Music director
S. V. Venkatraman
Movie name
Meera (1945) Film
Movie release year
1945
Lyrics added on
22 Jun 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kannan leelaigal seivaanae
Kannan maayaigal purivaanae
Leelaigal seivaan baalagopaalan
Neela mugil manivannan kannan
Leelaigal seivaanae
Kaanaga maduvil kaaliyan thalaiyil
Kali nadam puriyum paadhan aa…aa
Kaanaga maduvil kaaliyan thalaiyil
Kali nadam puriyum paadhan
Vaanavar vaazha maanila meedhu
Aanirai maeitha en naadhan
Kannan leelaigal seivaanae
Aayar manaiyil
Vennai thiruduvaan
Agamum kavarndhiduvaanae
Maaya punnagai seidhu mayakkum
Meeraavin prabu thaanae
Kannan leelaigal seivaanae
Praema nadhiyin theera madhanil
Meeraa prabuvum varuvaan aaa…aa
Praema nadhiyin theera madhanil
Meeraa prabuvum varuvaan
Thiru mugamadhanil kurunagai malara
Agamum puramum niraivaan
Kannan leelaigal seivaanae
Vaanam alandhaan
Kaalai ninaindhaal
Maayavinai agalaadho
Kani idhazh oodhum
Kuzhalisai kettaal
Kal manamum karaiyaadho
Kannan leelaigal seivaanae
Maalinai kaana maamunivorgal
Paarkadal thaediyae vandhaar
Aalilai melae thuyilkollum amudhai
Kaangilam endru viyandhaar
Amudhai kaangilam endru viyandhaar
Meeraa hrudhayam kovil kondaan
Meelaa adimai kondaan paedhai
Meeraa hrudhayam thannil
Adiyaal meeraa…aaa….aaa….aaa…aaa…aaa…aa…
Krishna plays his sweet games,
Krishna works his magical charms.
Little Gopalan plays his sweet games,
Krishna, dark as a blue raincloud and radiant like a gem,
He plays his sweet games.
In the forest pool, upon the heads of the serpent Kaliya,
He whose holy feet danced with joy, ah...
In the forest pool, upon the heads of the serpent Kaliya,
He whose holy feet danced with joy,
So the gods in heaven may thrive, upon this wide earth,
My Lord who grazed herds of cows.
Krishna plays his sweet games.
In the homes of the cowherds,
He steals butter,
And steals their hearts as well.
Enchanting everyone with his playful smile,
He is indeed Meera's Lord!
Krishna plays his sweet games.
On the banks of the river of love,
Meera's Lord will surely come, ah...
On the banks of the river of love,
Meera's Lord will surely come,
With a gentle smile blooming on his divine face,
He fills everything within and without.
Krishna plays his sweet games.
He who measured the entire sky,
If we remember his holy feet,
Won't all illusions of karma fade away?
Flowing from his sweet lips,
If one hears the music of his flute,
Won't even a heart of stone melt?
Krishna plays his sweet games.
To catch a glimpse of Lord Vishnu, the great sages
Came searching across the Ocean of Milk;
The divine nectar sleeping on a banyan leaf,
They wondered in surprise, saying, "We cannot find him!"
They were astonished, saying, "We cannot find that sweet nectar!"
He made Meera's heart his temple,
And claimed this simple girl as his devotee forever,
Within the heart of Meera,
His humble devotee Meera... ah...
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Male
Chorus
Male
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kannan Leelaigal Seivaanae is a classic devotional song celebrating the divine play, charm, and cosmic miracles of Lord Krishna, expressed through the devotion of Saint Meera. The song highlights both Krishna's accessible, endearing childhood acts—such as stealing butter from cowherd homes and dancing atop the venomous serpent Kaliya—and his grand cosmic forms, such as Vamana measuring the heavens and Vishnu resting on a banyan leaf.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

“Kaanaga maduvil kaaliyan thalaiyil”

Repetition of initial consonant sound 'K' across words in the line for rhythmic resonance.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Praema nadhiyin theera madhanil”

Comparing love to a flowing river ('Praema nadhi') and fruit to lips ('Kani idhazh').

Rhetorical Question

“Kal manamum karaiyaadho”

Asking a question with an implied emphasis that divine music and contemplation melt even hard-hearted individuals and dispel karmic illusion.

Edugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Vaanam alandhaan / Kaalai ninaindhaal”

Rhyming of the second letter 'n' in consecutive lines ('Vaanam' and 'Kaalai' / 'Kani').

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic song is from the landmark 1945 movie 'Meera', directed by American filmmaker Ellis R. Dungan and starring Bharat Ratna M. S. Subbulakshmi. Penned and composed by the legendary Carnatic composer Papanasam Sivan, the song showcased M. S. Subbulakshmi's incomparable vocal purity and cemented her image nationwide as the modern voice of Saint Meera.

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