Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Vasantha Raagam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kannan Manam Allavo

From Vasantha Raagam · 1986

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Vasantha Raagam
Movie release year
1986
Lyrics added on
3 Aug 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kannaa…kannaa…kannaaaaa…
Kannan manam ennavo kandu vaa thendralae…
Gangai karai allavo kaadhalin mandramae…
Andha meeraavaippol yenginen
Dhinam vaadaamal naan vaadinen…
Meeraavaippol yenginen
Dhinam vaadaamal naan vaadinen…
Kannan manam ennavo kandu vaa thendralae…
Gangai karai allavo kaadhalin mandramae…
Gaanathil…kuzhal naadhathil
Oru kandharva logathil enaikkondu serppaan
Monathil…andhi nerathil
Avan munnooru muthangal ondraaga ketpaan
Kaarkoondhal dhaan neevuvaan…
Adhil kalyaana sugam theduvaan
Andha kanathil en udhattil
Than udhattaal mutheduppaan
Vaanam endhan kaalil vandhu
Kolam podaadho…
Kannan manam ennavo kandu vaa thendralae…
Gangai karai allavo kaadhalin mandramae…
Mogathil… vizhi orathil
Kannan paarthaalum en nenjil pasiyaari pogum
Kaamathil…naduchaamathil
Imai moodaadha en kannil nadhi odi paayum
Mai kooda karaigindradhae…
Indru panneerum sudugindradhae…
Andhi iruttil en vizhikkul
Nindriruppaan kanmanikkul…
Ingum angum engum
Kaadhalil kannan kolangal..
Kannan manam ennavo kandu vaa thendralae…
Gangai karai allavo kaadhalin mandramae…
Kanna... Kanna... Kanna...
O gentle breeze, go find out what is in Kannan's heart...
Isn't the riverbank of the Ganges the meeting place of love?
Like Meera, I have yearned for him,
Day after day, I withered away...
Like Meera, I have yearned for him,
Day after day, I withered away...
O gentle breeze, go find out what is in Kannan's heart...
Isn't the riverbank of the Ganges the meeting place of love?
Through song, through the melody of his flute,
He carries me away to a heavenly world of music,
In silence, at the twilight hour,
He asks for three hundred kisses all at once,
He gently strokes my dark hair,
Seeking the sweet joy of union in it,
At that moment, upon my lips,
He gathers kisses with his own lips,
Won't the very sky come down to my feet
And draw patterns of celebration?
O gentle breeze, go find out what is in Kannan's heart...
Isn't the riverbank of the Ganges the meeting place of love?
With longing, from the corner of his eye,
If Kannan just looks at me, the hunger in my heart is fulfilled,
With desire, in the dead of night,
A river rushes through my sleepless eyes,
Even my eye-kohl dissolves and runs...
Today, even cooling rosewater feels burning hot...
In the darkness of dusk, inside my eyes,
He stands within the pupil of my eye...
Here, there, and everywhere,
Kannan appears in beautiful forms of love...
O gentle breeze, go find out what is in Kannan's heart...
Isn't the riverbank of the Ganges the meeting place of love?
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song expresses the deep devotional love (Bhakti and Shringara Rasa) of a woman yearning for her beloved Krishna, comparing her longing to that of Saint Meera. She addresses the gentle breeze (thendral) as a messenger to discover Krishna's thoughts, lost in thoughts of his flute music, intimate affection, and eternal presence within her heart and eyes.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Andha meeraavaippol yenginen

The heroine compares her deep spiritual and romantic yearning directly to Saint Meera ('Andha meeraavaippol yenginen').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Than udhattaal mutheduppaan

Kissing lips is metaphorically described as harvesting pearls ('mutheduppaan').

Oxymoron / Paradox

Indru panneerum sudugindradhae…

Cooling rosewater (panneer) feeling hot ('sudugindradhae') highlights the burning sensation of separation (Viraha Taapam).

Personification

Kannan manam ennavo kandu vaa thendralae…

The gentle breeze ('thendralae') is personified as a messenger sent to read Krishna's heart.

Did you know?

Trivia

The movie 'Vasantha Raagam' (1986) featured music composed by M. S. Viswanathan and starred Vijayakanth and Sudha Chandran. The lyrics penned by Vaali beautifully evoke classical Tamil literary tropes where the breeze serves as a romantic messenger (Thendral Vidu Thoodhu).

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Vasantha Raagam

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.