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Neethaana Andha Kuyil album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kannana Kanna Unnai Female

From Neethaana Andha Kuyil · 1986

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Neethaana Andha Kuyil
Movie release year
1986
Lyrics added on
2 Jun 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kannaana kanna unna
Enna solli thaalaatta
Kanneeru vechirukken
Kannae unna neeraatta
Ammannu sonnaal enna thaenae
Ippodhu appa ingu naan thaanae
Kannaana kanna unna
Enna solli thaalaatta
Kanneeru vechirukken
Kannae unna neeraatta
Ellamae sondham thaane
Yaarukaaga vaadhada
Vittu pona kandhaluku
Endha thaiyal naan poda
Ellamae sondham thaane
Yaarukaaga vaadhada
Vittu pona kandhaluku
Endha thaiyal naan poda
Vittu thandhu vaadhadavaa
Sothukaaga poradavaa
Thaali illa ponnu katta
Thaali picha nana ketkava
Angaala ammanukku ponga vechu theeradhu
Mangaatha kaneerukku maada kulam thaangaathu
Kannaana kanna unna
Enna solli thaalaatta
Kanneeru vechirukken
Kannae unna neeraatta
Ammannu sonnaal enna thaenae
Ippodhu appa ingu naan thaanae
Aathadi indha sondham
Vandhadhellam yaarala
Paavi maga nenjukullae
Paal surakkum unnaala
Aathadi indha sondham
Vandhadhellam yaarala
Paavi maga nenjukullae
Paal surakkum unnaala
Thaedi vantha paadhagathi
Kaiyil enna pattakathi
Nyaaya padi paakka pona
Naanum inga yaaru katchi
En kadha solla pona raamayanam podhadhu
Kannagi seethaikkellam indha gadhi neraadhu
Kannaana kanna unna
Enna solli thaalaatta
Kanneeru vechirukken
Kannae unna neeraatta
Ammannu sonnaal enna thaenae
Ippodhu appa ingu naan thaanae
Kannaana kanna unna
Enna solli thaalaatta
Kanneeru vechirukken
Kannae unna neeraatta
Oh my precious child, dear as my eyes,
what lullaby can I sing to soothe you?
I have only my tears
to bathe you with, my little one.
What does it matter if you call me mother, my sweet honey?
Right now, I am your father too, aren't I?
Oh my precious child, dear as my eyes,
what lullaby can I sing to soothe you?
I have only my tears
to bathe you with, my little one.
Everyone here is my own family,
so whose side can I fight for?
For this torn and worn-out rag of a life,
what stitch can I possibly sew?
Everyone here is my own family,
so whose side can I fight for?
For this torn and worn-out rag of a life,
what stitch can I possibly sew?
Should I give up and still argue?
Or should I fight for wealth and property?
From a woman who has no thali (sacred marriage thread),
should I beg for the charity of a thali?
Even offering sweet rice to goddess Angala Amman will not ease this sorrow,
even a grand temple pond cannot hold these endless tears.
Oh my precious child, dear as my eyes,
what lullaby can I sing to soothe you?
I have only my tears
to bathe you with, my little one.
What does it matter if you call me mother, my sweet honey?
Right now, I am your father too, aren't I?
Good heavens, all these family bonds,
who brought them all upon me?
Deep inside the heart of this unfortunate woman,
mother's milk flows only because of you.
Good heavens, all these family bonds,
who brought them all upon me?
Deep inside the heart of this unfortunate woman,
mother's milk flows only because of you.
That cruel woman who came searching for me,
does she carry a sword in her hand?
If you look at this with fairness and truth,
whose side do I really belong to?
Even the epic Ramayana is not long enough to tell my story,
even Kannagi or Sita never suffered a fate like mine.
Oh my precious child, dear as my eyes,
what lullaby can I sing to soothe you?
I have only my tears
to bathe you with, my little one.
What does it matter if you call me mother, my sweet honey?
Right now, I am your father too, aren't I?
Oh my precious child, dear as my eyes,
what lullaby can I sing to soothe you?
I have only my tears
to bathe you with, my little one.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant lullaby from the 1986 movie 'Neethaana Andha Kuyil' captures a mother's profound sorrow and unwavering love while comforting her child. Caught in a web of betrayal, social injustice, and fractured family bonds, she laments that she has no earthly comforts or answers to give her infant—only her tears to bathe the child with. Forced by circumstances, she steps up to fulfill the responsibilities of both mother and father.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

“Kanneeru vechirukken / Kannae unna neeraatta”

Tears are metaphorically presented as water meant for bathing the child, emphasizing total grief and lack of physical resources.

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Aani)

“Vittu pona kandhaluku / Endha thaiyal naan poda”

The speaker asks an open question about how to mend broken relationships, comparing them to a torn, ruined cloth that cannot be stitched back.

Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)

“Kannagi seethaikkellam indha gadhi neraadhu”

Direct reference to epic tragic heroines Kannagi and Sita, highlighting that the speaker's suffering surpasses even famous mythological heartbreaks.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

“En kadha solla pona raamayanam podhadhu”

Exaggerating the depth of her sorrow by stating her story is longer than the epic Ramayana.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Neethaana Andha Kuyil' features classic compositions by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with emotionally resonant lyrics by Vairamuthu. The song highlights the signature 1980s Tamil film narrative device of tragic lullabies (Thaalaattu), where maternal warmth is contrasted against heavy melodrama and social hardship.

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