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Lyrics & meaning

Kannanai Kanpaya

From Manithanin Marupakkam · 1986

Lyricist
Na. Kamarasan
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Manithanin Marupakkam1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaaya..aaa….aa…aa…aa…Will you convey my heart's feelings? Ah...
Female
Kannilae thalaivan mugham vandhuMy lover's face appears before my eyes,
Aaa…aaa…aaa..haa…aa…aa…Ah...
Kannilae thalaivan mugham vandhuMy lover's face appears before my eyes,
Nenjil pugundhu..kalandhu kulavudhuEntering my heart, blending and fondling it,
Nenjil pugundhu..kalandhu kulavudhuEntering my heart, blending and fondling it,
Kannilae thalaivan mugham vandhuMy lover's face appears before my eyes,
Nenjil pugundhu..kalandhu kulavudhuEntering my heart, blending and fondling it,
Female
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaaWill you see my Lord Krishna?
Female
Thookam parakkindradhaeSleep flies away from me,
Thodarnthu vriagam nadakindrathaeContinuous pain of separation takes place,
Thookam parakkindradhaeSleep flies away from me,
Thodarnthu vriagam nadakindrathaeContinuous pain of separation takes place,
Penmai yekkam arivaayaeDo you understand the yearning of womanhood?
Naetru sonna inba kadhaigalilIn the joyful stories told yesterday,
Thunbam pirandhadhuSorrow was born,
Yekkam arivaayaeDo you understand the yearning?
Naetru sonna inba kadhaigalilIn the joyful stories told yesterday,
Thunbam pirandhadhuSorrow was born,
Female
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaaWill you see my Lord Krishna?
Female
Neerum ennai suduthaeEven water burns me now,
Aaa…aa…aaa…aa..haa…aa…aa..aa…aa..Ah...
Aaa…aa…aa…aa…aaa…aa…aa…Ah...
Neerum ennai suduthaeEven water burns me now,
Vizhiyil kanneer mazhai vizhuthaeA rain of tears falls from my eyes,
Neerum ennai suduthaeEven water burns me now,
Vizhiyil kanneer mazhai vizhuthaeA rain of tears falls from my eyes,
Female
Un kai thottu pidithathadaHe held me by my hand,
Paadum indha mangai malar vanamWhen will this singing maiden's flower garden,
Endru malarvathuTruly blossom?
Thottu pidithathadaHe held me by my hand,
Paadum indha mangai malar vanamWhen will this singing maiden's flower garden,
Endru malarvathuTruly blossom?
Female
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavaeOh moon, will you see my Lord Krishna?
En manam solvaayaWill you convey my heart's feelings?
Aaa…aaa…aa…aa…aa…aaa…Ah...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavae is a poignant Tamil song expressing a woman's deep romantic longing and sorrow in separation from her beloved. Addressing the moon as her messenger, she desperately pleads with it to find her lover (metaphorically addressed as Krishna) and convey the anguish inside her heart. Her mind is constantly occupied by the vivid memory of his face, which haunts her vision and lingers deep in her soul. The song captures the intense agony of love-sickness (viraham), where sleep completely deserts her, and former sweet memories now bring tears. The agony is so acute that even cool water feels as though it burns her skin. She wonders when her heart, likened to a flowering garden, will bloom again upon being reunited with him.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Apostrophe (Munnilai)

Kannanai kaanbaaiyaa nilavae

Addressing an inanimate object (the moon / nilavu) as a personified confidante and messenger to convey feelings of love.

Paradox / Oxymoron (Viraha Taapam)

Neerum ennai suduthae

Describing cool water as burning the body to illustrate the intense inner heat caused by the pain of separation.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Vizhiyil kanneer mazhai vizhuthae / Paadum indha mangai malar vanam

Comparing tears falling from the eyes to a heavy downpour of rain, and comparing the maiden's youthful heart to a flower garden.

Rhyme & Alliteration (Ethirhai & Monai)

Thookam parakkindradhae / Thodarnthu vriagam nadakindrathae

Use of matching consonant and vowel sounds in consecutive poetic lines to create a rhythmic cadence (e.g., Thookam / Thodarnthu).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song features lyrics by the renowned Tamil poet Na. Kamarajan from the 1986 film 'Manithanin Marupakkam' directed by K. Rangaraj. The film's musical score was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, who composed this track in a classical Carnatic-based melody to highlight the traditional theme of 'Viraha Pasalai' (the pain of separation in classical Tamil poetry).

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