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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kannanal Naan Imaiyaven

From Saradha · 1962

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
P. B. Sreenivas, P. Susheela
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Details
Saradha1962

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Eppiravi eduthaalumWhatever birth I may take,
Engae nee sendraalumWherever you may go,
Kai pidiyil unnodu kaalam ellaamHand in hand with you through all of time,
Naan varuvenI will come.
Kaalam ellaam naan varuvenThrough all of time, I will come.
Female
Kannanaal naan imaiyaavenIf you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid.
Kaatraanaal naan kodiyavenIf you become the wind, I shall become the flag.
Male :Mann endraal naan maram aavenMale: If you are the soil, I shall become the tree.
Mazhai endral naan payiraavenIf you are the rain, I shall become the crop.
Female
Kannanaal naan imaiyaavenIf you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid.
Kaatraanaal naan kodiyavenIf you become the wind, I shall become the flag.
Male :Mann endraal naan maram aavenMale: If you are the soil, I shall become the tree.
Mazhai endral naan payiraavenIf you are the rain, I shall become the crop.
Female
Kannanaal naan imaiyaaven ..aen…aen….If you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid...
Female
Mozhiyaanaal porulaavenIf you become language, I shall become its meaning.
Mullaanaal malaravenIf you become a thorn, I shall become a flower.
Nee mozhiyaanaal porulaavenIf you become language, I shall become its meaning.
Mullaanaal malaravenIf you become a thorn, I shall become a flower.
Male
Kiliyaanaal kaniyaavenIf you become a parrot, I shall become the fruit.
Kelvi endraal bathilaavenIf you are a question, I shall become the answer.
Kiliyaanaal kaniyaavenIf you become a parrot, I shall become the fruit.
Kelvi endraal bathilaavenIf you are a question, I shall become the answer.
Male
Kannanaal naan imaiyaaven ..aen…aen….If you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid...
Female
Kadalaanaal nadhiyavenIf you become the sea, I shall become the river.
Kanaiyaanaal villavenIf you become an arrow, I shall become the bow.
Nee kadalaanaal nadhiyavenIf you become the sea, I shall become the river.
Kanaiyaanaal villavenIf you become an arrow, I shall become the bow.
Male
Udalaanaal uyiravenIf you become the body, I shall become the soul.
Oliyaanaal isaiyavenIf you become sound, I shall become music.
Udalaanaal uyiravenIf you become the body, I shall become the soul.
Oliyaanaal isaiyavenIf you become sound, I shall become music.
Nee oliyaanaal isaiyavenIf you become sound, I shall become music.
Female
Kannanaal naan imaiyaaven ..aen…aen….If you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid...
Male
Ullam enbathu ullavaraiAs long as a heart exists,
Un maname en palliyaraiYour heart is my bedchamber.
Ullam enbathu ullavaraiAs long as a heart exists,
Un maname en palliyaraiYour heart is my bedchamber.
Female
Kallil vaditha sol polaeLike words etched into stone,
Adhu kaalam kadantha inba nilaiIt is a timeless state of pure bliss.
Kallil vaditha sol polaeLike words etched into stone,
Adhu kaalam kadantha inba nilaiIt is a timeless state of pure bliss.
Male
Kannanaal naan imaiyaavenIf you are the eye, I shall become the eyelid.
Female :Kaatraanaal naan kodiyavenFemale: If you become the wind, I shall become the flag.
Male :Mann endraal naan maram aavenMale: If you are the soil, I shall become the tree.
Female :Mazhai endral naan payiraavenFemale: If you are the rain, I shall become the crop.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song from Saradha (1962) is an exquisite expression of everlasting devotion and complementary love. Through a series of poetic metaphors, the couple declares that whatever form one takes, the other will naturally complement and protect them—just as an eyelid protects the eye, rain nourishes the crop, or meaning gives life to language. The lyricist emphasizes that their bond transcends single lifetimes and is as permanent as inscriptions carved on stone.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Parallelism / Anaphora (எதுகை - இயைபு தொடர்)

Kannanaal naan imaiyaaven / Kaatraanaal naan kodiyaven

Repeated conditional pairing of '...aanaal ...aaven' (If you become X, I shall become Y) across multiple stanzas to build rhythmic harmony and emphasize interdependence.

Metaphor (உருவகம்)

Udalaanaal uyiraven

Comparing the intimate relationship to essential complementary pairs like eye-eyelid, body-soul, bow-arrow, and question-answer.

Simile (உவமை அணி)

Kallil vaditha sol polae

Explicit comparison using 'polae' (like/as) comparing their permanent happiness to words etched in stone.

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Trivia

Composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics by Kannadasan, 'Kannanaal Naan Imaiyaaven' was sung by P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela. The film Saradha (1962) starred K. S. Gopalakrishnan and S. S. Rajendran, and this song remains one of Kannadasan's most celebrated romantic compositions using natural allegories.

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