Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Paava Kadhaigal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kanney Naan Un Kannadi

From Paava Kadhaigal · 2020

Lyricist
Lyricist Not Known
Singer
Not Known
Music director
Karthick
Movie name
Paava Kadhaigal
Movie release year
2020
Lyrics added on
28 Nov 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kanney naan un kannaadi
Unna kaattura kannaadi
Santhosam en santhosam
Enga veesuna thaayeee…..
Kanney naan un kannaadi
Nee mayyai theettura kannaadi
Kanneera un kanneera
Enna pannuven thaayee…..
Marukkaa pooththida sirippa paaththida
Kizhakkum kaangala kanney….
Idunju nee azha udanju naan vizha
Tharaiyum kaangala kanney….
Kanney naan un kannaadi
Unna kaattura kannaadi
Santhosam en santhosam
Enga veesuna thaayeee…..
Kanney azhugaiya thingaathey
Neeyum theekkura thingaathey
Kaayaththa intha kaayaththa
Eththaal theeppaen thaayee…..
Kaaththa kaathula sollaatha
Kaayam aachunu sollaatha
Oorellaam ingu pollaatha
Peiga vaaluthu thaayee…..
Orunaal maaridum ranamum aaridum
Marakka paaradi pennae….
Enaiya theththavey valiya kaangala
Unaiya theththuran kanney….
My dear, I am your mirror,
The mirror that reflects you.
Happiness, all my happiness,
Where did you throw it away, my child?
My dear, I am your mirror,
The mirror you look into to put on kohl.
Tears, oh all your tears,
What can I do about them, my child?
To see you blossom again, to see your smile once more,
I cannot even see the dawn, my dear.
As you weep shattered and I fall apart,
I cannot even find the ground beneath my feet, my dear.
My dear, I am your mirror,
The mirror that reflects you.
Happiness, all my happiness,
Where did you throw it away, my child?
My dear, do not swallow your tears,
Do not swallow burning embers inside.
This wound, oh this wound,
How can I ever soothe it, my child?
Do not whisper it into the wind's ear,
Do not let it know that you are hurt.
For all across this town,
Cruel monsters dwell, my child.
One day things will change, the deep wound will heal,
Try to put it behind you, my girl.
I find no way to comfort my own heart,
Yet I try to comfort you, my dear.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant song expresses a parent's immense grief and unconditional empathy towards a suffering daughter. By referring to themselves as her 'mirror', the narrator highlights how deeply intertwined their emotions are—when the daughter cries, the parent crumbles inside. The lyrics paint a dark picture of societal cruelty, warning the daughter to hide her trauma because the surrounding world is filled with heartless people ('demons'). Despite feeling completely helpless and unable to heal their own pain, the parent tries to stay strong to offer solace, hope, and emotional comfort to the child, holding onto the faith that time will eventually heal the deep psychological wounds.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kanney naan un kannaadi

The line compares the parent to a mirror ('kannaadi'), signifying that the parent reflects the child's emotions, pain, and beauty directly.

Epizeuxis / Repetition

Kaayaththa intha kaayaththa

The duplication of 'kaayaththa' emphasizes the agonizing severity of the emotional trauma and wound.

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Kaaththa kaathula sollaatha / Kaayam aachunu sollaatha

The second letter consonant 'th' matches across lines ('Kaaththa', 'Kaayam', 'Oorellaam'), creating traditional Tamil poetic rhythm.

Hyperbole

Kizhakkum kaangala kanney…. / Tharaiyum kaangala kanney….

Describing the loss of sight of the east and the ground visually conveys total disorientation brought on by overwhelming grief.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track features in the Netflix Tamil anthology film 'Paava Kadhaigal' (2020), specifically in Gautham Vasudev Menon's segment 'Vaanmagal'. Composed by Justin Prabhakaran with lyrics penned by Yugabharathi, the song captures the agonizing emotional trauma faced by a family dealing with a severe societal crime committed against a young girl.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Paava Kadhaigal

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.