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Sippikkul Muthu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kannodu Kannana

From Sippikkul Muthu · 1985

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Sippikkul Muthu
Movie release year
1985
Lyrics added on
12 Sept 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Annai unnai adithaalo saami
Pinju nenju valikathoo saami
Annaiyum naan thaanae
Un appanum naan thaanae
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai yaar adithaar appaa
Nalla thaayin kannirandil
Kovam vantha maayam enna
Pasam nenjil irunthaalum
Nadipathil laabam enna
Vennaiyai kannan pol
Thirudivittaaiyoo
Veedhiyin mann ellaam
Thindruvittaaiyoo
Ammaa mannai thinga
Naan siruvano maayavano..oo
Kirukkano… neeyae paaru aah
Veruppadhu amma thaan..aa..
Veruppadhu amma thaan
Vitu vittu pogaadhae
Kozhi onnu kunja midichaa
Sedhangal vaaraadhae
Haaann…haahaha
Azhugai varaadhoo
Enakku azhugai vaaradhoo
Oora vittu ponaalum
Poga oru oorilla…aan
Sondham bandham paarthaalum
Soru thara aalilla
Pakkathila ava iruntha
Pasiyae edukkathu
Kovathula adichaalum
Konjamum valikaathu
Podammaa podu nalla podu
Innum podu podu
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Chinna paiyan nee alla
Alli vaithu thaalatta
Periya paiyan nee alla
Puththi madhi solla
Anaadhaiyaai vazhnthathu
Adadaa andru
Ippodhu naan kondadhu
Pillaigal rendu
Sondham enbadhu….
Sondham enbadhu
Thodarkadhai aanadhu
Bandham enbadhu
Vidukadhai aanadhu
Vaazhvae vidukadhai aanadhu
Haan …aa…
Ennamma manasukkul baramaa
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Annaiyum naan thaanae
Child :Aiyoo nee ambala
Male :Un appanum naan thaanae
Lallaala lallaala laalaa
Laala lalalala laala
Female :Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Kannodu kannaana
En kannaa
Unnai evaradithaar kanna
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Did your mother hit you, my little one?
Does your tender heart hurt, my little one?
I am your mother too,
and I am your father as well!
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who hit you, my dear?
In a good mother's eyes,
what is the mystery behind this sudden anger?
Even when love fills the heart,
what is the point of pretending otherwise?
Like little Krishna,
did you steal butter?
All the dirt from the street,
did you eat it up?
Mother, to eat dirt,
am I a little boy, or magical Krishna?
Or am I just crazy? See for yourself, ah!
A mother may show anger...
A mother may scold in anger,
yet she will never abandon you!
When a mother hen steps on her chick,
no harm comes to it!
Haan... hahaha!
Won't crying come?
Won't tears come to me?
Even if I leave this town,
there is no other place for me to go...
Even if I look for relatives,
there is no one to feed me.
As long as she is near me,
I never feel hungry.
Even if she hits me in anger,
it does not hurt even a bit.
Hit me, mother, hit me well,
strike me even more, go on!
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
You are not a little child
for me to hold close and sing a lullaby;
nor are you a grown man
for me to offer wise advice.
Living all alone as an orphan
was in the past.
What I have been blessed with now
are two children!
Kinship...
Kinship
has become an endless story,
and this sacred bond
has turned into a riddle;
life itself has become a riddle!
Haan... aa...
What is it, mother? Is your heart heavy?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
I am your mother too,
Child: Oh no, you are a man!
Male: And I am your father as well!
Lallala lallala laala
Laala lalalala laala
Female: Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Precious as my eyes,
my dear child,
who struck you, my darling?
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant song from 'Sippikkul Muthu' captures a deeply emotional conversation between an intellectually disabled, innocent man (played by Kamal Haasan) and a widow with a young child whom he marries out of pure innocence. The protagonist identifies with Lord Krishna's childhood antics, comparing his mother's loving reprimands to Yashoda scolding young Krishna. The lyrics weave together themes of maternal unconditional love, childlike innocence, and the complex societal bond that forms their unique family unit. The character expresses how maternal discipline is devoid of malice, using the metaphor of a hen stepping on her chick without causing harm. Despite his age, his mind remains as pure as an infant's, blurring the lines between father, child, and mother. The narrative turns poignant as he reflects on his past orphan hood compared to his present blessing of having a family, acknowledging that while relationships and life feel like complex riddles, love and togetherness remain his ultimate comfort.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Upamai (Simile / Analogy)

“Kozhi onnu kunja midichaa / Sedhangal vaaraadhae”

Compares maternal discipline to a mother hen accidentally stepping on her chick, emphasizing that a mother's anger never truly harms the child.

Mythological Allusion (Uruvagam / Purana Udharanam)

“Vennaiyai kannan pol / Thirudivittaaiyoo”

References Lord Krishna stealing butter and eating soil to parallel the innocent protagonist's child-like traits.

Edhukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Sondham enbadhu / Bandham enbadhu”

The second letters 'n' (nn) match in consecutive lines, adding rhythmic flow.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Thodarkadhai aanadhu / Bandham enbadhu / Vidukadhai aanadhu”

Life and human relationships are metaphorically described as a continuous serial story and a riddle.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kannodu Kannaana' is the Tamil rendition of the famous song 'Lali Lali' from the iconic Telugu film 'Swathi Muthyam' (1986), directed by K. Viswanath and scored by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. Kamal Haasan won widespread acclaim and awards for his portrayal of the autistic protagonist, and Ilaiyaraaja's score for this film is considered one of his absolute masterpieces in Indian cinema.

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