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Lyrics & meaning

Kannukku Nee Oru

From Ullathil Kuzhanthaiyadi · 1978

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singers
Seerkazhi Govindarajan, Vani Jairam
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Ullathil Kuzhanthaiyadi
Movie release year
1978
Lyrics added on
24 Jun 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kannukku neeyoru kanniponnu
En karuththukku nee verum pachai mannu
Kannukku neeyoru kanniponnu
En karuththukku nee verum pachai mannu
Unnadiyo soru unnadiyo
Ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Nee ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Kannukku neeyoru kanniponnu
En karuththukku nee verum pachai mannu
Unnadiyo soru unnadiyo
Ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Nee ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Vannachampaa kuththi soraakki
Vaalai meen thundaththai saaraakki
Vannachampaa kuththi soraakki
Vaalai meen thundaththai saaraakki
Vanjamariyaatha penn unakku
Vanjara meenum porichchirukku
Nalla vanjara meenum porichchirukku
Unnadiyo soru unnadiyo
Ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Nee ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Uruvaththil neeyyoru sengarumbu
Ullaththil chinna chiru arumbu
Uruvaththil neeyyoru sengarumbu
Ullaththil chinna chiru arumbu
Nee odiyaadi pannum akkurumbu
Intha ulamariyaa pillai kurumbu
Intha ulamariyaa pillai kurumbu
Kannukku neeyoru kanniponnu
En karuththukku nee verum pachai mannu
Unnadiyo soru unnadiyo
Ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Nee ottaaram pannuvathennadiyo
Pinjil pazhukkindra kaalamadi
Pathinanjil idhu enna kolamadi
Pinjil pazhukkindra kaalamadi
Pathinanjil idhu enna kolamadi
Ennai sanjalaththukku aalaakkuthadi
To the eyes, you look like a grown young woman,
But to my mind, you are just tender, innocent clay.
To the eyes, you look like a grown young woman,
But to my mind, you are just tender, innocent clay.
Eat your food, girl, come eat your meal,
Why are you sulking so stubbornly?
Why are you acting so stubborn?
To the eyes, you look like a grown young woman,
But to my mind, you are just tender, innocent clay.
Eat your food, girl, come eat your meal,
Why are you sulking so stubbornly?
Why are you acting so stubborn?
Pounding Vanna Samba rice to cook a meal,
Making curry with pieces of vaalai fish,
Pounding Vanna Samba rice to cook a meal,
Making curry with pieces of vaalai fish,
For an innocent girl like you with no malice,
Tasty seer fish has been fried too,
Fine seer fish has also been fried crisp.
Eat your food, girl, come eat your meal,
Why are you sulking so stubbornly?
Why are you acting so stubborn?
In appearance, you are like sweet red sugarcane,
But at heart, you are just a tiny flower bud.
In appearance, you are like sweet red sugarcane,
But at heart, you are just a tiny flower bud.
All the playful mischief you do running around,
Is just the innocent pranks of a naive child,
The innocent pranks of a naive child.
To the eyes, you look like a grown young woman,
But to my mind, you are just tender, innocent clay.
Eat your food, girl, come eat your meal,
Why are you sulking so stubbornly?
Why are you acting so stubborn?
This is an age when youth ripens too early,
What kind of strange mood is this at fifteen?
This is an age when youth ripens too early,
What kind of strange mood is this at fifteen?
It makes my heart worry so much!
Female
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Male
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Kannukku Neeyoru Kanniponnu' captures an affectionate dialogue coaxing a young girl to eat her food despite her stubborn tantrums. The speaker notes the contrast between her growing physical appearance—a young woman of fifteen—and her underlying childlike innocence. Comparing her to raw clay and an unopened flower bud, the singer highlights her pure heart devoid of deceit while lightheartedly worrying about her growing precociousness. To entice her, a sumptuous meal featuring pounded Samba rice, ribbonfish curry, and fried kingfish is prepared. The song beautifully blends paternal/guardian love, gentle teasing, and traditional rural Tamil domestic imagery through lyrical simplicity and melodic warmth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

“En karuththukku nee verum pachai mannu”

Refers to the girl's pure, uncorrupted innocence using 'pachai mannu' (raw, unbaked clay).

Contrast / Antithesis

“Uruvaththil neeyyoru sengarumbu / Ullaththil chinna chiru arumbu”

Contrasts outward physical maturity ('sengarumbu' - sweet sugarcane) with internal childish innocence ('chinna chiru arumbu' - tiny flower bud).

Tamil Idiom (Pazhamozhi / Marabu)

“Pinjil pazhukkindra kaalamadi”

'Pinjil pazhukkindra' is a traditional Tamil idiom referring to precociousness or maturing before one's appropriate time.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme / Assonance)

“Vanjamariyaatha penn unakku / Vanjara meenum porichchirukku”

Wordplay pairing 'Vanjam' (deceit) with 'Vanjara' (Kingfish) for poetic rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the dynamic duo Shankar-Ganesh for the 1978 movie 'Ullathil Kuzhanthaiyadi', this song features lyrics by legendary poet A. Maruthakasi. Sung by veteran singers Seerkazhi Govindarajan and Vani Jairam, the track is renowned for its charming rural flavor and authentic Tamil culinary references such as 'Vannachampaa' rice and 'Vanjaram' fish.

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