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Lyrics & meaning

Kannukkul Nooru Nilava

From Vedham Pudhithu · 1987

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
K. S. Chithra, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Devendran
Details
Vedham Pudhithu1987

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Pa pa pa pa pa paPa pa pa pa pa pa (Swaras / Musical notes)
Ga ga ga ga ga gaGa ga ga ga ga ga (Swaras / Musical notes)
Ni ni ni ni ni niNi ni ni ni ni ni (Swaras / Musical notes)
Sa sa sa sa sa saSa sa sa sa sa sa (Swaras / Musical notes)
Ga ri ga ri ni tha pa maGa ri ga ri ni tha pa ma (Swaras / Musical notes)
Sa pa ma tha ga ri sa ni riSa pa ma tha ga ri sa ni ri (Swaras / Musical notes)
Tha pa ri ga sa ni ri sa ni tha pa ma gaTha pa ri ga sa ni ri sa ni tha pa ma ga (Swaras / Musical notes)
Tha pa ri ga sa ni ri sa ni tha pa ma gaTha pa ri ga sa ni ri sa ni tha pa ma ga (Swaras / Musical notes)
Male
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya uravaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Male
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Kaikuttai kaadhal kadidham ezhuthiya uravaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Naanam vidavillai thodavillaiShyness hasn't left, nor has it touched yet,
Yeno vidai innum varavillaiWhy hasn't the answer come yet?
Aiyar vanthu sollum thedhiyil thaan vaarthai varumaWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Aiyar vandhu sollum thedhiyil thaan vaarthai varumaWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Chorus
Guru brahma guru vishnuGuru is Brahma, Guru is Vishnu,
Guru devo maheshwarahaGuru is God Maheshwara (Shiva),
Guru sakshaath para brahmaGuru is indeed the Supreme Brahma,
Thasmai sree guravae namahaTo that revered Guru, my salutations.
Chorus
Ommm sahana bhavathuOm, may He protect us both,
Ommm sahana bhavathuOm, may He protect us both,
Sahanau bhunakthuMay He nourish us both,
Sahanau bhunakthuMay He nourish us both,
Saha veeryam karavavahaiMay we work together with great vigor,
Saha veeryam karavavahaiMay we work together with great vigor.
Male
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya uravaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Male
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Kaikuttai kaadhal kadidham ezhuthiya uravaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Naanam vidavillai thodavillaiShyness hasn't left, nor has it touched yet,
Yeno vidai innum varavillaiWhy hasn't the answer come yet?
Aiyar vanthu sollum thedhiyil thaan vaarthai varumaWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Aiyar vandhu sollum thedhiyil thaan vaarthai varumaWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Female
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya uravaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Chorus
Ambha sambhavi chandramouli rabhalaO Mother Sambhavi, adorned with the crescent moon,
Aparna uma parvathiAparna, Uma, Parvathi,
Kaali haimavathi shiva thrinayanaaKaali, Haimavathi, the three-eyed Shiva's consort,
Kaathyayani bhairaviKaathyayani, Bhairavi,
Savithri navayowvana subhaghariSavithri, youthful and auspicious,
Saam rajya lakshmi pradhaBestower of imperial wealth and prosperity.
Male
Thendral thottadhum mottu vedithaalIf a bud blooms the moment the breeze touches it, will the creepers blame it?
Kodigal enna kutram sollumaIf backyard Tulsi crosses its boundaries, will the rules of Vedas let it go?
Female
Kollai thulasi ellai kadanthaalWho set the boundary for the sky?
Vedham sonna sattangal vittuvidumaIt is we who set boundaries for life,
Male
Vaanukku ellai yaar pottathuWhat escapes beyond the traditional scriptures?
Vaazhkaikku ellai naam pottadhuAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Female
Saathiram thaandi thappi selvathedhuIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Male
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaO flower... gentle woman-flower...
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya uravaWhat wonder is in this? It is the necessity of youth,
Chorus
Poove… pen poove…What secret is this? Do you not understand his heart?
Idhil enna adhisayam ilamaiyin avasiyamA man's longing subsides,
Idhu enna ragasiyam ivan manam puriyalaya…A woman's longing continues,
Female
Aanin thavippu adangi vidumAs long as the heart exists,
Pennin thavippu thodarnthu vidumJoy and sorrow belong equally to both,
Male
Ullam enbathu ullavaraikkumSomething inside me has come to life,
Inba thunbam ellaamae iruvarukkumA woman's heart has become divided into two today,
Female
Ennullae yedho undaanathuTwo? How? When both have become one...
Pen ullam indru rendaanathuAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Male
Renda ? yedhu ? ondru patta podhu…Is this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Female
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanavaShyness hasn't left, nor has it touched yet,
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya uravaWhy hasn't the answer come yet?
Naanam vidavillai thodavillaiWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Yeno vidai innum varavillaiWill words come only on the date fixed by the priest?
Male
Aiyar vanthu sollum thedhiyil thaan varthai varumaAre there a hundred moons in my eyes, or is this a dream?
Aiyar vanthu sollum thedhiyil thaan varthai varumaIs this a bond forged by writing love letters on a handkerchief?
Female
Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanava
Male
Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya urava….

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kannukkul Nooru Nilava is a classic romantic composition from the movie Vedham Pudhithu (1987). The song juxtaposes sacred Vedic slokas and classical swara improvisations with deeply emotional Tamil romantic poetry by Vairamuthu. It captures the tender hesitations, societal constraints, and intense yearning of young love struggling against traditional social barriers and orthodoxy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Metaphor

Kannukkul nooru nilava idhu oru kanava

Comparing the overwhelming beauty and light seen by the lover to 'a hundred moons in the eyes'.

Anaaprasa / Alliteration (Moni)

Kaikuttai kaadhal kaditham ezhuthiya urava

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words like 'Kannukkul', 'kaadhal', 'kaditham'.

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)

Vaanukku ellai yaar pottathu

Using questions to question societal boundaries and express internal emotional conflicts.

Did you know?

Trivia

Vedham Pudhithu was directed by Bharathiraja and features iconic music composed by Devendran (though often mistaken for Ilaiyaraaja due to its rich classical instrumentation). Sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra, this song won critical acclaim for blending traditional Sanskrit chants seamlessly into a mainstream Tamil film duet.

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