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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Karuppu Nila

From En Aasai Machan · 1994

Lyricist
Kalidasan
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Deva
Details
En Aasai Machan1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Karupu nilaBlack moon
Karupu nilaBlack moon
Female
{ Karupu nilaBlack moon
Neethaan kalanguvadhu yenWhy are you distressed?
Thuli thuliyaai kanneerTears drop by drop,
Vizhuvadhu yen } (2)Why are they falling?
Female
Chinna maanae maankuyilaeLittle deer, my dear cuckoo-like deer
Un manasula enna kuraiWhat grievance is in your heart?
Petha aathaa pol irupenI will be like the mother who gave birth to you,
Indha boomiyil vaazhum varaAs long as I live on this earth.
Female
Ettu dhisai yaavumTo rule all eight directions,
Katti arasalaHolding power over them,
Vandha rasa neethaanaeAre you not the king who came?
Female
Karupu nilaBlack moon
Neethaan kalanguvadhu yenWhy are you distressed?
Thuli thuliyaai kanneerTears drop by drop,
Vizhuvadhu yenWhy are they falling?
Female
Pathu masam madiyendhiHolding you in her womb for ten months,
Pethedutha magarasiThe blessed woman who gave birth to you,
Pacha pulla unnavittuDid you cry thinking of how that blessed lady,
Ponathenni azhuthaayaLeft you behind as a tender baby?
Female
Maman vandhu enaikaakaWith maternal uncle coming to protect me,
Nanum vandhu unai thaakaAnd I coming to cherish and comfort you,
Naam virumbum inbam ellamAll the happiness we desire,
Naalai varum namakaagaWill come for us tomorrow.
Female
Kaalam ulla kaalamAs long as time exists,
Vaazhum indha paasamThis affection will live on.
Poo vizhi imai moodiyaeClosing your flower-like eyelids,
Chinna poovae kannuranguSleep now, my little flower.
Female
Karupu nilaBlack moon
Neethaan kalanguvadhu yenWhy are you distressed?
Thuli thuliyaai kanneerTears drop by drop,
Vizhuvadhu yenWhy are they falling?
Female
Vanna vanna mugam kaatiShowing a colorful face,
Vaanavillin niram kaatiDisplaying the colors of a rainbow,
Chinna chinna mazhalai pesiSpeaking in sweet baby babble,
Chithirampol maganae vaaCome my son, beautiful like a picture!
Female
Sembaruthi malar polaeLike a hibiscus flower,
Soka velli mani polaeLike a pure silver bell,
Kannam rendum minnaWith both cheeks shining,
Minna kanmaniyaeShining brightly, my precious darling,
Madimel vaaCome sit on my lap!
Female
Paatu thamizh paatuA song, a sweet Tamil song,
Paada adha kettuAs it is sung, hearing it,
Aadidum vilaiyadidumDancing and playing around,
Thanga therae neethaanaeAre you not a golden chariot?
Female
{ Karupu nilaBlack moon
Neethaan kalanguvadhu yenWhy are you distressed?
Thuli thuliyaai kanneerTears drop by drop,
Vizhuvadhu yen } (2)Why are they falling?
Female
Ye maanae maankuyilaeHey deer, my dear cuckoo-like deer!
Un manasula enna kuraiWhat grievance is in your heart?
Petha aathaa pol irupenI will be like the mother who gave birth to you,
Indha boomiyil vaazhum varaAs long as I live on this earth.
Female
Ettu dhisai yaavumTo rule all eight directions,
Katti arasalaHolding power over them,
Vandha rasa neethaanaeAre you not the king who came?
Female
Karupu nilaBlack moon
Neethaan kalanguvadhu yenWhy are you distressed?
Thuli thuliyaai kanneerTears drop by drop,
Vizhuvadhu yenWhy are they falling?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Karupu Nila is a tender and comforting lullaby from the movie En Aasai Machan (1994). Sung from the perspective of a loving maternal figure, the song offers solace to a young child weeping over the absence of his birth mother. The singer promises to nurture and protect him like her own, reassuring him that bright and joyful days lie ahead. Throughout the song, poetic imagery compares the child to cherished objects and nature—a dark moon, a golden chariot, a rainbow, and a hibiscus flower. It celebrates unconditional maternal affection that transcends biological ties and promises lifelong protection.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Oxymoron / Metaphor

Karupu nila

Combining contrasting terms 'Karupu' (black) and 'Nila' (moon) to affectionately describe a dark-complexioned child as a precious moon.

Adukkuthodar (Repetition for emphasis)

Thuli thuliyaai kanneer

Repeated words 'Thuli thuliyaai' (drop by drop) to vividly depict tears trickling down.

Upamai (Simile)

Petha aathaa pol irupen

Comparing her commitment to motherly love using 'pol' (like).

Urvagam (Metaphor)

Thanga therae neethaanae

Directly addressing the child as a golden chariot ('Thanga therae').

Upamai (Simile)

Sembaruthi malar polae

Comparing the child's radiance and beauty to a hibiscus flower ('Sembaruthi malar polae').

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Karupu Nila' was composed by Deva with lyrics by Kalidasan for the 1994 film En Aasai Machan starring Vijayakanth, Revathi, and Ranjitha. The track, performed beautifully by K. S. Chithra, became one of the most famous emotional lullabies in Tamil cinema during the 1990s.

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