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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kasturi Mane Mane

From Kathirukka Neramillai · 1993

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Kathirukka Neramillai1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
O… kasthoori maanae maanaeOh... musk deer, my dear deer
Kanneeril neendhum meenaeA fish swimming in tears
Oorengum thoongum neramAt a time when the whole town is asleep
Un kannil yeno eeramWhy are your eyes filled with dampness?
Male
Kannae un annai naanammaaMy darling, I am your mother, dear child
Oo…oo hoo ooOo…oo hoo oo
Thaayae nee konjam thoongammaaMy little mother, sleep for a while
Pudhu rojaa ini vaadaadhaeThe fresh rose will not wither anymore
Thandhai manam thoongaadhaeThe father's heart will not rest in sleep
Oo… oo…hooOo… oo…hoo
Male
Kasthoori maanae maanaeMusk deer, my dear deer
Kanneeril neendhum meenaeA fish swimming in tears
Kannae un annai naanammaaMy darling, I am your mother, dear child
Oo…oo hoo ooOo…oo hoo oo
Kannae un annai naanammaa …My darling, I am your mother, dear child...
Male
Aagaasa paadhai oramAlong the pathway of the sky
Oorkolam pogum megamThe cloud marching in procession
Ammaavai thedi pogumaa …Will it go in search of your mother?
Oo…oo hoo ooOo…oo hoo oo
Ammaavai neril paarthuMeeting mother face to face
Aaraaro raagam kettuListening to her lullaby melody
Thaalaattu naalai paadumaaWill it sing a lullaby tomorrow?
Andha megam varum paattoduAlong with the song that cloud brings
Tholil nee saaindhaaduLean on my shoulder and sway to rest
Oo…oo hooOo…oo hoo
Male
Kasthoori maanae maanaeMusk deer, my dear deer
Kanneeril neendhum meenaeA fish swimming in tears
Kannae un annai naanammaaMy darling, I am your mother, dear child
Oo…oo hoo ooOo…oo hoo oo
Kannae un annai naanammaa …My darling, I am your mother, dear child...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a deeply emotional lullaby sung by a protective father to his motherless child late at night. Comparing the crying child to a gentle musk deer and a fish swimming in tears, the father wonders why the child is awake when the entire town is asleep. He tenderly takes on the role of a mother, comforting the child and promising that he will stay awake vigilantly to protect this blossoming 'fresh rose' from ever wilting again. The lyrics paint a poetic picture of clouds moving across the sky, wondering if they might search for the child's absent mother to bring back her soft lullabies. The father offers his own shoulder as a safe haven, asking the child to lean on him and sleep peacefully wrapped in love and care.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Kanneeril neendhum meenae

The child's sorrowful state is poetically compared to a fish swimming in tears ('Kanneeril neendhum meenae') and a gentle 'musk deer' ('Kasthoori maanae').

Personification

Oorkolam pogum megam / Ammaavai thedi pogumaa

Clouds in the sky are personified as traveling in a procession ('Oorkolam') and searching for the child's mother to learn a lullaby.

Second-Letter Rhyme (Ethirai)

Kasthoori maanae maanae / Kanneeril neendhum meenae

Tamil poetic rhyme scheme matching the second consonant across lines ('Kasthoori' / 'Kanneeril').

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by veteran lyricist Pulamaipithan, the song emphasizes the emotional depth of fatherhood taking on maternal warmth, a recurring thematic trope in Tamil cinema tender lullabies.

Keep listening

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