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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kovakkara Kiliye

From Vel · 2007

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Sujatha, Tippu
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Vel2007

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kovakkaara kiliyaeOh angry parrot
Enai koththi vittu pogaathaeDo not peck me and fly away
Aruvaa manaiya polaLike a curved cutting blade
Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae..ehDo not raise your eyebrows at me
Male
Kovakkaara kiliyaeOh angry parrot
Enai koththi vittu pogaathaeDo not peck me and fly away
Aruvaa manaiya polaLike a curved cutting blade
Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae..Do not raise your eyebrows at me
Male
Yetho yetho konjamSomehow, a little
Vali kooduthaeThe pain is increasing
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Male
Yetho yetho nenjamSomehow, the heart
Kodai saiyuthaeIs tilting sideways like an umbrella
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Male
Kovakkaara kiliyaeOh angry parrot
Enai koththi vittu pogaathaeDo not peck me and fly away
Aruvaa manaiya polaLike a curved cutting blade
Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae..Do not raise your eyebrows at me
Male
Ye… sooriyagandhi poovapolaHey, like a sunflower
Mugaththa thiruppuriyaeYou turn your face away
Nee sozhatti potta soliyappolaLike thrown cowrie shells
Sethari oduriyaeYou scatter and run away
Female
Ye azhaga neeyumHey handsome one, you
Idhamaa pesi aala usuppuriyaeSpeak gently and stir my feelings
Onkiruthaa mela medhuvaa saayaTo lean gently on your shoulder
Enna thorathuriyaeYou are enticing me
Male
Mayilappooru mayilaeOh peacock of Mylapore
Oru eraguppodammaaDrop a feather for me, lady
Female :En sontha ooru maduraiFemale: My native town is Madurai
Ada thalli nillaiyaaHey, stand at a distance
Male
Urugatha ponnumillaThere is no metal that does not melt
Udaiyaatha pennumillaThere is no woman that does not yield
Sarithaan podi pullaeThat is fine, go on girl
Female
Meyaadha aadum illaThere is no goat that does not graze
Meyaati pullum illaThere is no grass that is not grazed
Savadaal thevai illaBragging talk is not needed
Male
Yeno yeno konjamSomehow, a little
Vali kooduthaeThe pain is increasing
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Male
Yeno yeno nenjamSomehow, the heart
Kodai saiyuthaeIs tilting sideways like an umbrella
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Male
Kovakkaara kiliyaeOh angry parrot
Enai koththi vittu pogaathaeDo not peck me and fly away
Aruvaa manaiya polaLike a curved cutting blade
Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae..Do not raise your eyebrows at me
Female
Aaahaa….Aahaa...
Sithiramaasa veyilappolaLike the heat in the month of Chithirai
Sootta kelappuriyaeYou raise up the temperature
Nee pottakkaattu puzhuthi kaathaaLike dusty wind in dry barren lands
Enna suththuriyaeYou swirl around me
Male
Yei patharamaathuHey, like pure 24-carat gold
Thangam pola mavusa kaatturiyaeYou show off your grandeur
Nee pakkathu veettu murukkaippolaLike the crispy snack from the neighboring house
Murukkaa irukkiriyaeYou stay rigid and twisted
Female
Yei pathiram pottakaiyaalHey, with the hand that signs the deed
Oru pathiyam podaiyaaPlant a sapling / make a bond
Male
Pattaa neeyum thanthaIf you grant me the land title deed
Naan payirae veppenaeI will cultivate crops on it
Female
Pasithaagam thonavillaiI feel neither hunger nor thirst
Paduthaalum thookkamillaeEven if I lie down, I cannot sleep
Kaadhal idhuthaanaaIs this what love is?
Male
Kannaadi paakkavillaI haven't looked in the mirror
Munnaadi neeyumillaNor are you in front of me
Kaadhal idhuthaanaaIs this what love is?
Female
Oh yetho yetho konjamOh, somehow, a little
Vali kooduthaeThe pain is increasing
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Female
Yetho yetho nenjamSomehow, the heart
Kodai saiyuthaeIs tilting sideways like an umbrella
Ada kaadhal idhudhaanaaAh, is this what love is?
Male
Kovakkaara kiliyaeOh angry parrot
Enai koththi vittu pogaathaeDo not peck me and fly away
Aruvaa manaiya polaLike a curved cutting blade
Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae..Do not raise your eyebrows at me

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kovakkaara Kiliyae is a lively rural duet from the movie Vel (2007), capturing the playful banter and blooming romance between the lead couple. The male protagonist teases the heroine about her feisty nature, comparing her raised eyebrows to a sharp curved blade and her turned face to a sunflower. As they exchange witty rural proverbs and retorts, both acknowledge the physical and emotional symptoms of love—loss of sleep, loss of appetite, and a fluttering heart.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Aruvaa manaiya pola / Nee puruvanthookki kaattaathae

Compares the heroine's sharply arched eyebrow to an 'aruvaa manai' (a traditional curved kitchen blade).

Simile (Upamai)

sooriyagandhi poovapola / Mugaththa thiruppuriyae

Compares turning the face away to a sunflower (sooriyagandhi) turning relative to the sun.

Metaphor (Urvagam)

Kovakkaara kiliyae

Addresses the hot-tempered heroine affectionately as an 'angry parrot' (Kovakkaara kili).

Did you know?

Trivia

Vel (2007) was directed by Hari and starred Suriya in a dual role alongside Asin. The soundtrack was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, with lyrics penned by Na. Muthukumar. This folk-pop track was sung by Tipu and Sujatha Mohan.

Keep listening

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