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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kuzhaloothum Kannanukku

From Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu · 1986

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
K. S. Chithra
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...
Female
En kuralodu machaan ungaOh beloved, is the sound of your flute
Kuzhaloosa potti poduthaa..competing with my voice?
Female
Elaiyodu poovum thalaiyaattum paaru..Look, the flower nods along with the leaf..
Elaiyodu poovum kaayum thalaiyaattum paaru paaruLook look, the flower and the fruit nod along with the leaf
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...
Female
{Malakaathu veesurapothu malligapoo paadaathaaWhen the mountain breeze blows, wouldn't the jasmine flower sing?
Mazhamegam koodurapothu vanna mayil aadaathaa} (2)When rainclouds gather, wouldn't the colorful peacock dance?
Female
En meni thaenarumbu… en paattu poonkarumbuMy body is a honey bud... my song is sweet sugarcane
Machan naan Mettedupen unnathaan kattivaipenMy dear, I will compose a tune and bind you to it
Sugamana thalam thatti paadattumaaShall I clap to a pleasant rhythm and sing?
Unakachu enakaachu sarijodi naamaachu kelaiyaaIt became yours, it became mine, we became a perfect pair, listen dear!
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...
Female
En kuralodu machaan ungaOh beloved, is the sound of your flute
Kuzhaloosa potti poduthaa..competing with my voice?
Female
{Kanna un vaaliba nenjai en paattu usuppuradhaOh Krishna, does my song awaken your youthful heart?
Karkandu sarkaraiyellam ippathaan kasakuratha} (2)Is sugar candy tasting bitter to you only now?
Female
Vandhachu chithirai thaan… poyaachu nithiraithaanThe month of Chithirai has arrived... sleep is gone
Poovaana ponnukuthaan… raavaana theduthu thaanFor this flower-like girl, when night falls, she searches for you
Medhuvaaga thoothu solli paadattumaaShall I sing softly and send a messenger?
Velakethum pozhudaanaa ilanenjam padum paadu kelaiyaa…When lamps are lit at dusk, listen to the plight of this young heart, my dear...
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...
Female
En kuralodu machaan ungaOh beloved, is the sound of your flute
Kuzhaloosa potti poduthaa..competing with my voice?
Female
Elaiyodu poovum thalaiyaattum paaru..Look, the flower nods along with the leaf..
Elaiyodu poovum kaayum thalaiyaattum paaru paaruLook look, the flower and the fruit nod along with the leaf
Female
Kuzhaloodhum kannanukkuCan Lord Krishna who plays the flute hear
kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaathe song sung by the cuckoo bird?
kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….Cuckoo cuckoo cuckoo...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kuzhaloodhum Kannanukku is a celebrated romantic track from the 1986 film Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu. The heroine playfully addresses her lover as Lord Krishna, equating his flute's melody to her own singing voice, which rivals the call of a cuckoo bird. Nature itself seems to dance and respond to their musical courtship, with leaves, flowers, wind, and rainclouds echoing their romantic harmony. As the song unfolds, she expresses her deep yearning for him as spring arrives in the month of Chithirai. Worldly sweets lose their allure compared to the sweetness of love, and as dusk sets in, her heart aches for his presence, affirming that they are a pair destined to be together.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Onomatopoeia

kukkoo kukkoo kukkoo….

The line mimics the natural calling sound of a cuckoo bird.

Personification

Elaiyodu poovum thalaiyaattum paaru..

Inanimate elements of nature like leaves, flowers, and fruits are given human traits of nodding along to music.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

En meni thaenarumbu… en paattu poonkarumbu

The singer's body is directly compared to a honey bud and her song to sugarcane.

Rhyme (Edhugai / Iyaibu)

Vandhachu chithirai thaan… poyaachu nithiraithaan

Rhyming words 'Chithirai' and 'Nithirai' create a poetic cadence.

Alliteration (Moonaai)

Kuzhaloodhum kannanukku kuyil paadum paattu ketkuthaa

Repetition of the 'K' sound across the opening words (Kuzhaloodhum, kannanukku, kuyil).

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic song from Mella Thirandhathu Kadhavu (1986) features a rare musical collaboration between legends M. S. Viswanathan and Ilaiyaraaja. Sung by S. Janaki with lyrics penned by Vaali, the track was picturized on Radha and Mohan.

Keep listening

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