Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Manam Unai Thinam

From Yaaro Azhaikirargal · 1985

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
P. Jayachandran, Vivek Sarathy
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Yaaro Azhaikirargal1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu…My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..It immersed itself completely in dreams...
Manadhukku enna un vasam thaanaeWhat can my heart do? It is under your control after all.
Kanavukku enna adhu ilavasam thaanaeWhat about dreams? They are free of cost after all.
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu..My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..It immersed itself completely in dreams...
Male
Nilavena ninaithathu nilavillaiyaaIs what I thought to be the moon, not really the moon?
Naan malarena ninaithathu malarillaiyaaIs what I thought to be a flower, not really a flower?
Nee enakkena ninaithathu nijamillaiyaeIs it not true that I believed you were mine?
Naan ninaithathu pol nee ninaikkavillaiyaaDid you not feel the same way that I felt?
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu..My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..It immersed itself completely in dreams...
Male
Palarukku kaadhal thodarkadhaiFor many people, love is an ongoing serial story.
Adhu silaruku mattum sirukadhaiFor a few people, it turns out to be just a short story.
Nee ezhudhukindraai indru pudhu kadhaiToday, you are writing a brand new story.
Adhu enakku mattum yen vidukadhaiWhy is it an unsolved riddle only for me?
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu…My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..It immersed itself completely in dreams...
Male
Aattrukkum kadalukkum alai uravuBetween the river and the ocean lies the bond of waves.
En kadhalum kavidhaiyum nilai uravuMy love and my poetry share an enduring, permanent bond.
Un azhagukkum arivukkum ilai uravuBetween your beauty and intellect lies a subtle bond.
Nee illai endraal en nilai thuravuIf you are not with me, my life will turn into renunciation.
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu…My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..It immersed itself completely in dreams...
Manadhukku enna un vasam thaanaeWhat can my heart do? It is under your control after all.
Kanavukku enna adhu ilavasam thaanaeWhat about dreams? They are free of cost after all.
Male
Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu…My heart thought of you every single day...
Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu….It immersed itself completely in dreams...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song expresses the agony of unrequited love and emotional confusion. The narrator reflects on how their heart constantly ponders upon their beloved, lost in a world of dreams that costs nothing to create. However, reality brings disillusionment—questions arise about whether the beloved ever shared the same deep feelings, or if the perceived affection was merely an illusion.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyabu (End Rhyme)

Palarukku kaadhal thodarkadhai / Adhu silaruku mattum sirukadhai / Nee ezhudhukindraai indru pudhu kadhai / Adhu enakku mattum yen vidukadhai

The words 'thodarkadhai', 'sirukadhai', 'pudhu kadhai', and 'vidukadhai' all end with the matching suffix 'kadhai' to create rhythmic cohesion.

Anaphora / Refrain

Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu… / Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..

The opening lines 'Manam unai dhinam ninaithathu... Kanavinil adhu thilaithathu..' repeat throughout the song as a central thematic motif.

Metaphor (Uruvagham)

Palarukku kaadhal thodarkadhai / Adhu silaruku mattum sirukadhai

Comparing different forms of love to literary genres (serial story, short story, new story, riddle).

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Aattrukkum kadalukkum alai uravu / En kadhalum kavidhaiyum nilai uravu

The second letters of 'Aattrukkum', 'En', 'Un', and 'Nee' share rhyme and meter structure in the stanza endings ('uravu').

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 1985 Tamil thriller movie 'Yaaro Azhaikirargal', this song was composed by the legendary duo Shankar-Ganesh and penned by veteran lyricist Vaali, who cleverly used literary terms (serial story, short story, riddle) as analogies for romantic relationships.

Keep listening

More from Yaaro Azhaikirargal