Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Enga Veettu Pillai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Naan Manthoppil

From Enga Veettu Pillai · 1965

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Enga Veettu Pillai
Movie release year
1965
Lyrics added on
28 Apr 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{ Naan maanthoppil
Nindrirunthen avan maampazham
Vendumendran adhai koduthaalum
Vaangavillai indha kannam vendumendran } (2)
{ Naan thanneer
Panthalil nindrirunthen
Aval thaagam endru sonnaal } (2)
{ Naan thannanthaniyaai
Nindrirunthen aval mogam
Endru sonnaal } (2) hoi
Naan thanneer
Panthalil nindrirunthen
Aval thaagam endru sonnaal
Naan thannanthaniyaai
Nindrirunthen aval mogam
Endru sonnaal
{ Ondru ketaal
Enna koduthaal enna
Kurainja poi vidum endran } (2)
{ Konjam paarthaal
Enna poruthaal enna
Marandha poividum endral } (2)
Naan maanthoppil
Nindrirunthen avan maampazham
Vendumendran adhai koduthaalum
Vaangavillai indha kannam vendumendran
Avan thaali
Kattum munnalae
Thottalae pothum
Endrae thudi thudichan
………………………
Avan thaali
Kattum munnalae
Thottalae pothum
Endrae thudi thudichan
{ Aval velikattum
Munnalae vellaamai yethu
Endrae kadhai padicha } (2)
{ Avan kaadhaluku
Pinnalae kalyanam varuma
Endrae kaiyadichan } (2)
Aval aagatum
Endrae aasayil nindrae
Athanin kaadhai kadicha
………………….
Naan maanthoppil
Nindrirunthen avan maampazham
Vendumendran adhai koduthaalum
Vaangavillai indha kannam vendumendran
Avan poovirukum
Theneduka pinnalae vanthu
Vandaai siragadichan
…………………..
Avan poovirukum
Theneduka pinnalae vanthu
Vandaai siragadichan
{ Aval theneduka
Vattamidum machanai pidika
Kannalae valaiviricha } (2)
{ Avan jodikuyil
Paaduvathai sollamal solli
Medhuva anaichukittan } (2)
Aval aadiyilae
Pennagi anjaaru maasathula
Azhaga therinju kitta
Naan maanthoppil
Nindrirunthen avan maampazham
Vendumendran adhai koduthaalum
Vaangavillai indha kannam vendumendran
I was standing in the mango grove,
he asked for a mango.
Even when I gave him one, he would not take it;
he said he wanted this cheek instead.
I was standing
at the roadside water shelter,
and she said she was thirsty.
When I was standing
all alone by myself, she said
she was burning with longing! Hoy!
I was standing
at the roadside water shelter,
and she said she was thirsty.
When I was standing
all alone by myself, she said
she was burning with longing!
"What is the harm in asking,
what is the loss in giving?
Will anything lessen?" he asked.
"What if you just look,
what if you just wait a while?
You will eventually forget," she said.
I was standing in the mango grove,
he asked for a mango.
Even when I gave him one, he would not take it;
he said he wanted this cheek instead.
Even before tying
the sacred wedding knot (thaali),
saying, "Just a touch is enough,"
he grew restless with desire.
...
Even before tying
the sacred wedding knot (thaali),
saying, "Just a touch is enough,"
he grew restless with desire.
"How can you reap a harvest
before building a fence?"
she lectured him.
"Will marriage ever follow
after romance?"
he clapped his hands and challenged.
Saying, "Let it happen,"
and standing there filled with desire,
she playfully bit her sweetheart's ear.
...
I was standing in the mango grove,
he asked for a mango.
Even when I gave him one, he would not take it;
he said he wanted this cheek instead.
To gather the honey in the flower,
he came up behind her
and fluttered his wings like a bee.
...
To gather the honey in the flower,
he came up behind her
and fluttered his wings like a bee.
To catch her lover
who was circling around for honey,
she cast a net with her eyes.
Expressing without words what
a pair of singing cuckoos share,
he gently embraced her.
Having blossomed into a woman in the month of Aadi,
in just five or six months,
she grew remarkably lovely!
I was standing in the mango grove,
he asked for a mango.
Even when I gave him one, he would not take it;
he said he wanted this cheek instead.
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Naan Maanthoppil' is a celebrated romantic duet from the 1965 Tamil blockbuster 'Enga Veettu Pillai'. The song features playful banter between two lovers in a rural setting. The heroine teasingly narrates how the hero approached her in a mango grove asking for fruit, only to demand a kiss on her cheek instead, while the hero responds with playful grievances about his own yearning and her bashful resistance. Vaali's lyrics weave agricultural and nature metaphors—such as building fences before harvesting crops and bees gathering honey from flowers—to depict youthful romance, modest boundaries, and affectionate flirtation before marriage. The song captures rural charm, courtship rituals, and romantic teasing with lively, rhythmic music by Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

“Avan poovirukum / Theneduka pinnalae vanthu / Vandaai siragadichan”

Comparing the hero's romantic pursuit to a bee fluttering its wings around flowers to extract honey.

Allegory / Cultural Metaphor

“Aval velikattum / Munnalae vellaamai yethu”

Comparing marital boundaries to putting up a fence ('velikattum') before harvesting crops ('vellaamai').

Metaphor (Visual Imagery)

“Kannalae valaiviricha”

Comparing captivating romantic glances to casting a net ('kannalae valaiviricha') to catch a lover.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Naan Maanthoppil' is an iconic duet from the 1965 hit movie 'Enga Veettu Pillai' starring M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and B. Saroja Devi. Sung by T. M. Soundararajan and L. R. Eswari, the music was composed by Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy with lyrics penned by Vaali.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

Ponna Porandha1974
UrimaikuralCourtshipPlayful
Thoo Vaanam Idhu1965
ThazhampooPlayful RomanceCourtship
Chakkara Katti1966
Petralthan PillaiyaAttractionPlayful Romance
Oyyarama Koyyakka Thoppula1983
Naan Sootiya MalarAttractionDesire
Machchana Mamavaa1972
Raman Thediya Seethai -1972Playful RomanceAttraction
Pakkathu Veettu1963
KarpagamPlayful RomanceCourtship

From the same album

More songs from Enga Veettu Pillai

View album
Malarukku Thendral1965
Enga Veettu PillaiContemplative
Kankalum Kaavadi1965
Enga Veettu PillaiCelebratory
Penn Ponaal1965
Enga Veettu PillaiRomantic
Kumari Pennin Ullathile1965
Enga Veettu PillaiPlayful
Naan Aanaiyittal1965
Enga Veettu PillaiDefiant

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.