Nee Illamal Naan Illai
From Anbu Roja · 1975
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Sankar Ganesh
- Details
- Anbu Roja1975
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Nee illamal naan illai | Without you, I do not exist |
| Neer illamal meen illai | Without water, a fish cannot exist |
| Nee illamal naan illai | Without you, I do not exist |
| Neer illamal meen illai | Without water, a fish cannot exist |
| Naan ethanai kaalam meththaiyin meedhu | How long on this bed |
| Yaengi iruppen thaniyaaga | Will I yearn alone? |
| Kili koththa varaamal muththirukkum | Like a ripe fruit on a fig tree |
| Aththi marathu kaniyaaga | Waiting without a parrot coming to peck at it |
| Female | |
| Nee illamal naan illai | Without you, I do not exist |
| Neer illamal meen illai | Without water, a fish cannot exist |
| Female | |
| Paal vaditha paathirathai | The vessel that drained milk |
| Kaiyil yaendhu | Hold it in your hands |
| Bodhai ennum saagarathil konjam neendhu | Swim a little in the ocean called intoxication |
| Dil thaera mandhir hae ek devi andhar hai | Your heart is a temple, a goddess is inside |
| Enn ullam un veedu nee ullae vandhaadu | My heart is your house, come inside and dance |
| Female | |
| Kann pattadhum ennai thottadhum | As soon as eyes met and you touched me |
| Penmai vittadhu naanam vilaiyaadu | My womanhood abandoned its shyness, play along! |
| Orr paadhi enakkum meedhi unakkum | One half for me, and the rest for you |
| Kaadhal sugathai parimaaru | Serve the pleasures of love |
| Female | |
| Nee illamal naan illai | Without you, I do not exist |
| Neer illamal meen illai | Without water, a fish cannot exist |
| Female | |
| Vaalibathu naadagathin indha kaatchi | This scene in the play of youth |
| Paarpatharkku yaarum illai kattil kaatchi | There is no spectator, it is a bed scene |
| Thum aavoo merae paass thum dheko mera naas | Come near me, watch my dance |
| Naan vanna poochendu en kannam karkkandu | I am a bouquet of colorful flowers, my cheeks are rock candy |
| Female | |
| En pattu udal thottu panjanai ittu | Touch my silky body, make the bed of cushions |
| Kattoorai theettu medhuvaaga | Write an essay gently |
| Adhil munnurai enna mudivurai enna | What is the preface, what is the conclusion? |
| Solli mudippom podhuvaaga | Let us finish telling it together in general |
| Female | |
| Nee illamal naan illai | Without you, I do not exist |
| Neer illamal meen illai | Without water, a fish cannot exist |
நீயில்லாமல் நானில்லை
நீரில்லாமல் மீனில்லை
நீயில்லாமல் நானில்லை
நீரில்லாமல் மீனில்லை
நான் எத்தனை காலம் மெத்தையின் மீது
ஏங்கியிருப்பேன் தனியாக
கிளி கொத்த வராமல் முத்தியிருக்கும்
அத்தி மரத்து கனியாக
Without you, I do not exist
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Without you, I do not exist
Without water, a fish cannot exist
How long on this bed
Will I yearn alone?
Like a ripe fruit on a fig tree
Waiting without a parrot coming to peck at it
நீயில்லாமல் நானில்லை
நீரில்லாமல் மீனில்லை
Without you, I do not exist
Without water, a fish cannot exist
பால் வடித்த பாத்திரத்தை
கையில் ஏந்து
போதை என்னும் சாகரத்தில் கொஞ்சம் நீந்து
தில் தேரா மந்திர் ஹே ஏக் தேவி அந்தர் ஹை
என்னுள்ளம் உன் வீடு நீ உள்ளே வந்தாடு
The vessel that drained milk
Hold it in your hands
Swim a little in the ocean called intoxication
Your heart is a temple, a goddess is inside
My heart is your house, come inside and dance
கண் பட்டதும் என்னை தொட்டதும்
பெண்மை விட்டது நாணம் விளையாடு
ஓர் பாதி எனக்கும் மீதி உனக்கும்
காதல் சுகத்தை பரிமாறு
As soon as eyes met and you touched me
My womanhood abandoned its shyness, play along!
One half for me, and the rest for you
Serve the pleasures of love
நீயில்லாமல் நானில்லை
நீரில்லாமல் மீனில்லை
Without you, I do not exist
Without water, a fish cannot exist
வாலிபத்து நாடகத்தின் இந்த காட்சி
பார்ப்பதற்கு யாருமில்லை கட்டில் சாட்சி
தும் ஆவோ மேரே பாஸ் தும் தேக்கோ மேரா நாஸ்
நான் வண்ணப் பூச்செண்டு என் கன்னம் கற்கண்டு
This scene in the play of youth
There is no spectator, it is a bed scene
Come near me, watch my dance
I am a bouquet of colorful flowers, my cheeks are rock candy
என் பட்டுடல் தொட்டு பஞ்சணையிட்டு
கட்டுரை தீட்டு மெதுவாக
அதில் முன்னுரை என்ன முடிவுரை என்ன
சொல்லி முடிப்போம் பொதுவாக
Touch my silky body, make the bed of cushions
Write an essay gently
What is the preface, what is the conclusion?
Let us finish telling it together in general
நீயில்லாமல் நானில்லை
நீரில்லாமல் மீனில்லை
Without you, I do not exist
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Nee illamal naan illai
Without you, I do not exist
Neer illamal meen illai
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Nee illamal naan illai
Without you, I do not exist
Neer illamal meen illai
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Naan ethanai kaalam meththaiyin meedhu
How long on this bed
Yaengi iruppen thaniyaaga
Will I yearn alone?
Kili koththa varaamal muththirukkum
Like a ripe fruit on a fig tree
Aththi marathu kaniyaaga
Waiting without a parrot coming to peck at it
Nee illamal naan illai
Without you, I do not exist
Neer illamal meen illai
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Paal vaditha paathirathai
The vessel that drained milk
Kaiyil yaendhu
Hold it in your hands
Bodhai ennum saagarathil konjam neendhu
Swim a little in the ocean called intoxication
Dil thaera mandhir hae ek devi andhar hai
Your heart is a temple, a goddess is inside
Enn ullam un veedu nee ullae vandhaadu
My heart is your house, come inside and dance
Kann pattadhum ennai thottadhum
As soon as eyes met and you touched me
Penmai vittadhu naanam vilaiyaadu
My womanhood abandoned its shyness, play along!
Orr paadhi enakkum meedhi unakkum
One half for me, and the rest for you
Kaadhal sugathai parimaaru
Serve the pleasures of love
Nee illamal naan illai
Without you, I do not exist
Neer illamal meen illai
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Vaalibathu naadagathin indha kaatchi
This scene in the play of youth
Paarpatharkku yaarum illai kattil kaatchi
There is no spectator, it is a bed scene
Thum aavoo merae paass thum dheko mera naas
Come near me, watch my dance
Naan vanna poochendu en kannam karkkandu
I am a bouquet of colorful flowers, my cheeks are rock candy
En pattu udal thottu panjanai ittu
Touch my silky body, make the bed of cushions
Kattoorai theettu medhuvaaga
Write an essay gently
Adhil munnurai enna mudivurai enna
What is the preface, what is the conclusion?
Solli mudippom podhuvaaga
Let us finish telling it together in general
Nee illamal naan illai
Without you, I do not exist
Neer illamal meen illai
Without water, a fish cannot exist
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This sensual and romantic song expresses a lover's intense longing and deep emotional and physical dependency on her partner. Through the recurring motif of a fish unable to survive without water, she highlights how incomplete her life feels in his absence. She describes her solitary waiting like a ripe fig fruit left untouched and invites her lover into an intimate world filled with intoxication, affection, and passion. The lyricist skillfully blends metaphors of literature—such as prefaces, essays, and conclusions—with physical intimacy, depicting love as a shared story crafted together by two souls.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uvamai)
“Neer illamal meen illai / Aththi marathu kaniyaaga”
Compares her existence without her lover to a fish living without water, and her lonely wait on the bed to a ripe fig fruit waiting for a parrot.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Bodhai ennum saagarathil konjam neendhu”
'Bodhai ennum saagarathil' metaphorically terms intoxication as a vast ocean, while 'Kattoorai theettu' metaphorically compares intimate physical love to writing an essay.
Code-Switching / Multi-lingual integration
“Dil thaera mandhir hae ek devi andhar hai”
Integrates Hindi lines into a Tamil song structure to add a stylish, cosmopolitan charm typical of 1970s club and romantic cinema tracks.
Anaphora & Rhyme (Monai / Ethirai)
“Nee illamal naan illai / Neer illamal meen illai”
Repetition of initial words and rhyming sounds at the start of lines ('Nee illamal' / 'Neer illamal') to establish rhythmic musicality.
Did you know?
Trivia
In the 1970s Tamil film era, lyricists like Kannadasan frequently incorporated Hindi phrases into club, cabaret, or playful intimate tracks to create a trendy, glamorous appeal for contemporary urban audiences.
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