Nee Yen
From Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu · 2023
- Lyricist
- Mohan Rajan
- Singers
- A. H. Kaashif, Amina Rafiq, Yuvan Shankar Raja
- Music director
- A. H. Kaashif
- Details
- Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu2023
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Male | |
| Nee yen | Why are you |
| Nee yen | Why are you |
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Male | |
| Po podhum kalaiyudhadi | Go, enough! Fading away, girl |
| Naan kanda kanavellam | All the dreams I had seen |
| Po podhum karaiyudhadi | Go, enough! Dissolving away, girl |
| Nee sonna nijamellam | All the truths you spoke |
| Male | |
| Ippothae naan unnai | Right now, if I could just |
| Parthaale podhume | See you, that would be enough |
| Nam kaadhal kanneeril | Our love, in tears |
| Alugirathe | Is weeping |
| Male | |
| Unnodum illamal | Without being with you |
| Ennodum illamal | Without being with myself |
| Naan ingu theevaagi ponene | I have become an isolated island here |
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Male | |
| Vizhiyil thondrum kadhal ellam | All the love that appears in the eyes |
| Valiyil thane purigirathe | Is understood only through pain |
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Male | |
| Nee yen nee yen | Why are you, why are you |
| Thooram irukiraai | Staying so far away? |
| Nan yen nan yen | Why am I, why am I |
| Thaniye thavikiren | Struggling all alone? |
| Female | |
| Humming…. | [Humming...] |
| Male | |
| Ninaivum valiye | Memory too is pain |
| Nijamum valiye | Reality too is pain |
| Thananthaniye | All by myself |
| Thavikiren di | I am agonizing, girl |
| Male | |
| Un kannai polae | Like your eyes |
| Kannadi illai | There is no mirror |
| Ennai kaana | To see myself |
| Thudikiren di | I am yearning, girl |
| Female | |
| Paarvaigal engum | Everywhere I look |
| Un mugame | Is your face |
| En paadhaigal | My paths |
| Elam unnidame | All lead to you |
| Female | |
| Unakena endrum | Forever for you |
| Vaazhanume | I must live |
| Both :Unnodu kai korthu | Holding hands with you |
| Pesanume | I want to speak |
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
நீ ஏன்
நீ ஏன்
Why are you
Why are you
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
போ போதும் கலையுதடி
நான் கண்ட கனவெல்லாம்
போ போதும் கலையுதடி
நீ சொன்ன நிஜமெல்லாம்
Go, enough! Fading away, girl
All the dreams I had seen
Go, enough! Dissolving away, girl
All the truths you spoke
இப்போதே நான் உன்னை
பார்த்தாலே போதுமே
நம் காதல் கண்ணீரில்
அழுகிறதே
Right now, if I could just
See you, that would be enough
Our love, in tears
Is weeping
உன்னோடும் இல்லாமல்
என்னோடும் இல்லாமல்
நான் இங்கு
தீவாகி போனேனே
Without being with you
Without being with myself
I have become an isolated island here
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
விழியில் தோன்றுகிற
காதல் எல்லாம்
வலியில் தானே
புரிகின்றதே
All the love that appears in the eyes
Is understood only through pain
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Why are you, why are you
Staying so far away?
Why am I, why am I
Struggling all alone?
முனகல் ....
[Humming...]
நினைவும் வலியே
நிஜமும் வலியே
தனந்தனியே
தவிக்கின்றேன் டி
Memory too is pain
Reality too is pain
All by myself
I am agonizing, girl
உன் கண்ணை போலே
கண்ணாடி இல்லை
என்னை காண
துடிக்கின்றேன் டி
Like your eyes
There is no mirror
To see myself
I am yearning, girl
பார்வைகள் எங்கும்
உன் முகமே
என் பாதைகள்
எல்லாம் உன்னிடமே
Everywhere I look
Is your face
My paths
All lead to you
உனக்கென என்றும்
வாழனுமே
இருவர் :
உன்னோடு கை கோர்த்து
பேசனுமே
Forever for you
I must live
Holding hands with you
I want to speak
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
நீ ஏன் நீ ஏன்
தூரம் இருக்கிறாய்
நான் ஏன் நான் ஏன்
தனியே தவிக்கிறேன்
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Nee yen
Why are you
Nee yen
Why are you
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Po podhum kalaiyudhadi
Go, enough! Fading away, girl
Naan kanda kanavellam
All the dreams I had seen
Po podhum karaiyudhadi
Go, enough! Dissolving away, girl
Nee sonna nijamellam
All the truths you spoke
Ippothae naan unnai
Right now, if I could just
Parthaale podhume
See you, that would be enough
Nam kaadhal kanneeril
Our love, in tears
Alugirathe
Is weeping
Unnodum illamal
Without being with you
Ennodum illamal
Without being with myself
Naan ingu theevaagi ponene
I have become an isolated island here
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Vizhiyil thondrum kadhal ellam
All the love that appears in the eyes
Valiyil thane purigirathe
Is understood only through pain
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Nee yen nee yen
Why are you, why are you
Thooram irukiraai
Staying so far away?
Nan yen nan yen
Why am I, why am I
Thaniye thavikiren
Struggling all alone?
Humming….
[Humming...]
Ninaivum valiye
Memory too is pain
Nijamum valiye
Reality too is pain
Thananthaniye
All by myself
Thavikiren di
I am agonizing, girl
Un kannai polae
Like your eyes
Kannadi illai
There is no mirror
Ennai kaana
To see myself
Thudikiren di
I am yearning, girl
Paarvaigal engum
Everywhere I look
Un mugame
Is your face
En paadhaigal
My paths
Elam unnidame
All lead to you
Unakena endrum
Forever for you
Vaazhanume
I must live
Both :Unnodu kai korthu
Holding hands with you
Pesanume
I want to speak
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song portrays the deep emotional anguish and longing of a lover separated from their partner. The protagonist repeatedly questions the distance between them and laments the isolation and pain of being left alone. Dreams feel shattered, and the promises once shared seem to dissolve in tears. The lyricist highlights how true love is often understood only through suffering, comparing the protagonist's emotional state to an isolated island separated from the world. As the song progresses, the speaker reflects on how both memories and reality bring grief. Yet, the longing remains intense, with every path leading back to the beloved, expressing a desire to hold hands, talk, and live for them forever.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition
“Nee yen nee yen / Nan yen nan yen”
The phrase 'Nee yen' and 'Nan yen' is repeated constantly to emphasize the tormenting questions of separation.
Metaphor (Uruvagakani)
“Naan ingu theevaagi ponene”
The speaker compares their feeling of solitude and isolation to an island ('theevaagi').
Simile (Uvamai)
“Un kannai polae / Kannadi illai”
The lover's eyes are compared to a mirror in which the speaker sees themselves.
Ethiray / Anaphora
“Ninaivum valiye / Nijamum valiye”
Parallel structures with 'valiye' at the end of consecutive lines emphasizing pervasive pain.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is composed by A. H. Kaashif (nephew of A. R. Rahman) for the 2023 Tamil film 'Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu'. It features playback singing by Yuvan Shankar Raja along with A. H. Kaashif and Amina Rafiq, bringing a signature melancholy vocal texture to Mohan Rajan's poignant lyrics.
Keep listening
More from Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu
Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu
Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu
Nanban Oruvan Vantha Piragu