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Ninaivirukkum Varai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Oh Vennila

From Ninaivirukkum Varai · 1999

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Ninaivirukkum Varai
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
24 Dec 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Oh vennilaa
Kadhal orr minnalaa
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa
Oh vennilaa
Kadhal orr minnalaa
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa
Thaalaattidum tholgalthaan kadhalaa
Poraaditum vaazhkkaithaan kadhalaa
Kaalangal thorum vaalipam seiyyum
Thavangalthaan kadhalaa
Oh vennilaa
Kadhal orr minnalaa
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa
Siluvai thantha pothum
Siragai pola ninaikkum
Megam pola midhakkum
Kadhalae kadhalae
Kadhal roja mullaai maarum
Soodum kooda maranthaai
Sooriyan kooda niaippathenna
Kadhal pesinaai
Oh vennilaa
Kadhal orr minnalaa
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa
Un kadhal ullam
Taj mahalin vannam
En nenjai neethaan
Thiranthaai thiranthaai
Kadhal nenjai yaeno maranthaai
Unnil neeyae olinthaai
Jannalai mattum thiranthu vaiththu
Vaasalai yaen aaiththaai
Thaalaattidum tholgalthaan kadhalaa
Poraaditum vaazhkkaithaan kadhalaa
Kaalangal thorum vaalipam seiyyum
Thavangalthaan kadhalaa
Oh vennilaa
Kadhal orr minnalaa
Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa
Oh bright moon,
Is love a flash of lightning?
Or a gentle breeze sleeping on a flower?
Oh bright moon,
Is love a flash of lightning?
Or a gentle breeze sleeping on a flower?
Is love the shoulder that cradles like a lullaby?
Is love a life of struggle?
Is love the penance that youth performs
across all of time?
Oh bright moon,
Is love a flash of lightning?
Or a gentle breeze sleeping on a flower?
Even when given a cross to bear,
it thinks of it as wings,
and floats just like a cloud—
oh love, sweet love!
The rose of love turns into a thorn;
you even forgot to wear it.
What would even the sun think
of the love you spoke of?
Oh bright moon,
Is love a flash of lightning?
Or a gentle breeze sleeping on a flower?
Your loving heart
has the beauty of the Taj Mahal.
You were the one
who opened up my heart.
Why did you forget this loving heart?
You hid yourself within yourself.
Leaving only the window open,
why did you close the doorway?
Is love the shoulder that cradles like a lullaby?
Is love a life of struggle?
Is love the penance that youth performs
across all of time?
Oh bright moon,
Is love a flash of lightning?
Or a gentle breeze sleeping on a flower?
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Oh Vennilaa' from the movie Ninaivirukkum Varai explores the bittersweet nuances, mysteries, and emotional conflicts of love. The narrator addresses the moon, questioning whether love is a fleeting spark of lightning, a soothing breeze, or a painful penance that youth undergoes. Through poetic metaphors of crosses turned into wings and closed doors with open windows, the song depicts how love brings both immense lightness and profound emotional struggle.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani (Simile)

Kadhal orr minnalaa

Comparing love to a flash of lightning ('Kadhal orr minnalaa') and a breeze sleeping on a flower.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Siragai pola ninaikkum

Comparing a burdensome cross to wings ('Siluvai thantha pothum, Siragai pola ninaikkum') to emphasize how love lightens life's hardships.

Anaphora / Rhetorical Questioning

Poo meedhilae thoongum poonthendralaa

Repeated questioning ending with '-aa' ('minnalaa', 'poonthendralaa', 'kadhalaa') to express existential wonder about the nature of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Ninaivirukkum Varai' (1999) featured music composed by Deva, with Prabhu Deva and Keerthi Reddy in lead roles. The song highlights Pazhani Bharathi's signature poetic lyricism dealing with romantic melancholy.

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