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Kadhal Solla Vandhen album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Sembaruthi Poovae

From Kadhal Solla Vandhen · 1999

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Kadhal Solla Vandhen
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
18 Jan 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Semparuthi poovae
Semparuthi poovae
Ullam alli ponaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
Kangal ariyaamal
Kanavukkul vandhaai
Manasukkul nulaindhaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
Unai suttri suttri vandhen
Ninaivillaiyaa
Ennai suthamaaga marandhen
Ninaivillaiyaa
Adhai sollathaan
Ninaikkindren
Naan sollaamal
Thavikkindren
Semparuthi poovae
Semparuthi poovae
Ullam alli ponaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
Poo enna sollum
Endru kaatrairyum
Kaatru enna sollum
Endru poo ariyum
Naan enna solla
Vandhen nenjil
Enna alli vandhen
Oru nenjam thaan ariyum
Vaanavil enna solla
Vandhathendru
Megamae unakkenna
Theriyaadhaa
Allipoo malarandhadhu
Yaen endru vennilavae
Unakenna theriyaadhaa
Oh valiyaa sugamaa
Theriyavillai
Siragaa siraiyaa
Puriyavillai.
Adhai sollathaan
Ninaikkindren
Naan sollaamal
Thavikkindren
Semparuthi poovae
Semparuthi poovae
Ullam alli ponaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
……………
Jannalil theiryum
Nilavudanae
Sandai pottadhu
Ninaivillaiyaa
Maram sedi kodiyidam
Manasukkul iruppadhu
Solliyadhu ninaivillaiyaa
Enbadhu pakkam ulla
Buthagam engum
Kavaithai ezhudhiya
Ninaivillaiyaa
Ezhudhum kavidhaiyai
Evar kannum kaanum munbu
Kilithathu ninaivillaiyaa
Iravil iravil kanavillaiyaa
Kanavum kanavaaa
Ninaivillaiya
Adhai sollathaan
Ninaikkindren
Naan sollaamal
Thavikkindren
Semparuthi poovae
Semparuthi poovae
Ullam alli ponaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
Kangal ariyaamal
Kanavukkul vandhaai
Manasukkul nulaindhaai
Ninaivillaiyaa
Unai suttri suttri vandhen
Ninaivillaiyaa
Ennai suthamaaga marandhen
Ninaivillaiyaa
Adhai sollathaan
Ninaikkindren
Naan sollaamal
Thavikkindren
O hibiscus flower,
O hibiscus flower,
You stole my heart away,
don't you remember?
Without my eyes realizing,
you came into my dreams,
you entered into my heart,
don't you remember?
I circled around you constantly,
don't you remember?
I completely forgot myself,
don't you remember?
To tell you that,
I keep wishing,
yet unable to say it,
I am aching inside.
O hibiscus flower,
O hibiscus flower,
You stole my heart away,
don't you remember?
What the flower wants to say,
the breeze knows.
What the breeze wants to say,
the flower knows.
What I came to say,
and what I carried
deep within my heart,
only a heart in love truly knows.
What the rainbow came
to say,
O cloud,
don't you already know?
Why the water lily bloomed,
O bright moon,
don't you already know?
Oh, is it pain or sweetness?
I do not know.
Is it wings or a prison?
I do not understand.
To tell you that,
I keep wishing,
yet unable to say it,
I am aching inside.
O hibiscus flower,
O hibiscus flower,
You stole my heart away,
don't you remember?
...
With the moon
seen through the window,
picking a fight,
don't you remember?
To the trees, plants, and vines,
confiding what was in the heart,
don't you remember?
Across all eighty pages
of a book,
writing poems everywhere,
don't you remember?
And those written poems,
before anyone could catch sight of them,
tearing them up, don't you remember?
Night after night, wasn't there a dream?
Was even that dream just an illusion,
don't you remember?
To tell you that,
I keep wishing,
yet unable to say it,
I am aching inside.
O hibiscus flower,
O hibiscus flower,
You stole my heart away,
don't you remember?
Without my eyes realizing,
you came into my dreams,
you entered into my heart,
don't you remember?
I circled around you constantly,
don't you remember?
I completely forgot myself,
don't you remember?
To tell you that,
I keep wishing,
yet unable to say it,
I am aching inside.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic romantic track captures the sweet agony of unexpressed love. The protagonist addresses his beloved tenderly as a hibiscus flower ('Semparuthi Poove'), reminiscing about how she quietly slipped into his dreams and captured his heart. Throughout the song, he wonders if she remembers his unspoken gestures, his complete self-forgetfulness in her presence, and his internal struggle to vocalize what his heart feels.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukkuthodar (Repetition for Emphasis)

Semparuthi poovae / Semparuthi poovae

The repetition of 'Semparuthi poovae' at the start establishes an affectionate address and musical refrain.

Vinaa Ani (Rhetorical Question)

Ninaivillaiyaa

The persistent question 'Ninaivillaiyaa' (Don't you remember?) serves as a poignant emotional refrain echoing nostalgic longing.

Personification (Thannuyirppaakkal)

Jannalil theiryum Nilavudanae Sandai pottadhu

Nature (moon, breeze, clouds, flowers) is personified as intimate confidants aware of secret feelings.

Muran Ani (Antithesis)

Oh valiyaa sugamaa Theriyavillai Siragaa siraiyaa Puriyavillai

Contrasting pairs like pain vs pleasure ('valiyaa sugamaa') and wings vs prison ('siragaa siraiyaa') highlight the dualities of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Hariharan's expressive vocal style combined with Pa. Vijay's romantic imagery made this song a classic Tamil love melody. The lyrics express the endearing habit of secret lovers writing poetry in notebooks and tearing them up before anyone can read them.

Keep listening

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