Thaneerai Kadhalikum
From Mr. Romeo · 1996
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Mr. Romeo1996
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Chorus | |
| Thaneerai kaadhalikum | Are we not like fish that love water? |
| Meengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Thangathai kaadhalikum | Are we not like women who love gold? |
| Pengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Female | |
| {Thaneerai kaadhalikum | Are we not like fish that love water? |
| Meengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Thangathai kaadhalikum | Are we not like women who love gold? |
| Pengala illai} (2) | Or are we not? |
| Love irukkuthu aiyaiyoo | Love exists, oh dear! |
| Athai maraippathu poiyaiyoo | Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it? |
| Naan kaadhalikum kallan peru romeo | The name of the thief I love is Romeo! |
| Female | |
| Thaneerai kaadhalikum | Are we not like fish that love water? |
| Meengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Thangathai kaadhalikum | Are we not like women who love gold? |
| Pengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Female | |
| Manmathanai | The God of love, |
| Paartha udan | As soon as I saw him, |
| Maarbukkul aasaiyai | The desire inside my heart, |
| Maraithu konden | I hid it deep within myself. |
| Padukkaiyilae padukaiyilae | In bed, in bed, |
| Avanukku idam vittu | Leaving space for him, |
| Paduthu konden | I lay down. |
| Female | |
| Pagalil thoongivida sollven | I will ask him to sleep during the day, |
| Iravil vizhithirukka seiven | I will keep him awake throughout the night. |
| Kannaalan kanodu kan vaithu | Looking eye-to-eye with my beloved, |
| Kaathaodu naan paaduven | I will whisper-sing right near his ear. |
| Female | |
| Thaneerai kaadhalikum | Are we not like fish that love water? |
| Meengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Thangathai kaadhalikum | Are we not like women who love gold? |
| Pengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Female | |
| Selaigalai | My sarees, |
| Thuvaipatharka | Just to get them washed, |
| Mannanai mannanai kaadhalithen | Did I fall in love with my king, my king? |
| Kaalpidikkum sugam perava | To get the comfort of a foot massage, |
| Kannanai kannanai kaadhalithen | Did I fall in love with my Krishna, my Lord? |
| Female | |
| Avanai iravilae sumappen | I will hold him close during the night, |
| Anju mani varai rasippen | I will admire him until five in the morning. |
| Kannalan kaadhodum kannodum | Near my beloved's ear and eyes, |
| Munnooru muthaaduven | I will shower three hundred kisses! |
| Female | |
| Thaneerai kaadhalikum | Are we not like fish that love water? |
| Meengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Thangathai kaadhalikum | Are we not like women who love gold? |
| Pengala illai | Or are we not? |
| Love irukkuthu aiyaiyoo | Love exists, oh dear! |
| Athai maraippathu poiyaiyoo | Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it? |
| Naan kaadhalikum kallan peru romeo | The name of the thief I love is Romeo! |
தண்ணீரை காதலிக்கும்
மீன்களா இல்லை
தங்கத்தை காதலிக்கும்
பெண்களா இல்லை
Are we not like fish that love water?
Or are we not?
Are we not like women who love gold?
Or are we not?
{தண்ணீரை காதலிக்கும்
மீன்களா இல்லை
தங்கத்தை காதலிக்கும்
பெண்களா இல்லை} (2)
லவ் இருக்குது அய்யையோ
அதை மறைப்பது பொய்யையோ
நான் காதலிக்கும் கள்ளன் பேரு ரோமியோ
Are we not like fish that love water?
Or are we not?
Are we not like women who love gold?
Or are we not?
Love exists, oh dear!
Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it?
The name of the thief I love is Romeo!
தண்ணீரை காதலிக்கும்
மீன்களா இல்லை
தங்கத்தை காதலிக்கும்
பெண்களா இல்லை
Are we not like fish that love water?
Or are we not?
Are we not like women who love gold?
Or are we not?
மன்மதனை
பார்த்த உடன்
மார்புக்குள் ஆசையை
மறைத்து கொண்டேன்
படுக்கையிலே படுக்கையிலே
அவனுக்கு இடம் விட்டு
படுத்து கொண்டேன்
The God of love,
As soon as I saw him,
The desire inside my heart,
I hid it deep within myself.
In bed, in bed,
Leaving space for him,
I lay down.
பகலில் தூங்கிவிட சொல்வேன்
இரவில் விழித்திருக்க செய்வேன்
கண்ணாளன் கண்ணோடு கண் வைத்து
காதோடு நான் பாடுவேன்
I will ask him to sleep during the day,
I will keep him awake throughout the night.
Looking eye-to-eye with my beloved,
I will whisper-sing right near his ear.
தண்ணீரை காதலிக்கும்
மீன்களா இல்லை
தங்கத்தை காதலிக்கும்
பெண்களா இல்லை
Are we not like fish that love water?
Or are we not?
Are we not like women who love gold?
Or are we not?
சேலைகளை துவைப்பதற்கா
மன்னனை மன்னனை காதலித்தேன்
கால்பிடிக்கும் சுகம் பெறவா
கண்ணனை கண்ணனை காதலித்தேன்
My sarees,
Just to get them washed,
Did I fall in love with my king, my king?
To get the comfort of a foot massage,
Did I fall in love with my Krishna, my Lord?
அவனை இரவிலே சுமப்பேன்
அஞ்சு மணி வரை ரசிப்பேன்
கண்ணாளன் காதோடும் கண்ணோடும்
முன்னூறு முத்தாடுவேன்
I will hold him close during the night,
I will admire him until five in the morning.
Near my beloved's ear and eyes,
I will shower three hundred kisses!
தண்ணீரை காதலிக்கும்
மீன்களா இல்லை
தங்கத்தை காதலிக்கும்
பெண்களா இல்லை
லவ் இருக்குது அய்யையோ
அதை மறைப்பது பொய்யையோ
நான் காதலிக்கும் கள்ளன் பேரு ரோமியோ
Are we not like fish that love water?
Or are we not?
Are we not like women who love gold?
Or are we not?
Love exists, oh dear!
Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it?
The name of the thief I love is Romeo!
Thaneerai kaadhalikum
Are we not like fish that love water?
Meengala illai
Or are we not?
Thangathai kaadhalikum
Are we not like women who love gold?
Pengala illai
Or are we not?
{Thaneerai kaadhalikum
Are we not like fish that love water?
Meengala illai
Or are we not?
Thangathai kaadhalikum
Are we not like women who love gold?
Pengala illai} (2)
Or are we not?
Love irukkuthu aiyaiyoo
Love exists, oh dear!
Athai maraippathu poiyaiyoo
Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it?
Naan kaadhalikum kallan peru romeo
The name of the thief I love is Romeo!
Thaneerai kaadhalikum
Are we not like fish that love water?
Meengala illai
Or are we not?
Thangathai kaadhalikum
Are we not like women who love gold?
Pengala illai
Or are we not?
Manmathanai
The God of love,
Paartha udan
As soon as I saw him,
Maarbukkul aasaiyai
The desire inside my heart,
Maraithu konden
I hid it deep within myself.
Padukkaiyilae padukaiyilae
In bed, in bed,
Avanukku idam vittu
Leaving space for him,
Paduthu konden
I lay down.
Pagalil thoongivida sollven
I will ask him to sleep during the day,
Iravil vizhithirukka seiven
I will keep him awake throughout the night.
Kannaalan kanodu kan vaithu
Looking eye-to-eye with my beloved,
Kaathaodu naan paaduven
I will whisper-sing right near his ear.
Thaneerai kaadhalikum
Are we not like fish that love water?
Meengala illai
Or are we not?
Thangathai kaadhalikum
Are we not like women who love gold?
Pengala illai
Or are we not?
Selaigalai
My sarees,
Thuvaipatharka
Just to get them washed,
Mannanai mannanai kaadhalithen
Did I fall in love with my king, my king?
Kaalpidikkum sugam perava
To get the comfort of a foot massage,
Kannanai kannanai kaadhalithen
Did I fall in love with my Krishna, my Lord?
Avanai iravilae sumappen
I will hold him close during the night,
Anju mani varai rasippen
I will admire him until five in the morning.
Kannalan kaadhodum kannodum
Near my beloved's ear and eyes,
Munnooru muthaaduven
I will shower three hundred kisses!
Thaneerai kaadhalikum
Are we not like fish that love water?
Meengala illai
Or are we not?
Thangathai kaadhalikum
Are we not like women who love gold?
Pengala illai
Or are we not?
Love irukkuthu aiyaiyoo
Love exists, oh dear!
Athai maraippathu poiyaiyoo
Hiding it would be a lie, wouldn't it?
Naan kaadhalikum kallan peru romeo
The name of the thief I love is Romeo!
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Thaneerai Kaadhalikum is a playful and upbeat romantic track from the movie 'Mr. Romeo' (1996). Sung from the perspective of a young woman passionately in love, the lyrics draw poetic parallels between a fish's natural bond with water and a woman's affinity for precious gold to highlight how natural and irresistible her love is for her partner, whom she affectionately calls 'Romeo'. The heroine openly confesses her desires, describing nighttime romantic fantasies, playful intimacy, and affectionate moments spent awake until dawn.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Upamai (Simile / Metaphorical Comparison)
“Thaneerai kaadhalikum Meengala illai”
Compares her instinctive love for her partner to the natural affinity fish have for water ('Thaneerai kaadhalikum meengala') and women for gold ('Thangathai kaadhalikum pengala').
Ezhutthu Monai / Etukai (Alliteration & Rhyming)
“Mannanai mannanai kaadhalithen / Kannanai kannanai kaadhalithen”
Uses rhyming endings and repetitive internal rhythm, such as 'Mannanai mannanai' and 'Kannanai kannanai' to build a rhythmic musical flow.
Uyarnaviltchi (Hyperbole)
“Anju mani varai rasippen ... Munnooru muthaaduven”
Exaggerates her expression of love through playful metrics like delivering precisely 300 kisses until 5 AM in the morning.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by Academy Award-winner A. R. Rahman with lyrics written by Vairamuthu, 'Mr. Romeo' starred Prabhu Deva alongside Shilpa Shetty and Madhoo. Sung by Sangeetha, this track became famous for its vibrant rhythm and youthful, modern blend of traditional Tamil lyrical tropes with pop aesthetics.
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