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Isaimozhi
Jaanu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Theeraa

From Jaanu · 2020

Lyricist
Karthik Netha
Singers
Chinmayi, Govind Vasantha
Music director
Govind Vasantha
Movie name
Jaanu
Movie release year
2020
Lyrics added on
20 Dec 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Theeraa ul maara
Kanaa itho
Theeraa ven poora
Nila varaatha
Yetho thondri
Ippothae nilaiyakkumaa nagaraamal
Naalai vendam
Inneram nagalaaguma mudiyaamal
Yetho ennodu
Both :Vinaa vinaa
Aanaal appothum
Both :Kanaa vidaatha
Kanneer thuli
Ulaa povathaal
Vinaa vidum vazhi
Vinmeen oli
Vizha kaanbathaal
Nila verum pori
An endless, unchanging
dream is right here.
An endless white dove,
won't the moon come?
Will something appear
and make this moment stand still?
Tomorrow is not needed,
can this moment repeat forever without end?
Something stays within me,
Both: Question upon question.
Yet even then,
Both: Won't the dream hold on?
As a teardrop
wanders down,
questions make way.
As the starlight
celebrates,
the moon is just a spark.
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poetic passage expresses an intense yearning to freeze time in a bittersweet moment of reunion and love. The speaker wishes for the present moment to replicate itself endlessly so that tomorrow never comes, preserving the dreamlike state of togetherness before reality sets in. Through vivid night-time imagery, the song captures the pain of unresolved questions, tears, and a dream that refuses to end even amidst lingering sorrow.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhyme / Anaaphora

Theeraa ul maara ... Theeraa ven poora

Repetition of the word 'Theeraa' (unquenched/endless) at the start of alternate lines creates a melodic cadence.

Personification

Kanneer thuli / Ulaa povathaal

The teardrop is personified as going on a stroll or walk ('ulaa povathaal').

Metaphor / Hyperbole

Nila verum pori

The grand moonlight is diminished to 'a mere spark' ('verum pori') in comparison to the grand festival of starlight and overwhelming emotion.

Ethukai (Second letter rhyme)

Inneram nagalaaguma mudiyaamal

Tamil poetic device where the second consonant matches ('na' sound) across successive lines: Inneram / Kanaa.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although 'Jaanu' (2020) is a Telugu remake of the blockbuster Tamil movie '96', these specific Tamil lyrics were written by Karthik Netha for promotional tracks and dubbed versions to retain the deep, nostalgic aesthetic originally created by composer Govind Vasantha.

Keep listening

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