Unnai Ethirparthen Kanna
From Radha · 1973
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Details
- Radha1973
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Kanna..kanna…. kanna… | O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna... |
| Kanna..kanna…. kanna… | O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna... |
| Kanna..aaa..aaa… | O Kanna... ah... ah... |
| Female | |
| Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa | I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me! |
| Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha | Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes. |
| Ullam poradavum kannil neradavum | My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation, |
| Ullam poradavum kannil neradavum | My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation, |
| Ingae yengugiren thaniyaaga | I am yearning here all alone. |
| Female | |
| Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa | I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me! |
| Kangal urangaamal thavithaalae raadha | Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes. |
| Female | |
| Undhan mugam thaanae pasiyaara naan paarthathu | Was it not your face that I gazed upon to quench my hunger? |
| Undhan manam thaanae varamaaga naan kettadhu | Was it not your heart that I requested as a boon? |
| Udal ennodu thaan uyir unnodu thaan | My body remains with me, but my life energy is with you. |
| Innum ver enna naan solvadhu | What else can I possibly say now? |
| Female | |
| Kann ellaam un vannam | My eyes see only your colorful presence everywhere, |
| Nenjellaam un ennam | My entire mind is filled with thoughts of you, |
| Endhan uravennum ulagangal | The whole world of loving relationships was given to me by you; |
| nee thandhadhu | Why then did this sorrow called separation come into it? |
| Idhil pirivennum oru thunbam | I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me! |
| yen vandhadhu | Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes. |
| Female | |
| Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa | Even though it wanes daily, even the crescent moon eventually becomes full; |
| Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha | Even if a flower dries up, it forms a tender fruit and ripens; |
| Female | |
| Dhinam theindhaalum pirai kooda nilavaaguame | Yet my body wanes away and my heart dries up, |
| Malar kaainthaalum pinjaagi kaniyaagumae | You must come so that this state of mine changes. |
| Udal theigindrathae manam kaaigindrathae | The curse of a suffering woman is terrible; |
| Indha nilai maara nee vendumae | Kanna, come right now! |
| Female | |
| Penn paavam polladhu | I cannot bear your teasing games anymore, my lord; |
| Kanna vaa ippodhu | Without your arrival, the day will not dawn here. |
| Un vilaiyattai naan thaanga mudiyaadhaiyaa | I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me! |
| Nee varaamal pozhudhinghu vidiyaadhaiyaa | Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes. |
| Female | |
| Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa | |
| Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha | |
கண்ணா....கண்ணா....கண்ணா....
கண்ணா....கண்ணா...கண்ணா....
கண்ணா.....ஆஆஆஆ....
O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna...
O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna...
O Kanna... ah... ah...
உன்னை எதிர்பார்த்தேன் கண்ணா நீ வா வா
கண்கள் உறங்காமல் தவித்தாளே ராதா
உள்ளம் போராடவும் கண்ணில் நீராடவும்
உள்ளம் போராடவும் கண்ணில் நீராடவும்
இங்கே ஏங்குகிறேன் தனியாக
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation,
My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation,
I am yearning here all alone.
உன்னை எதிர்பார்த்தேன் கண்ணா நீ வா வா
கண்கள் உறங்காமல் தவித்தாளே ராதா
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
உந்தன் முகம்தானே பசியாற நான் பார்த்தது
உந்தன் மனம்தானே வரமாக நான் கேட்டது
உடல் என்னோடுதான் உயிர் உன்னோடுதான்
இன்னும் வேறென்ன நான் சொல்வது
Was it not your face that I gazed upon to quench my hunger?
Was it not your heart that I requested as a boon?
My body remains with me, but my life energy is with you.
What else can I possibly say now?
கண்ணெல்லாம் உன் வண்ணம்
நெஞ்செல்லாம் உன் எண்ணம்
எந்தன் உறவென்னும் உலகங்கள் நீ தந்தது
இதில் பிரிவென்னும் ஒரு துன்பம் ஏன் வந்தது
My eyes see only your colorful presence everywhere,
My entire mind is filled with thoughts of you,
The whole world of loving relationships was given to me by you;
Why then did this sorrow called separation come into it?
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
உன்னை எதிர்பார்த்தேன் கண்ணா நீ வா வா
கண்கள் உறங்காமல் தவித்தாளே ராதா
Even though it wanes daily, even the crescent moon eventually becomes full;
Even if a flower dries up, it forms a tender fruit and ripens;
தினம் தேய்ந்தாலும் பிறை கூட நிலவாகுமே
மலர் காய்ந்தாலும் பிஞ்சாகி கனியாகுமே
உடல் தேய்கின்றதே மனம் காய்கின்றதே
இந்த நிலை மாற நீ வேண்டுமே
Yet my body wanes away and my heart dries up,
You must come so that this state of mine changes.
The curse of a suffering woman is terrible;
Kanna, come right now!
பெண் பாவம் பொல்லாது
கண்ணா வா இப்போது
உன் விளையாட்டை நான் தாங்க முடியாதய்யா
நீ வாராமல் பொழுதிங்கு விடியாதய்யா
I cannot bear your teasing games anymore, my lord;
Without your arrival, the day will not dawn here.
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
உன்னை எதிர்பார்த்தேன் கண்ணா நீ வா வா
கண்கள் உறங்காமல் தவித்தாளே ராதா
Kanna..kanna…. kanna…
O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna...
Kanna..kanna…. kanna…
O Kanna... Kanna... Kanna...
Kanna..aaa..aaa…
O Kanna... ah... ah...
Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
Ullam poradavum kannil neradavum
My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation,
Ullam poradavum kannil neradavum
My heart struggles and my eyes feel a painful irritation,
Ingae yengugiren thaniyaaga
I am yearning here all alone.
Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Kangal urangaamal thavithaalae raadha
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
Undhan mugam thaanae pasiyaara naan paarthathu
Was it not your face that I gazed upon to quench my hunger?
Undhan manam thaanae varamaaga naan kettadhu
Was it not your heart that I requested as a boon?
Udal ennodu thaan uyir unnodu thaan
My body remains with me, but my life energy is with you.
Innum ver enna naan solvadhu
What else can I possibly say now?
Kann ellaam un vannam
My eyes see only your colorful presence everywhere,
Nenjellaam un ennam
My entire mind is filled with thoughts of you,
Endhan uravennum ulagangal
The whole world of loving relationships was given to me by you;
nee thandhadhu
Why then did this sorrow called separation come into it?
Idhil pirivennum oru thunbam
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
yen vandhadhu
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa
Even though it wanes daily, even the crescent moon eventually becomes full;
Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha
Even if a flower dries up, it forms a tender fruit and ripens;
Dhinam theindhaalum pirai kooda nilavaaguame
Yet my body wanes away and my heart dries up,
Malar kaainthaalum pinjaagi kaniyaagumae
You must come so that this state of mine changes.
Udal theigindrathae manam kaaigindrathae
The curse of a suffering woman is terrible;
Indha nilai maara nee vendumae
Kanna, come right now!
Penn paavam polladhu
I cannot bear your teasing games anymore, my lord;
Kanna vaa ippodhu
Without your arrival, the day will not dawn here.
Un vilaiyattai naan thaanga mudiyaadhaiyaa
I kept waiting for you, Kanna, please come to me!
Nee varaamal pozhudhinghu vidiyaadhaiyaa
Radha suffered, restless without sleep in her eyes.
Unnai edhirpaarthen kanna nee vaa vaa
Kangal urangaaml thavithaalae raadha
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This soulful song captures Radha's intense yearning and sorrow during her separation from Lord Krishna (Viraha Bhakti). Radha expresses that her whole existence revolves around Krishna—her eyes see only his form, her heart harbors only his thoughts, and her soul resides with him even if her physical body is apart. She feels completely isolated and restless, unable to sleep as her longing deepens. To emphasize her suffering, Radha contrasts her plight with nature's cyclical resilience: the moon wanes only to shine fully again, and a flower dries up only to give birth to fruit. In contrast, Radha feels her body and spirit deteriorating without renewal. She pleads with Krishna to stop his divine, teasing games and return, stating that her world cannot awaken to a new dawn without his presence.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Undhan mugam thaanae pasiyaara naan paarthathu / Undhan manam thaanae varamaaga naan kettadhu Auditorium Paarthathu / Kettadhu match in ending sound to create lyrical rhythm.”
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Kann ellaam un vannam / Nenjellaam un ennam”
Uvamai (Analogy / Metaphor)
“Dhinam theindhaalum pirai kooda nilavaaguame / Malar kaainthaalum pinjaagi kaniyaagumae”
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Penn paavam polladhu / Kanna vaa ippodhu”
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh and rendered by P. Susheela, this song stands out as a prime example of Viraha Bhakti in 1970s Tamil cinema music, featuring lyricist Vaali's deep devotional imagery centered around the divine love between Radha and Krishna.
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