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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Unnai Naan Unnai Naan

From Jay Jay · 2003

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
Hariharan
Music director
Bharathwaj
Details
Jay Jay2003

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Unnai naan unnai naanThe moment I saw you, I saw you
Unnai naanI saw you
Kandavudan kandavudanAs soon as I saw you, as soon as I saw you
KandavudanAs soon as I saw you
Nenjukulae nenjukulaeDeep inside my heart, deep inside my heart
NenjukulaeDeep inside my heart
Latcham siragugalA hundred thousand wings
MulaikkudhaeAre sprouting
Male
Nee suriyanai suttuvidumAre you a lotus that burns
ThaamaraiyaaThe sun itself?
Ennai mella mellaComing slowly, slowly
Kolla varum mohiniyaaTo enchant and slay me, an enchantress?
Male
Jay jay unaku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Jay jay unaku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Male
Unnai naan unnai naanThe moment I saw you, I saw you
Unnai naanI saw you
Kandavudan kandavudanAs soon as I saw you, as soon as I saw you
KandavudanAs soon as I saw you
Male
Sokkupodi kondaWith bright, glowing eyes
Sudar vizhiyaThat hold mesmerizing magic powder
Thikki thikki vandhaWith sweet, stuttering tender words
Siru mozhiyaThat came stumbling out
Edhu edhu ennai izhuthathu nee solladiTell me girl, which of these pulled me towards you?
Male
Ettu millimeter punnagayaWas it an eight-millimeter smile?
Muthu parkal sindhumOr the initial glow
Mudhal oliyaSpilling pearl-like teeth?
Edhu edhu ennai izhuthathu nee solladiTell me girl, which of these pulled me towards you?
Male
Mugathil irundhaWas it the childlike mischief
Pillai kurumbaOn your face?
Moodi kidanthaOr the pair of arrogance
Jodi thimiraaThat lay hidden inside?
Male
Enna solla eppadi sollaWhat can I say, how can I say it?
Edhuga mona kaivasam illaI have lost command over rhyme and alliteration!
Male
Unnai enni konduThinking of you continuously
Ullae patrikonduCatching fire deep within
Ullam noguthadiMy heart aches, my girl
En uchi veguthadiThe crown of my head boils with heat!
Male
Nee suriyanai suttuvidumAre you a lotus that burns
ThaamaraiyaaThe sun itself?
Ennai mella mellaComing slowly, slowly
Kolla varum mohiniyaaTo enchant and slay me, an enchantress?
Male
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Male
Kandavudan kandavudanAs soon as I saw you, as soon as I saw you
KandavudanAs soon as I saw you
Male
Marumurai unnaiWill I meet you
SandhippenaaOnce again?
Malar kannukulaeWill I reside
VasippenaaInside your flower-like eyes?
Mazhai thuli engaeDoes the ocean ask
Endru kadal kattumaWhere the lost raindrop went?
Male
Vetkam indriWithout any shame
Mannil alaivaenaeI wander on the earth
Rekkai indriWithout any wings
Vinnil thirivenaeI roam in the sky
Uyir engae engaeWhere is my soul, where is it?
Endru udal thedumaeThus the body searches for it
Male
Padharum idhayamDigging out
Thondi eduthuMy trembling heart
Sidharu thengaaiLike breaking a coconut
Pottu mudithuIn sacrifice
Udaintha sathamBefore the sound of shattering
Undhidum munnaeRings out completely
Engae sendraaiWhere did you go?
Evvidam sendraaiWhere did you vanish to?
Male
Ennai kannum podhuWhen you look at me
Kannai paarthu solluLook into my eyes and tell me
Kannae en polaMy darling, just like me
Neeyum kadhal kondaayaaDid you fall in love too?
Male
Nee suriyanai suttuvidumAre you a lotus that burns
ThaamaraiyaaThe sun itself?
Ennai mella mellaComing slowly, slowly
Kolla varum mohiniyaaTo enchant and slay me, an enchantress?
Male
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Male
Unnai naan unnai naanThe moment I saw you, I saw you
Unnai naanI saw you
Kandavudan kandavudanAs soon as I saw you, as soon as I saw you
KandavudanAs soon as I saw you
Nenjukulae nenjukulaeDeep inside my heart, deep inside my heart
NenjukulaeDeep inside my heart
Latcham siragugalA hundred thousand wings
MulaikkudhaeAre sprouting
Male
Nee suriyanai suttuvidumAre you a lotus that burns
ThaamaraiyaaThe sun itself?
Ennai mella mellaComing slowly, slowly
Kolla varum mohiniyaaTo enchant and slay me, an enchantress?
Male
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you
Jay jay unakku jay jayVictory to you, victory to you

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This energetic title track from the movie 'Jay Jay' expresses the overwhelming emotions and disorientation experienced by a young man upon falling in love at first sight. The protagonist describes how meeting the mysterious woman made a hundred thousand wings sprout in his heart, leaving him completely mesmerized and helpless against her beauty, smile, and aura.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukkuthodar / Anaphora

Unnai naan unnai naan

Repetition of words back-to-back for emotional emphasis, such as 'Unnai naan', 'Kandavudan', and 'Nenjukulae'.

Hyperbole / Paradox

Nee suriyanai suttuvidum thaamaraiyaa

Describing a lotus burning the sun ('Suriyanai suttuvidum thaamaraiyaa') creates a striking poetic paradox, as normally the sun causes the lotus to bloom/wither.

Modern Imagery / Metaphor

Ettu millimeter punnagaya

Using modern precise measurements like 'Ettu millimeter punnagaya' (eight-millimeter smile) brings a novel contemporary touch to traditional Tamil romantic imagery.

Meta-Poetic Reference

Edhuga mona kaivasam illa

Vairamuthu cleverly acknowledges Tamil prosody within the song by explicitly stating that rhyme (Edhuga) and alliteration (Mona) are out of control due to the madness of love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Bharadwaj and sung with high energy by Tippu, 'Jay Jay' starred Madhavan and Amogha in the lead roles. The film was directed by Saran. Lyricist Vairamuthu famously integrated camera and cinematic terminology like '8 millimeter' into classical Tamil poetic themes.

Keep listening

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