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Minsara Kanavu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Vennilavae Vennilavae

From Minsara Kanavu · 1997

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Minsara Kanavu
Movie release year
1997
Lyrics added on
9 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa
Vilaiyaada jodi thevai eehh
Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa
Vilaiyaada jodi thevai eehh
Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa
Vilaiyaada jodi thevai
Intha boologathil yaarum paarkkum munnae
Unnai athikaalai anuppi vaippom
Ithu irullalla athu oliyalla
Ithu rendodum seraatha ponneram
Ithu irullalla athu oliyalla
Ithu rendodum seraatha ponneram
Thalai Saaiaathae vizhi moodaathae
Sila mottukkal sattendru poovaagum
Pennae.. pennae..
Booloagam ellaamae thoongippona pinnae
Pulloodu poo veezhum osai ketkum pennae
Naam iravin madiyil pillaigal aavom paalootta nilavundu
Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa
Vilaiyaada jodi thevai
Intha boologathil yaarum paarkkum munnae
Unnai athikaalai anuppi vaippom
Ettaatha uyarathil nilavai vaithavan yaaru
Kaiyoodu sikkaamal kaatrai vaithavan yaaru
Male :Ithai enni enni iyarkaiyai viyakkiraen
Ettaatha uyarathil nilavai vaithavan yaaru
Female :Pennae… pennae
Poongaatru ariyaamal poovai thirakka vendum
Pookooda ariyaamal thaenai rusikka vendum
Male :Ada ulagai rasikka vendum naan un pondra pennodu
Ahhh ahhh ahhha hahhaahahh
Ahhh ahhh ahhha hahhaahahh
Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa
Vilaiyaada jodi thevai
Male and Female :Intha boologathil yaarum paarkkum munnae
Unnai athikaalai anuppi vaippom
O silver moon, O silver moon, will you cross the skies and come down?
We need a partner to play with, yeah
O silver moon, O silver moon, will you cross the skies and come down?
We need a partner to play with, yeah
O silver moon, O silver moon, will you cross the skies and come down?
We need a partner to play with
Before anyone on this earth sees you,
We will send you back at dawn
This is not darkness, that is not light,
This is a golden time that belongs to neither
This is not darkness, that is not light,
This is a golden time that belongs to neither
Do not rest your head, do not close your eyes,
Some buds suddenly turn into flowers
Oh girl... oh girl...
After the whole world falls asleep,
You can hear a flower falling on the grass, my girl
We will become children in the lap of the night; there is the moon to feed us milk
O silver moon, O silver moon, will you cross the skies and come down?
We need a partner to play with
Before anyone on this earth sees you,
We will send you back at dawn
Who placed the moon at an unreachable height?
Who made the breeze so it cannot be caught in the hands?
Male: Thinking of this again and again, I marvel at nature
Who placed the moon at an unreachable height?
Female: Oh girl... oh girl...
We must open the flower without the gentle breeze knowing,
We must taste the honey without even the flower knowing
Male: Ah, I want to enjoy this world with a girl like you
Ah ah ah ha ha ha ah
Ah ah ah ha ha ha ah
O silver moon, O silver moon, will you cross the skies and come down?
We need a partner to play with
Male & Female: Before anyone on this earth sees you,
We will send you back at dawn
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Vennilavae' is a whimsical and romantic song from the movie Minsara Kanavu (1997), composed by A.R. Rahman and written by Vairamuthu. The song captures a poetic dialogue addressing the moon, inviting it down to earth to play during the quiet twilight hours before dawn breaks.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Vennilavae vennilavae vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa

Addressing the moon as a playmate ('Vennilavae... vinnaithaandi varuvaayaa') and describing night as a mother with a lap ('iravin madiyil').

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming in Tamil poetry)

Ettaatha uyarathil nilavai vaithavan yaaru

Rhyming pattern using 'Ettaatha' and 'Kaiyoodu' with matching second consonant sounds or meter across lines.

Metaphor

Ithu rendodum seraatha ponneram

Describing dawn/dusk as 'ponneram' (golden hour) which is neither pure darkness nor full light.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu and sung by Hariharan and Sadhana Sargam, 'Vennilavae' won National Film Awards for Best Music Direction (A.R. Rahman), Best Female Playback Singer (Sadhana Sargam), and Best Male Playback Singer (Hariharan).

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