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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yenada Kanna Intha

From Anbu Roja · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
A. M. Rajah, P. Susheela
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Anbu Roja1975

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Yenada kannaa indha pollathanamWhy this mischief, my dear darling boy?
Enna vendum sollu yen indru indha vambhuTell me what you want, why this trouble today?
Male
Yenada kannaa indha pollathanamWhy this mischief, my dear darling boy?
Enna vendum sollu yen indru indha vambhuTell me what you want, why this trouble today?
Nee mayangavum kann malaravumFor you to drift off to sleep and your eyes to bloom like flowers,
Nee mayangavum kann malaravumFor you to drift off to sleep and your eyes to bloom like flowers,
Naan thaalaattu solven aaraaroooI will sing a gentle lullaby... Aararoo.
Female
Yenada kannaa indha pollathanamWhy this mischief, my dear darling boy?
Enna vendum sollu yen indru indha vambhuTell me what you want, why this trouble today?
Female
{Nee enaku pillai naan sumakkavillaiYou are a child to me though I did not bear you in my womb,
Thaai endra per vanthathuYet I received the blessed title of a mother.
Male :Nee anaitha mullai naam vidhaithathillaiMale: You are a jasmine flower we embrace, though we did not plant it,
Namakkaaga avan thanthathu} (2)God bestowed you upon us.
Female :{En veetil vanthaadumFemale: Swinging gracefully inside my home,
Male :Pon oonjal neeyaagum} (2)Male: You become a golden swing.
Female
Yenada kannaa indha pollathanamWhy this mischief, my dear darling boy?
Enna vendum sollu yen indru indha vambhuTell me what you want, why this trouble today?
Male
{Pulli maanin kandru thulliyodi indruLike a spotted deer's fawn prancing around today,
Vilaiyaadum azhagennavooOh, what wonderful beauty in your play!
Female :Sondhamaana pinbu endha naalum anbuFemale: Once you become our own, our love will never wane;
Kuraiyaadha uravallavoo} (2)Isn't this a bond that remains forever undiminished?
Male
{Thendral pol nee vaazhgaMay you live gently like the south wind,
Female :Thingal pol niraivaaga} (2)Female: Complete and luminous like the full moon.
Male
Yenada kannaa indha pollathanamWhy this mischief, my dear darling boy?
Enna vendum sollu yen indru indha vambhuTell me what you want, why this trouble today?
Female
Nee mayangavum kann malaravumFor you to drift off to sleep and your eyes to bloom like flowers,
Nee mayangavum kann malaravumFor you to drift off to sleep and your eyes to bloom like flowers,
Naan thaalaattu solven aaraaraaroooI will sing a gentle lullaby... Aararaaroo.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This heart-warming song is a loving lullaby sung by parents to their dearly beloved adopted child. It captures the playfulness of a child who refuses to go to sleep and gently teases them about their mischief. The parents reflect on how profound parentage is—even without carrying the child in the womb, the bond of parental love is absolute, making the child a precious, divine gift in their lives. The lyrics move from teasing playfulness to emotional depth, expressing gratitude for the joy the child brings to their household like a golden swing or a prancing fawn. The song culminates in tender blessings, wishing the child a life as soft as a gentle breeze and as full and glowing as the full moon.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai Ani (Simile)

Thendral pol nee vaazhga / Thingal pol niraivaaga

The lyricist explicitly uses 'pol' (like) to compare the child's life to a pleasant breeze ('thendral') and the child's completeness/brightness to the full moon ('thingal').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Pon oonjal neeyaagum

The child is directly metaphorized as a 'golden swing' ('pon oonjal') that brings motion and happiness into the house.

Ethugai (Second-letter rhyme)

Thendral pol nee vaazhga / Thingal pol niraivaaga

The second consonant letter sound ('n' / 'ng') in 'Thendral' and 'Thingal' matches across consecutive lines.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Nee mayangavum kann malaravum

The matching '-avum' ending in 'mayangavum' and 'malaravum' creates a soft musical end-rhyme suitable for a lullaby.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics were penned by Kannadasan for the 1975 Tamil film 'Anbu Roja'. Kannadasan was renowned for capturing deep human relationships and adopted parenting themes with simple yet emotionally profound Tamil metaphors, as seen in the central theme of this lullaby.

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