The lyrics of Kiliye Kiliye are protected by copyright. Please use a licensed platform to read or sing along.
About the Song
Kiliye Kiliye is a cherished Tamil romantic song that uses the image of a parrot (kili) as a central metaphor for a beloved — small, bright, elusive and captivating. The song's gentle melody and nature-rich imagery place it firmly within the tradition of classical Tamil film music, where the natural world mirrors the emotions of lovers.
Lines invoking the sea, flowers, clouds and rain create a sensory landscape around the central image of love as something as natural and inevitable as the changing seasons.
Song Credits
Song Meaning & Theme
The word kili (parrot) in Tamil poetry traditionally represents the beloved — bright, playful, full of colour and song. The opening image of "kiliye kiliye mani mani megha thoppil, oru malar nullaan pookum azhakin azhake" (parrot, parrot, in the jewel-like clouds, a flower blooms like a tendril of beauty) layers natural imagery to evoke the overwhelming loveliness of the beloved. Tamil film poetry has a centuries-old tradition of using birds as romantic metaphors, connecting this song to Sangam-era literary sensibility.
About the Artist
Tamil film music has produced some of India's most sophisticated romantic poetry, drawing from the classical Sangam tradition of landscape-emotion correspondence (known as akam poetry). In this tradition, specific landscapes, birds, flowers and seasons each correspond to different emotional states of love. Songs like Kiliye Kiliye inherit this literary tradition, giving them a depth that transcends the entertainment context of the film.
Why This Song Endures
- Draws on Tamil Sangam poetry's tradition of nature-emotion correspondence
- The parrot (kili) as a romantic metaphor has deep roots in classical Tamil literature
- Gentle melody makes it ideal for acoustic performances and classical music settings
- Beloved across Tamil-speaking audiences globally for its lyrical beauty
- Regularly performed at classical music concerts and cultural events
More Song Lyrics
Looking to Perform This Song?
JBX Band performs Tamil and South Indian classics alongside Hindi and Bollywood at events across Mumbai and India. Browse our complete setlist or contact us to book JBX Band.