- Lyricist
- Poonguyilan
- Singer
- Malaysia Vasudevan
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Thunai
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Mar 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This philosophical song from the 1982 film Thunai explores the various essential supports, relationships, and virtues that sustain a human being throughout life. The lyricist enumerates how abstract qualities like love, wisdom, memories, and affection serve as continuous inner companions. As a person grows, these companions shift to parents, teachers, divine grace, youth, life partners, children, inner character, resilience, and true friends.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Epiphora (Iyaibu)
“Anbe thunai arivae thunai / Uyirae thunai uravae thunai”
The word 'thunai' (meaning companion/support) is systematically repeated at the end of almost every line throughout the song.
Moonaip (Initial Alliteration)
“Nalam thedum nenjil gunamae thunai / Nalinthaalum thaangum palamae thunai”
Repetition of the 'N' consonant sound at the beginning of adjacent words across lines.
Metaphor
“Nizhalaagi nirkkum thanthai thunai”
Describing the father metaphorically as a protective shadow that stays beside a child.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by the legendary music duo Shankar-Ganesh and rendered by Malaysia Vasudevan, the song 'Anbe Thunai' is renowned for its rhythmic structure built entirely around the theme of 'Thunai' (the movie's title), framing life's various milestones through the concept of moral and emotional support.
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