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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Anbu Malar

From Pasamalar · 1961

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
M. S. Vishwanathan
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Pasamalar1961

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Ohoo..ooo..oooOhoo..ooo..ooo
Ohoo..ooo…ooo…oooOhoo..ooo...ooo...ooo
Male
Anbu malar aasai malarAmidst the flower of love and the flower of desire,
Inba malar naduvaeand amidst the flower of joy,
Arulodu malarvadhu thaanthat which blooms with divine grace
Paasa malarammais the flower of deep affection, oh dear.
Male
Than pasiyai karudhadhuWithout considering one's own hunger,
Thanghai pasi theerthusatisfying the hunger of the younger sister,
Than perumai nenaiyadhuwithout thinking of one's own pride,
Thanghaiyinai kaathuprotecting the younger sister,
Annaikku annaiyaaiBeing a mother to a mother,
Thanthaikku thanthaiyaaiand a father to a father,
Adhaaram kolvathu thaanbecoming the foundation of support,
Paasa malarammais the flower of deep affection, oh dear.
Male
Thaan aadaavitaalumEven if one does not dance or act,
Sadhai aadum enbaarthey say the flesh itself responds with feeling.
Thadai pottu vaithaalumEven if obstacles are placed in the way,
Serndhu vidum enbaarthey say true hearts will unite.
Uruvam irandaagaThough existing in two separate physical forms,
Unarchiyelaam ondraagawith all emotions and feelings remaining as one,
Ullathil malarvathu thaanblooming deep inside the heart,
Paasa malarammais the flower of deep affection, oh dear.
Male
Sei paravai kural kettuHearing the distressed cry of its chick,
Thaai paravai vaadudhae..aethe mother bird suffers in anguish.
Thedi varum paravai ellaamWill all other birds that come searching,
Thaai paravai aagumaa…aa…aa..ever truly become the mother bird?
Kandraizhkkum kural kettuHearing the calling voice of its calf,
Thaai pasuvum oodumae..aethe mother cow comes running in haste.
Kaana varum thunaiyellaamWill all companions who come to visit,
Thaai pasuvaai aagumaaever truly become the mother cow?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song celebrates the divine and selfless bond of sibling love, portraying it as a supreme affection that goes beyond mere desire or happiness. It highlights the brother's unconditional sacrifices—putting his sister's well-being and hunger above his own needs, and stepping into the nurturing and protective roles of both father and mother. The lyrics emphasize that true blood bonds transcend physical separation, uniting two bodies into a single emotional soul.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Anbu malar aasai malar / Inba malar naduvae / Arulodu malarvadhu thaan / Paasa malaramma

Emotions such as love, desire, joy, and affection are metaphorically equated to blooming flowers (Anbu malar, Aasai malar, Paasa malar).

Ethirai (Second letter rhyme)

Annaikku annaiyaai / Thanthaikku thanthaiyaai

The second consonant sound 'n' is repeated across successive lines (Annaikku / Thanthaikku) to create poetic rhythm.

Analogy / Parallel Imagery (Uvamai)

Sei paravai kural kettu / Thaai paravai vaadudhae

The song uses the innate bond of a mother bird with her chick and a mother cow with her calf to demonstrate how unique and irreplaceable genuine sibling love is compared to casual well-wishers.

Did you know?

Trivia

Pasamalar (1961), directed by A. Bhimsingh and starring Sivaji Ganesan and Savitri, is widely regarded as a benchmark film in Tamil cinema history for depicting brother-sister affection. Although the prompt lists music and singers as unknown, the movie's timeless soundtrack was composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, with lyrics written by Kannadasan.

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