- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Periya Idathu Penn
- Movie release year
- 1963
- Lyrics added on
- 5 Mar 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song from Periya Idathu Penn (1963) uses the timeless presence of the moon as a metaphor for the changing emotional states of lovers. While the moon itself remains unchanged across time, the lovers experience varying emotions under its glow—from joyful romance and togetherness to deep longing, separation, and heartache.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification
“Pesa chonnadhu anbu nilaa / Piriya chonnadhu thunba nilaa”
Human qualities and actions (speaking, instructing to part or sleep) are attributed to the moon.
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Andru vandhadhum idhae nilaa / Indru vandhadhum adhae nilaa”
Tamil poetic rhyming where the second letter of consecutive lines match ('nd' in Andru and Indru).
Metaphor
“Vellai ullam konda nilaa”
Comparing a pure heart and innocence directly to a pristine white silver moon.
Anaphora / Epiphora
“Inbam thandhadhum orae nilaa / Yenga vaippadhum orae nilaa”
Repeated use of the phrase 'orae nilaa' at the end of successive lines to emphasize constancy despite changing moods.
Did you know?
Trivia
Featured in the M. G. Ramachandran and B. Saroja Devi starrer 'Periya Idathu Penn' (1963), this timeless track was composed by the legendary duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, penned by Kannadasan, and sung by T. M. Soundararajan and P. Susheela. Kannadasan's 'Nila' (moon) lyrics are revered as classic examples of metaphor in Tamil film music.
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