- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Maalaiyitta Mangai
- Movie release year
- 1958
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Mar 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Annam Polae Penn Irukku is a poignant song from the 1958 film Maalaiyitta Mangai, penned by Kannadasan. The song portrays the romantic agony and deep yearning of a young woman longing for her absent beloved. Despite having beauty compared to a graceful swan and a heart filled with love, her existence feels incomplete because she cannot see the one she loves. Nature's pleasant elements, such as singing cuckoos, talking parrots, gentle breezes, and the sweet moonlight, turn into sources of torment for her lonely heart, reflecting the classic Indian literary motif of separation (viraha). She grieves over how her lover departed without sharing tender words, leaving her to search for him in vain like a tender dew-laden flower.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Upamai (Simile)
“Annam polae penn irukku”
Compares the beauty and grace of the woman to a swan ('Annam polae').
Viraha Tapam (Sangam Motif)
“Thendralukkum iraiyaanen / Thaenmadhiyin edhiraanen”
Depicts the gentle breeze and bright moon—usually sources of pleasure—as painful tormentors during separation.
Uruvagam (Metaphor)
“En panimalarai yeno innum kaanen”
Metaphorically refers to the beloved as a delicate dew-covered flower ('panimalar').
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Arugirundhu pesaamal / Anbu mozhi kooraamal”
Repetition of initial vowel sound 'A' in adjacent words.
Did you know?
Trivia
Maalaiyitta Mangai (1958) was produced by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan under his own banner, Kannadasan Films. The music was composed by the iconic duo Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy, and this memorable track was sung by M. S. Rajeswari.
Keep listening
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