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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Appa Un Magalai

From Kavitha · 1962

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Kavitha
Movie release year
1962
Lyrics added on
8 Jun 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Eppodhum idhu pol thudikattum endrae
Eduthoru kaiyil koduthaaya…
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Thaalatti seeratti valarthaayae
En thangame endreduthu anaithaayae
Thaalatti seeratti valarthaayae
En thangame endreduthu anaithaayae
Vaazha vendum endru ninaithaayae
Vaazha vendum endru ninaithaayae
Oru maalaiyil en vaazhvai mudithaayae
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Naan kanda kanavai nee kalaithaai
Indru nee kanda kanavai avar kalaithaar
Naan kanda kanavai nee kalaithaai
Indru nee kanda kanavai avar kalaithaar
Naam kanda kanavugal kalaindhadhappa
Naam kanda kanavugal kalaindhadhappa
Ellam naayagan vidhippadi nadanthadhappa
Appa…appaa
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Eppodhum idhu pol thudikattum endrae
Eduthoru kaiyil koduthaaya…
Appa un magalai paarthaaya
Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
Wishing she would suffer like this forever,
Did you hand her over into someone's hands?
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
You raised me with lullabies and tender care,
You held me close, calling me your precious gold.
You raised me with lullabies and tender care,
You held me close, calling me your precious gold.
You wished for me to live a good life,
You wished for me to live a good life,
Yet with a wedding garland, you ended my life.
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
You shattered the dream that I had,
Today, he shattered the dream that you had.
You shattered the dream that I had,
Today, he shattered the dream that you had.
The dreams we both had are shattered, father,
The dreams we both had are shattered, father,
Everything happened according to fate's decree, father.
Father... father...
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
Wishing she would suffer like this forever,
Did you hand her over into someone's hands?
Father, have you seen your daughter?
Did you hear the music of her weeping voice?
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song from the 1962 movie 'Kavitha' captures a deeply tragic emotional confrontation between a daughter and her father. The protagonist laments her fate after her marriage, questioning her father about how the loving upbringing he gave her ultimately led to her suffering. She sarcastically compares her tearful cries to 'music' and grieves over how an arranged union ruined her life despite her father's good intentions.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Oxymoron / Irony

“Azhu kural sangeetham kettaaya”

Combining 'Azhu kural' (crying voice) with 'sangeetham' (music) highlights the bitter irony of her pain being treated lightly or turning her suffering into a tragic melody.

Double Entendre / Metaphor

“Oru maalaiyil en vaazhvai mudithaayae”

'Maalai' refers both to 'evening' and 'wedding garland'. By placing the wedding garland on her, her life was symbolically ended rather than started.

Parallelism / Rhyme (Iyaibu)

“Naan kanda kanavai nee kalaithaai / Indru nee kanda kanavai avar kalaithaar”

Contrasts 'Naan kanda kanavai' (dreams I saw) with 'nee kanda kanavai' (dreams you saw), showing the fatal cycle of shattered hopes between generations.

Anaphora

“Appa un magalai paarthaaya”

Repeated line emphasizing the direct plea and grief directed toward the father.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics by Kannadasan, 'Appa un magalai paarthaaya' remains one of Tamil cinema's most poignant father-daughter heartbreak songs, elevated by P. Susheela's expressive vocals.

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