- Lyricist
- M. G. Vallaban
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Urangatha Ninaivugal
- Movie release year
- 1983
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Feb 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Artha Raathiri is a playful, sensual romantic song set in the quiet hours of midnight. The female protagonist calls out to her beloved ('maamaa'), expressing her intense longing, passion, and restlessness. She uses vivid imagery to convey her desire, comparing her state of readiness to a rare fig flower blooming late at night, waiting to be plucked.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Pookkaadha athi poo poothirukku”
Comparing herself to an 'Athi Poo' (fig flower) that rarely blooms, symbolizing a rare, precious moment of intimacy.
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi)
“Ada noolaa elachaen thaanaa vedichaen”
Exaggerating her state of longing as thinning down to a thread ('noolaa elachaen') and bursting out of passion.
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Adha nenachae enakku neruppaa irukku / Soodaagat thaan odi vaa”
Rhyming of the second consonant 'n' in adjacent lines ('nenachae' / 'soodaagat').
Allusion
“Poo baanam thaanae kaaman poda”
Reference to Kamadeva ('Kaaman') and his flower arrows ('Poo baanam') representing the god of love triggering desire.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track features music composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by M.G. Vallaban for the 1983 Tamil film 'Urangatha Ninaivugal'. The song relies heavily on rhythmic folk percussion and seductive vocal nuances typical of 1980s romantic club/folk numbers in Tamil cinema.
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