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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aval Paranthu Ponale

From Paar Magaley Paar · 1963

Lyricist
Lyricist Not Known
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, P. B. Sreenivas
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Paar Magaley Paar1963

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
{ Aval paranthuShe flew away,
Ponalae ennai marandhuShe left, forgetting me,
Ponalae naan paarkum pothuAs I watched, she left,
Kangal irandai kavarndhu ponalae } (2)Stealing both my eyes, she flew away.
Male
{ En kaathuku mozhi illaiMy ears hear no words,
En naavuku suvai illai } (2)My tongue feels no taste,
En nenjuku ninaivillaiMy heart retains no memory,
{ En nizhalukum urakamillai } (2)Even my shadow finds no sleep.
Male
Aval paranthuShe flew away,
Ponalae ennai marandhuShe left, forgetting me,
Ponalae naan paarkum pothuAs I watched, she left,
Kangal irandai kavarndhu ponalaeStealing both my eyes, she flew away.
Male
{ Indha veetuku vilakillaiThis house has no lamp,
Sondha kootuku kuyil illai } (2)This nest has no cuckoo,
En anbuku magal illaiMy affection has no daughter,
{ Oru aaruthal mozhi illai } (2)There is not a single word of comfort.
Male
Aval paranthuShe flew away,
Ponalae ennai marandhuShe left, forgetting me,
Ponalae naan paarkum pothuAs I watched, she left,
Kangal irandai kavarndhu ponalaeStealing both my eyes, she flew away.
Male
En idhayathilInside my heart,
Pooti vaithen adhilI locked her safely within,
Ennayae kaaval vaithenI stood guard over her myself,
Aval kadhavai udaithaalaeYet she broke down the doors,
{ Than siragai virithaalae } (2)And spread her wings to fly.
Male
Aval paranthuShe flew away,
Ponalae ennai marandhuShe left, forgetting me,
Ponalae naan paarkum pothuAs I watched, she left,
Kangal irandai kavarndhu ponalaeStealing both my eyes, she flew away.
Male
{ Aval enaka magalaanaalShe became a daughter to me,
Naan avaluku magananen } (2)And I became a son to her,
En urimai thaai allavaIs she not my rightful mother?
{ En uyirai eduthu kondaal } (2)Yet she took away my very life.
Male
Aval paranthuShe flew away,
Ponalae ennai marandhuShe left, forgetting me,
Ponalae naan paarkum pothuAs I watched, she left,
Kangal irandai kavarndhu ponalaeStealing both my eyes, she flew away.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This poignant song expresses a father's profound grief and sense of emptiness following the departure of his beloved daughter. He describes how her absence deprives his senses of all feeling, turning his home into a dark house without a light and a quiet nest without its songbird. Despite his intense efforts to guard and protect her in his heart, she broke free and flew away into her own life. In a moving reversal of parental roles, he reflects on how his daughter had become like a mother to him, making her departure feel like the loss of his own life source.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Indha veetuku vilakillai / Sondha kootuku kuyil illai

The daughter is poetically compared to a lamp bringing light to the house ('vilakillai') and a cuckoo bird bringing music to the nest ('kuyil illai').

Hyperbole

En nizhalukum urakamillai

Exaggeration used to convey immense insomnia and sorrow, suggesting that even the speaker's shadow cannot sleep.

Anaphora / Ethirai (Tamil Rhyme)

En kaathuku mozhi illai / En naavuku suvai illai / En nenjuku ninaivillai

Repetition of starting words 'En' across multiple lines emphasizes personal deprivation and sorrow.

Paradox

Aval enaka magalaanaal / Naan avaluku magananen

The speaker reverses the parent-child relationship, stating that his daughter became like a mother to him, heightening the emotional depth of loss.

Did you know?

Trivia

This classic emotional track from 'Paar Magaley Paar' (1963) features music by the famed duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy with lyrics penned by Kaviarasu Kannadasan. Sung by T. M. Soundararajan and P. B. Sreenivas, the song highlights Sivaji Ganesan's powerful emotional performance as a father.

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