- Lyricist
- K. C. S. Arunachalam
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. B. Sreenivas
- Movie name
- Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar
- Movie release year
- 1960
- Lyrics added on
- 11 Oct 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic Tamil folk-inspired song expresses a lover's deep admiration for a working-class woman's natural charm and traditional ornaments. He marvels at her tiny red-gemmed nose stud, which seems to playfully wink at him whenever she moves with grace. He vividly describes her beauty—her blushing cheeks, lotus-like face, pearly smile, and her dark, sun-kissed skin honed by hard labor. He confesses that his heart and soul feel captivated by her presence, to the point where the villagers tease him for being hopelessly infatuated with her.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification (Uruvagimathal)
“Kannai simittura mookuthiyaam”
Attributing human traits like winking ('Kannai simittura') to an inanimate object, the nose stud.
Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvam)
“Un mugathil thaamarai poothirukkum”
Comparing her teeth to pearls ('Muthum sirippil') and her face to a blooming lotus ('Mugathil thaamarai poothirukkum').
Repetition / Monorime (Anupirasam / Edugai)
“Chinna chinna mookuthiyaam”
Repetition of words like 'Chinna chinna' and rhyming end structures across verses for musical rhythm.
Simile / Hyperbole (Uvamana)
“Paechu ovvovonnum thaena inichirukkum”
Describing her sweet speech as honey ('thaena inichirukkum').
Did you know?
Trivia
Paadhai Theriyudhu Paar (1960) is an iconic Tamil movie produced by the left-leaning Kovai Azaad group, featuring music composed by M. B. Sreenivasan. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil and is renowned for introducing realistic portrayals of working-class people and folk musical sensibilities to Tamil cinema.
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