- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- Duet
- Movie release year
- 1994
- Lyrics added on
- 24 Aug 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song from Duet expresses the deep paradoxes and agony of love. The protagonist addresses love directly, questioning why it demands the very essence of his being—asking for a painter's eyes—and whether it brings heavy crosses of suffering or wings of freedom. Love is portrayed as a force capable of softening mountains yet agitating vast oceans, blurring the line between healing nectar and lethal poison.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Naan oviyan endru therindhum nee / Yen kannirandai ketkiraai”
Comparing the lover to a painter whose vision is demanded by love, symbolizing how love asks for one's most precious asset.
Antithesis / Binary Contrast
“Siluvaigal siragugal / Rendil enna thara pogiraai”
Juxtaposing 'Siluvaigal' (crosses/suffering) and 'Siragugal' (wings/liberation) to show the dual nature of romantic devotion.
Hyperbole
“Kaadhalae nee poo erinthaal / Entha malaiyum konjam kuzhaiyum”
Exaggerating love's impact by stating that a flower thrown by love can melt a mountain, and a stone thrown can perturb an entire ocean.
Oxymoron
“Amuthenpathaa visham enbathaa.. / Illai amuthavishamenbathaa….”
Combining mutually contradictory terms 'amuthu' (nectar of immortality) and 'visham' (deadly poison) to describe love.
Adukkuthodar (Iterative Repetition)
“Naan vilunthu vilunthu thozhudhen / Naan kulungi kulungi azhudhen”
Repetition of words like 'vilunthu vilunthu' and 'kulungi kulungi' to intensify the imagery of emotional vulnerability and sobbing.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by A.R. Rahman for K. Balachander's 1994 film Duet, this track features memorable saxophone passages by maestro Kadri Gopalnath alongside vocals by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra.
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