- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singers
- P. Susheela, Seerkazhi Govindarajan
- Music director
- Pendyala Nageswara Rao
- Movie name
- Kalaivanan
- Movie release year
- 1959
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Feb 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song from Kalaivanan (1959) begins as a playful duet celebrating love and romantic teasing between lovers. The female singer entices her partner with metaphors of honeyed speech and piercing glances, while the male singer affectionately responds with gentle warnings not to mock him. As the song progresses, the theme broadens into an ode to Tamil culture, performing arts, and the fertile Tamil landscape. It praises the patrons who safeguard artists like eyelids protecting the eye, and honors the rich lands of the Pandya kingdom and the Cauvery river delta adorned with mango, banana, and coconut groves.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“En kannil ambum undu / En sollil thaenum undu”
Comparing glances to arrows ('kannil ambu') and speech to honey ('sollil thaen').
Simile (Uvamai)
“Vizhiyai kaakkum imaiyai polae”
Comparing patrons who protect art and artists to eyelids that safeguard the eyes ('polae').
Rhyme & Assonance (Edhukai / Monai)
“Maavodu vaazhai thennai / Valarndhaadum solaiyum munnae”
Matching second consonants and vowel sounds in consecutive lines ('Maavodu' / 'Valarndhaadum').
Did you know?
Trivia
Kalaivanan (1959) was a Tamil drama film starring A. Nageswara Rao and Anjali Devi, centered around themes of art and devotion. The music by Pendyala Nageswara Rao featured popular duets that blended classical Tamil lyrics with theatrical folk melodies.
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