- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- Unni Menon
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Kelviyum Naane Bathilum Naane
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 22 Mar 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song celebrates the sublime, transformative, and divine nature of music. The singer compares himself to a free-spirited cuckoo performing in the vast expanse of the open sky. Music is portrayed not merely as entertainment, but as a miracle capable of melting hard stones into soft fruit, turning sharp thorns into gentle blossoms, and mesmerizing all living beings.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Endrum vaana veliyil isaikkum kuyil naan”
The singer directly equates himself to a cuckoo bird singing in the vastness of the sky.
Muran (Antithesis)
“Malarum mullum malarum / Kaniyum kallum kaniyum”
Contradictory words like flower/thorn (malar/mul) and fruit/stone (kani/kal) are paired to highlight the miracle of music turning harshness into beauty.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Raagathil thondrum pushpam / Thaalathil seiyum sirpam”
Musical notes (raagams) are envisioned as blooming flowers, and rhythms (thaalams) are metaphorically portrayed as sculpted artwork.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Dheivam vandhadhu kandadhu / Gaanathai njaanathai alli thandhadhu”
The ending sounds 'kandadhu' and 'thandhadhu' create a harmonious rhythmic rhyme at the ends of consecutive lines.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by poet Vaali for the 1982 film 'Kelviyum Naane Bathilum Naane', the film's soundtrack was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics capture Vaali's signature poetic dexterity, weaving nature imagery with classic Tamil literary tropes to depict music as a divine blessing.
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