- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Panchali
- Movie release year
- 1959
- Lyrics added on
- 13 May 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song expresses deep emotional pain and disappointment through the classic Tamil proverb of 'Ilavu kaatha kili'—a parrot that patiently waits for the bright red fruit of a silk-cotton tree to ripen, only for it to burst into inedible fluff. The protagonist laments how her life's expectations have turned out to be futile daydreams, questioning why heartbreak has been dealt to her after experiencing prior bliss. The lyrics use poetic imagery of nature to depict betrayal and despair, asking if the very person who nurtured a vine's growth would cut it off from spreading. Feeling completely overwhelmed, the protagonist describes her inner world as devoid of joy, where every tune feels like a dirge and her heart struggles under a heavy burden of daily longing.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Allegory / Proverbial Metaphor (Ilavu Kaatha Kili)
“Ilavu kaatha kilithaano naan”
Refers to the ancient Tamil idiom representing patient waiting that leads to bitter disappointment, comparing the speaker to a hopeful parrot.
Metaphor (Kodi and Kilai)
“Kilaiyinilae kodi padarum podhilae / Valarthavarae adhai padaraamal seivadha”
Compares a growing relationship or life to a vine spreading on a tree branch, and the person who breaks it to a nurturer restricting its natural path.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Ilavu kaatha kilithaano / Enadhu vaazhvil indha yemattram yaeno”
Repeated phrasing across multiple stanzas emphasizes the lingering grief and questioning nature of the song.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Isaipadhellaam ini thunbha geethamae”
Assonance and initial letter harmony in Tamil prosody ('Isaipadhellaam' / 'Ezhuvadhum' / 'En idhayam' / 'Yekkathudan').
Did you know?
Trivia
The phrase 'Ilavu kaatha kili' is one of the most famous allegorical idioms in Tamil literature, commonly used by lyricist A. Maruthakasi and other classical poets to express unfulfilled hope and heartbreak.
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