- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Nizhalgal
- Movie release year
- 1980
- Lyrics added on
- 9 Sept 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This iconic song captures the magical beauty of a golden sunset while weaving deep philosophical reflections of a hopeful youth. The lyrics personify the evening sky as a shy bride changing her outfit as twilight turns into night, while the surrounding nature—birds, trees, and colors—celebrates this serene transition. Beyond nature's beauty, the sky becomes a metaphor for the 'Bodhi tree', imparting wisdom to the protagonist. He looks to the future with idealism, contemplating social justice and believing that questioning the status quo will lead to enlightenment and positive societal transformation.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification (மாந்தருருவகப்படுத்துதல்)
“Vaanamagal naanugiraal / Vaeru udai poonugiraal”
The sky is personified as a blushing bride ('Vaanamagal') who changes her attire as day turns to night.
Metaphor (உருவகம்)
“Vaanam enakkoru bhodhi maram”
The sky is metaphorically called a Bodhi tree ('Bhodhi maram'), symbolizing a divine source of knowledge and spiritual enlightenment.
Alliteration & Internal Rhyme (மோனை / எதுகை)
“Kelvigalaal vaelvigalai naan seivaen”
The line uses playful phonetics with matching sounds ('Kelvigalaal' / 'Vaelvigalai') to emphasize the act of questioning as a sacred ritual.
Rhetorical Question (வினா நவிற்சி)
“Poo marangal saamarangal veesaadho”
A poetic query asking if the flowering trees aren't waving royal whisk fans to honor the evening.
Did you know?
Trivia
This song marked the debut of Vairamuthu as a lyricist in Tamil cinema. Director Bharathiraja and composer Ilaiyaraaja gave him the opportunity after reading his poetry collection 'Thiruthai Vizhiyil'. Vairamuthu famously wrote the line 'Vaanam enakkoru bhodhi maram' while travelling on a bus, and it immediately captivated Ilaiyaraaja, sparking a legendary collaboration.
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