- Lyricist
- Kambadasan
- Music director
- Shankar Jaikishan
- Movie name
- Avan (1953)
- Movie release year
- 1953
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Mar 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Jalakku Jalakku Thandayathan Naatham from the 1953 movie Avan is a festive wedding song celebrating the joy of matrimony and the union of two loving hearts. Through vibrant auditory imagery—such as the rhythmic jingling of anklets, bangles, and the festive melody of the nadaswaram—the lyrics portray a beautiful bride stepping gracefully toward a new chapter in her life. The song emphasizes that true marriage occurs when two souls unite with inseparable love, drawing a comparison to the seamless meeting of the vast earth and sky.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Onomatopoeia (Osei Alangaram)
“Jalakku jalakku jalakku jalakku”
The repeated phonetic word 'Jalakku' mimics the rhythmic jingling sound made by anklets (thandai) as the bride walks.
Assonance & Rhyme (Iyaibu / Ethirai)
“Kaivalai kulunga kadhani kilunga”
The words 'kulunga' and 'kilunga' rhyme within the line, enhancing the musical rhythm and echoing the physical movement of ornaments.
Simile (Uwamai)
“Ponnai polae minnum / Nettri melae kunguma thoolae”
The red kumkum powder on the forehead is compared to gleaming gold using 'polae' (like).
Did you know?
Trivia
The film 'Avan' (1953) is the Tamil dubbed version of the iconic 1951 Raj Kapoor classic Hindi film 'Awaara'. The musical duo Shankar-Jaikishan composed the score, which was adapted into Tamil with lyrics written by Kambadasan and sung by Jikki.
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