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Lyrics & meaning

Kaalamellaam Endhan Vaazhvil

From Kalyani (1952) · 1952

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Leela
Music directors
S. Dakshinamurthi, G. Ramanathan
Details
Kalyani (1952)1952

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kaalamellaam en vaazhvil thunbanthaanaaIs my entire life destined to be filled only with sorrow?
Kaneerum yaekkamum en udan pirappaaAre tears and endless longing my born siblings?
Paazhpatta vaazhkkai ini seerpadaathaaWill this ruined life of mine never be restored?
Paaviyilum padupaavi yaen piranthaenWhy was I born as the worst of all sinners?
Female
Naaduveno seeraana vaazhvenWill I ever attain a peaceful and prosperous life?
Vaazhnaalilae naanaeIn my own lifetime, I...
Naadodi polaanaen endrumHave forever become like a wandering nomad,
Saagaatha pinamaanaenAnd turned into an undying, living corpse.
Female
Thaayizhanthaen thanthai anbizhanthaenI lost my mother, and I lost the love of my father;
Maalaiyitta Manavaalan thunaiyizhanthaenI lost the companionship of my wedded husband.
Irakkamillaa ulagaththiIn this heartless, merciless world,
Yaen innum vaazhugindreanWhy am I still continuing to live?
Female
Theeraatha soga thisai meethil naanaeHeading towards endless sorrow, I myself
Thaeinthu ponaen thigaiththae nirkkindraenHave worn away and stand here completely bewildered.
Naathan anbae naan kaanuvaenoWill I ever witness the true love of my lord?
Maasillaatha maapaavi naanae…aa…I am a great sinner, pure in my wretchedness... ah...
Female
Naaduveno seeraana vaazhvenWill I ever attain a peaceful and prosperous life?
Vaazhnaalilae naanaeIn my own lifetime, I...
Naadodi polaanaen endrumHave forever become like a wandering nomad,
Saagaatha pinamaanaenAnd turned into an undying, living corpse.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This melancholic song captures the profound anguish and heartbreak of a woman who feels utterly abandoned by fate and loved ones. Having lost her mother, her father's affection, and the companionship of her wedded husband, she laments her existence in a heartless world. She questions why suffering haunts her constantly and describes her emotional numbness as living like a corpse and wandering like a nomad, despairing over whether she will ever find peace or love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)

Kaalamellaam en vaazhvil thunbanthaanaa

The speaker poses rhetorical questions expressing her deep pain, asking if sorrow is all she is meant to experience.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Kaneerum yaekkamum en udan pirappaa

Comparing grief and tears to siblings ('udan pirappaa') and herself to a living corpse ('saagaatha pinam') to emphasize profound emotional isolation.

Simile (Uvamai)

Naadodi polaanaen endrum

Comparing her aimless, tragic life to that of a wandering nomad ('Naadodi polaanaen').

Anaphora / Parallelism (Iyaibu & Ethugai)

Thaayizhanthaen thanthai anbizhanthaen

Repeated suffix structure '-izhanthaen' creating a rhythmic enumeration of her tragic losses.

Did you know?

Trivia

Released in 1952, 'Kalyani' featured iconic early lyricism by Kaviarasu Kannadasan, showcasing his signature ability to articulate intense human suffering and existential despair through accessible Tamil vocabulary. P. Leela's emotive voice made this song a classic tragedy anthem of early Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

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