- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Leela
- Music directors
- S. Dakshinamurthi, G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Kalyani (1952)
- Movie release year
- 1952
- Lyrics added on
- 9 Oct 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
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
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Kalyani (1952)
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.