- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Ninaivellam Nithya
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Jan 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This soulful track expresses the profound anguish of lost love and noble sacrifice. The protagonist compares her love to a mirage—an elusive vision that leaves her weeping and emotionally isolated, with only the distant horizon as her companion. She reflects that a true soul connection cannot be undone, just as the river Ganges cannot flow backward once it meets the sea. In the second stanza, she reveals the heartbreak of self-sacrifice: she surrendered her own happiness and freedom so her beloved could thrive. Transforming her agony into song, she accepts pain, tear-stained cheeks, and curses as her reality, finding solace only in music while enduring her grief.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uvamai)
“Kaanal neer pol endhan kaadhal”
Compares love to a mirage ('kaanal neer pol'), signifying an illusion that promises water but leaves one parched.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Enadhu siragai dhaanam thandhen”
Metaphorically refers to giving away her own wings ('siragai dhaanam thandhen') to represent sacrificing her freedom and dreams for her lover.
Analogy (Auvamai)
“Kadalodu serndha gangai meendum thirumbhi pogiradhae”
Uses the natural phenomenon of the Ganges merging into the sea and never returning as an analogy for an irreversible soul connection.
Alliteration (Monai)
“Kaadhalai bali koduththu kaadhalanai vaazha veiththaen”
Repetition of initial consonant sound 'Kaa' in 'Kaadhalai' and 'Kaadhalanai'.
Did you know?
Trivia
Although listed with unknown metadata in some records, this memorable sad track from 'Ninaivellam Nithya' (1982) was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, rendered poignantly by legendary singer S. Janaki, with lyricist Vairamuthu penning the poetic lines.
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