- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Movie name
- Porutham
- Movie release year
- 1985
- Lyrics added on
- 15 Nov 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Kalaiyum Maegangalae' expresses the profound sorrow and disillusionment of a heart heartbreak. The protagonist reflects on love as fleeting and unpredictable, much like dispersing clouds in the sky. She mourns how her youthful passion and unfulfilled longings bring pain and tears, comparing her expectation of love in a loveless situation to searching for Krishna's lush Brindavan in a barren desert. Through poignant metaphors, she acknowledges her mistake in falling for mere illusions—comparing her false hopes to a mirage mistaken for the holy Ganges or an illusory golden deer (Poi Maan). Realizing that the love was completely one-sided and viewed from entirely different perspectives, she reaches a philosophical acceptance, letting go of anger as she learns to see reality as it is.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamai (Metaphor / Comparison)
“Kalaiyum maegangalae”
Comparing love desires to fleeting clouds ('Kalaiyum maegangalae') and comparing false love to a mirage ('Kaanal thanneer').
Uruvagam (Imagery / Contrast)
“Paalaiyil yaedhadi Kannanin birunthaavanam”
Contrasting a dry desert ('Paalai') with Krishna's divine garden ('Birunthaavanam') to highlight the impossibility of finding true love in an unfeeling person.
Mythological Metaphor (Ramayana allusion)
“Poi maanai thedinaen Mei saernthu pogiraen”
Using the 'Poi Maan' (illusory golden deer from Ramayana) as a symbol for deceptive attraction.
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Poi maanai thedinaen / Mei saernthu pogiraen”
Rhyming of second letters across consecutive lines ('Paalaiyil' / 'Kannanin' or 'Poi' / 'Mei').
Did you know?
Trivia
The movie 'Porutham' (1985) features lyrics written by Vairamuthu that heavily rely on classical Tamil poetic motifs like desert imagery (Paalai thinai) to represent separation and heartbreak.
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