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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kalaiyum Megangale Kadhal

From Porutham · 1985

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Details
Porutham1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...
Ilamai ennai sudumMy youth burns me,
Yaekkam kanneer vidumMy longing sheds tears.
Paalaiyil yaedhadiHow can there be, in a desert,
Kannanin birunthaavanamLord Krishna's Brindavan?
Paalaiyil yaedhadiHow can there be, in a desert,
Kannanin birunthaavanamLord Krishna's Brindavan?
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...
Female
Unnai naan paarthaenI looked at you,
Ennai nee paarththaaiYou looked at me.
Naan paarththathum nee paarththathumMy gaze and your gaze
Vevvaeru konamWere from completely different angles.
Female
Nizhalai naan paarthaenI looked at a mere shadow,
Adhuthaan yaemaanthaenAnd that is why I was deceived.
Un meethilae en nenjilaeTowards you, in my heart,
Enakenna kobamWhy should I hold any anger?
Poi maanai thedinaenI searched for an illusory deer,
Mei saernthu pogiraenAnd now I depart merging with the truth.
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...
Ilamai ennai sudumMy youth burns me,
Yaekkam kanneer vidumMy longing sheds tears.
Paalaiyil yaedhadiHow can there be, in a desert,
Kannanin birunthaavanamLord Krishna's Brindavan?
Male
………………….
Female
Paalum kalendruBelieving it was pure milk,
Ennum ninaivondruA thought I held
En nenjilae naan kondathuDeep inside my heart,
Thavarendru kadaenI realized was a mistake.
Female
Kaanal thanneerumA mirage's water
Gangai thanneerumAnd the holy Ganges water
Ondrallavae endrennavumAre not the same, yet even that
Ariyaathu nindrenI failed to comprehend.
Ellorum kannanaaIs everyone a Krishna?
Nee konjam vearuthaanYou are quite different.
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...
Ilamai ennai sudumMy youth burns me,
Yaekkam kanneer vidumMy longing sheds tears.
Paalaiyil yaedhadiHow can there be, in a desert,
Kannanin birunthaavanamLord Krishna's Brindavan?
Paalaiyil yaedhadiHow can there be, in a desert,
Kannanin birunthaavanamLord Krishna's Brindavan?
Female
Kalaiyum maegangalaeOh dispersing clouds,
Kadhal aasaikalae….Oh desires of love...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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.

Keep listening

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