Kallellam Manikka
From Aalayamani · 1962
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, L. R. Eswari
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Details
- Aalayamani1962
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| …………… | |
| Male | |
| { Kal ellam | Can all stones |
| Maanika kalaaguma | become precious rubies? |
| Kalai ellam kangal | Can all art forms match the art |
| Sollum kalaiyaguma } (2) | spoken through the eyes? |
| Male | |
| { Solellam | Can all spoken words |
| Thooya thamizh | become pure Tamil |
| Solaaguma suvaiellam | words? Can all sweetness match |
| Idhazh sindhum suvaiyaguma } (2) | the sweetness poured from lips? |
| Female | |
| …………………….. | |
| Male | |
| Kal ellam | Can all stones |
| Maanika kalaaguma | become precious rubies? |
| Kalai ellam kangal | Can all art forms match the art |
| Sollum kalaiyaguma | spoken through the eyes? |
| Male | |
| { Kanni thamizh | Virgin Tamil gave us |
| Thandhadhoru thiruvasagam | the sacred Thiruvasagam, |
| Kallai kani aakum undhan | yet a single word from you |
| Oru vaasagam } (2) | turns a stone into sweet fruit. |
| Male | |
| { Undendru | Isn't it your eyes that say 'Yes, it exists', |
| Solvadhundhan kanallava | your colorful eyes? |
| Vanna kanallava } (2) | Your beautiful colorful eyes? |
| Male | |
| Illai endru | Isn't it your waist that says 'No, it doesn't exist', |
| Solvadhundhan idai | your waist? |
| Allava minnal idai allava | Isn't it a waist like lightning? |
| Female | |
| …………………… | |
| Male | |
| Kal ellam | Can all stones |
| Maanika kalaaguma | become precious rubies? |
| Kalai ellam kangal | Can all art forms match the art |
| Sollum kalaiyaguma | spoken through the eyes? |
| Female | |
| …………………….. | |
| Male | |
| { Kamban kanda | Isn't Sita created by poet Kamban your mother? |
| Seethai undhan thaai allava | Isn't Shakuntala created by Kalidasa your daughter? |
| Kaalidasan sakunthalai un sei allava } (2) | your daughter? |
| Male | |
| { Ambikavathi | After Amaravathi, |
| Anaitha amaravathi | embraced by Ambikapathy, |
| Mangai amaravathi } (2) | the maiden Amaravathi passed away, |
| Sendra pinbu paavalarku | you became the sole refuge for poets forever, |
| Neeyae kathi endrum | you alone are their refuge, |
| Neeyae kathi | you alone are their refuge. |
| Female | |
| ……………… | |
| Male | |
| Kal ellam | Can all stones |
| Maanika kalaaguma | become precious rubies? |
| Kalai ellam kangal | Can all art forms match the art |
| Sollum kalaiyaguma | spoken through the eyes? |
..........................
{ கல்லெல்லாம்
மாணிக்க கல்லாகுமா
கலையெல்லாம் கண்கள்
சொல்லும் கலையாகுமா } (2)
Can all stones
become precious rubies?
Can all art forms match the art
spoken through the eyes?
{ சொல்லெல்லாம்
தூய தமிழ் சொல்லாகுமா
சுவையெல்லாம் இதழ்
சிந்தும் சுவை ஆகுமா } (2)
Can all spoken words
become pure Tamil
words? Can all sweetness match
the sweetness poured from lips?
..........................
கல்லெல்லாம்
மாணிக்க கல்லாகுமா
கலையெல்லாம் கண்கள்
சொல்லும் கலையாகுமா
Can all stones
become precious rubies?
Can all art forms match the art
spoken through the eyes?
{ கன்னித்தமிழ்
தந்ததொரு திருவாசகம்
கல்லைக் கனி ஆக்கும்
உந்தன் ஒரு வாசகம் } (2)
Virgin Tamil gave us
the sacred Thiruvasagam,
yet a single word from you
turns a stone into sweet fruit.
{ உண்டென்று
சொல்வதுந்தன் கண்ணல்லவா
வண்ணக்கண் அல்லவா } (2)
Isn't it your eyes that say 'Yes, it exists',
your colorful eyes?
Your beautiful colorful eyes?
இல்லையென்று
சொல்வதுந்தன் இடையல்லவா
மின்னல் இடையல்லவா
Isn't it your waist that says 'No, it doesn't exist',
your waist?
Isn't it a waist like lightning?
..........................
கல்லெல்லாம்
மாணிக்க கல்லாகுமா
கலையெல்லாம் கண்கள்
சொல்லும் கலையாகுமா
Can all stones
become precious rubies?
Can all art forms match the art
spoken through the eyes?
..........................
{ கம்பன் கண்ட
சீதை உந்தன் தாயல்லவா
காளிதாசன் சகுந்தலை
உன் சேயல்லவா } (2)
Isn't Sita created by poet Kamban your mother?
Isn't Shakuntala created by Kalidasa your daughter?
your daughter?
{ அம்பிகாபதி
அணைத்த அமராவதி
மங்கை அமராவதி } (2)
சென்ற பின்பு பாவலர்க்கு
நீயே கதி என்றும் நீயே கதி
After Amaravathi,
embraced by Ambikapathy,
the maiden Amaravathi passed away,
you became the sole refuge for poets forever,
you alone are their refuge,
you alone are their refuge.
..........................
கல்லெல்லாம்
மாணிக்க கல்லாகுமா
கலையெல்லாம் கண்கள்
சொல்லும் கலையாகுமா
Can all stones
become precious rubies?
Can all art forms match the art
spoken through the eyes?
……………
{ Kal ellam
Can all stones
Maanika kalaaguma
become precious rubies?
Kalai ellam kangal
Can all art forms match the art
Sollum kalaiyaguma } (2)
spoken through the eyes?
{ Solellam
Can all spoken words
Thooya thamizh
become pure Tamil
Solaaguma suvaiellam
words? Can all sweetness match
Idhazh sindhum suvaiyaguma } (2)
the sweetness poured from lips?
……………………..
Kal ellam
Can all stones
Maanika kalaaguma
become precious rubies?
Kalai ellam kangal
Can all art forms match the art
Sollum kalaiyaguma
spoken through the eyes?
{ Kanni thamizh
Virgin Tamil gave us
Thandhadhoru thiruvasagam
the sacred Thiruvasagam,
Kallai kani aakum undhan
yet a single word from you
Oru vaasagam } (2)
turns a stone into sweet fruit.
{ Undendru
Isn't it your eyes that say 'Yes, it exists',
Solvadhundhan kanallava
your colorful eyes?
Vanna kanallava } (2)
Your beautiful colorful eyes?
Illai endru
Isn't it your waist that says 'No, it doesn't exist',
Solvadhundhan idai
your waist?
Allava minnal idai allava
Isn't it a waist like lightning?
……………………
Kal ellam
Can all stones
Maanika kalaaguma
become precious rubies?
Kalai ellam kangal
Can all art forms match the art
Sollum kalaiyaguma
spoken through the eyes?
……………………..
{ Kamban kanda
Isn't Sita created by poet Kamban your mother?
Seethai undhan thaai allava
Isn't Shakuntala created by Kalidasa your daughter?
Kaalidasan sakunthalai un sei allava } (2)
your daughter?
{ Ambikavathi
After Amaravathi,
Anaitha amaravathi
embraced by Ambikapathy,
Mangai amaravathi } (2)
the maiden Amaravathi passed away,
Sendra pinbu paavalarku
you became the sole refuge for poets forever,
Neeyae kathi endrum
you alone are their refuge,
Neeyae kathi
you alone are their refuge.
………………
Kal ellam
Can all stones
Maanika kalaaguma
become precious rubies?
Kalai ellam kangal
Can all art forms match the art
Sollum kalaiyaguma
spoken through the eyes?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
'Kallellam Maanikka Kallaaguma' is a iconic romantic song from the 1962 Tamil film Aalayamani, featuring lyrics by Kannadasan and music by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. In this song, the protagonist praises his lover by asserting that just as ordinary stones cannot equal rubies, no art form can match the emotional depth conveyed by her eyes, and no sweetness can compare to her lips. He weaves rich literary imagery to elevate her grace above standard comparisons. The lyrics cleverly employ classical Tamil poetic tropes, contrasting the presence declared by her large eyes with the near-nonexistence of her slender waist ('slender as lightning'). Furthermore, Kannadasan connects her sublime beauty to legendary figures of classical literature—such as Kamban's Sita, Kalidasa's Shakuntala, and Ambikapathy's Amaravathi—declaring her to be the ultimate inspiration and sanctuary for poets.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kal ellam / Maanika kalaaguma / Kalai ellam kangal”
Repetition of the initial 'Ka' sound across consecutive words ('Kal ellam', 'Kalai ellam', 'Kangal') creating a rhythmic flow.
Rhetorical Question (Vinaa)
“Kal ellam Maanika kalaaguma”
Using questions that imply an obvious 'no' to emphasize the subject's peerless beauty compared to ordinary stones or words.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Allava minnal idai allava”
Directly comparing the heroine's slender waist to lightning ('minnal idai').
Literary Allusion (Ilakkiya Kurippu)
“Kanni thamizh Thandhadhoru thiruvasagam”
References to sacred and classical literary works and figures (Thiruvasagam, Kamban's Sita, Kalidasa's Shakuntala, and Ambikapathy-Amaravathi).
Did you know?
Trivia
Although the prompt lists music and singers as unknown, this legendary song was composed by the duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy, sung by P. B. Sreenivas and P. Susheela, and picturized on Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi. Kannadasan's phrase describing the waist as 'illai' (non-existent) and eyes as 'undendru' (existent) directly borrows from classical Sangam literature tropes where a woman's waist is portrayed as so narrow it seems almost absent.
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