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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kalyana Pudava Katti

From Kalyaniyin Kanavan · 1963

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Suseela
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Details
Kalyaniyin Kanavan1963

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kalyaana pudaivai kattiDraped in the wedding saree,
Kaaleduththu manaiyil vaiththuStepping into the bridal home,
Kalyaana pudaivai kattiDraped in the wedding saree,
Kaaleduththu manaiyil vaiththuStepping into the bridal home,
Pallaakku polae nindren nerilaeI stood right in front like a palanquin,
Antha paruva magan paranthu vittaan thaerilaeThat young man flew away on a chariot.
Antha paruva magan paranthu vittaan thaerilaeThat young man flew away on a chariot.
Female
Uruvamendra mullaiyilaeIn the jasmine flower of my form,
Ullamendra thaenaiyalliGathering the honey of my heart,
Uruvamendra mullaiyilaeIn the jasmine flower of my form,
Ullamendra thaenaiyalliGathering the honey of my heart,
Oruvanukku vaiththirunthaen uravilaeI kept it reserved for one man in our relationship,
Avan odameri sendru vittan iravilaeBut he boarded a boat and left in the night.
Female
Kalyaana pudaivai kattiDraped in the wedding saree,
Kaaleduththu manaiyil vaiththuStepping into the bridal home,
Pallaakku polae nindren nerilaeI stood right in front like a palanquin,
Antha paruva magan paranthu vittaan thaerilaeThat young man flew away on a chariot.
Female
Seppu silai maeni endruCalling my body a bronze statue,
Seppi vantha deva maganThe divine man who used to say so,
Seppu silai maeni endruCalling my body a bronze statue,
Seppi vantha deva maganThe divine man who used to say so,
Seppiyathu yaavumindru poimaiyaeEverything he said today turned out to be a lie,
Naan seppu silai aanathuthaan unmaiyaeBut it is true that I have turned into a lifeless bronze statue.
Naan seppu silai aanathuthaan unmaiyaeBut it is true that I have turned into a lifeless bronze statue.
Female
Maanda udal marainthaalumEven if this dead body vanishes,
Mannil sendru olinthaalumEven if it goes and hides in the earth,
Maanda udal marainthaalumEven if this dead body vanishes,
Mannil sendru olinthaalumEven if it goes and hides in the earth,
Meendum vanthu piranthaalum uravilaeEven if I am reborn again into this world of relations,
Enthan maeni kaanum thalaivanavan oruvanaeHe is the only leader who will behold my body.
Enthan maeni kaanum thalaivanavan oruvanaeHe is the only leader who will behold my body.
Female
Kalyaana pudaivai kattiDraped in the wedding saree,
Kaaleduththu manaiyil vaiththuStepping into the bridal home,
Pallaakku polae nindren nerilaeI stood right in front like a palanquin,
Antha paruva magan paranthu vittaan thaerilaeThat young man flew away on a chariot.
Antha paruva magan paranthu vittaan thaerilae…ae….That young man flew away on a chariot...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This emotional song expresses the sorrow and tragic plight of a bride who was abandoned or left behind right after her wedding rituals. Dressed in her finest bridal attire and waiting in anticipation, she watches her beloved husband depart unexpectedly. She reflects on how he used to praise her beauty like a bronze statue and adore her heart's sweetness, only for his vows to crumble into falsehoods while leaving her literally turned into a motionless bronze statue of grief. Despite the heart-wrenching betrayal and abandonment, her devotion remains absolute and eternal. She vows that even in death, burial, or future reincarnations, he remains the sole lord who possesses her heart and body.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Pallaakku polae nindren nerilae

Compares her decorated, waiting bridal posture directly to a palanquin using the word 'polae'.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Uruvamendra mullaiyilae Ullamendra thaenaiyalli

Metaphorically equates her form to a jasmine flower (mullai) and her heart's love to honey (thaen).

Wordplay / Irony (Sledai)

Naan seppu silai aanathuthaan unmaiyae

Plays on the term 'seppu silai' (bronze statue); initially used as a compliment for her beauty, it ironically comes to mean her becoming frozen and motionless like a statue in sorrow.

Alliteration (Monaai)

Maanda udal marainthaalum Mannil sendru olinthaalum

Repetition of the 'Ma' sound across words in consecutive lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kalyaniyin Kanavan' (1963) stars Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi. The lyrics were penned by the legendary Kannadasan, who masterfully used tragic imagery and irony around wedding rituals to heighten the emotional drama.

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