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Chinnanjsiru Kiliye album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kandangi Selakatti

From Chinnanjsiru Kiliye · 1980

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, S. Janaki
Music director
G. K. Venkatesh
Movie name
Chinnanjsiru Kiliye
Movie release year
1980
Lyrics added on
7 Jun 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kandaangi sela katti vanthaalae chinnakkutti
Aalavattam poduraalae chellammaa
Ad kannammaa adi sornammaa
Iva yaarukkaaga kaaththirukkaa sollammaa
Machchaana thedum kannu
Mai theetti vatha ponnu
Maappillaikku kaaththirukkaa thoppilae
Ada vennaiyyaa ada ponnaiyyaa
Ava aasa vachchaa kaiyalakka paaraiyaa
Iruttaal iruttadikka
Izhuppa mara kaaththadikka
Female :Ooradangum munnaalae
Odhungum enna paaththu
Male :Thiruttuthanamaa nadakkuthammaa naadagam
Thaazhampoo siththaada thalaiyil paaru
Oru kooda mullaippoo jaadhi mullaippoo
Thaazhampoo siththaada thalaiyil paaru
Oru kooda mullaippoo jaadhi mullaippoo
Female :Sirichchaa paaru maththaappu
Azhagu maththaappoo
Arugu pol verodi
Aal pol thazhaichchirukku
Female :Aasaiyum velanjirukku
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukku
Male :Ada veli thaandum maadu
Onnu payira meya paakkuthadi
Munthaana panthaada
Hae munnum pinnum kaaththaada
Vanthaanae muththam thanthaanae
Munthaana panthaada
Hae munnum pinnum kaaththaada
Vanthaanae muththam thanthaanae
Thanthaanae thaanae thanthaanae
Thanthaanae avan thanthaanae
Thaniyaaga thaagam theerkka vanthaanae….
Draped in a Kandangi cotton saree, the young girl arrived.
She twirls and dances around playfully, our darling girl!
Oh Kannamma, hey Sornamma!
Tell me, dear, who is she waiting for?
With eyes searching for her sweetheart,
the girl has come with kohl-lined eyes.
She is waiting for her bridegroom in the grove.
Oh Vennaiyya, oh Ponnaiyya!
She fell in love, now watch him hold her in his arms!
As the darkness turns pitch black,
and the breeze blows from the mahua trees,
Female: Before the village goes to sleep,
seeing me slip away to hide,
Male: a secret drama is playing out!
Look at her flower-patterned skirt, and on her head,
a basket of jasmine, fragrant royal jasmine!
Look at her flower-patterned skirt, and on her head,
a basket of jasmine, fragrant royal jasmine!
Female: Look, when she smiles, it is like a sparkler,
a lovely sparkler!
Rooted deep like Bermuda grass,
flourishing wide like a banyan tree,
Female: desire has grown ripe,
waiting to be harvested!
Male: Hey, a cow jumping over the fence
is trying to graze on the crops!
As the saree end bounces like a ball,
hey, fluttering back and forth in the breeze,
he came and gave a kiss!
As the saree end bounces like a ball,
hey, fluttering back and forth in the breeze,
he came and gave a kiss!
He gave it, yes, he gave it!
He gave it, indeed he gave it!
He came alone to quench her thirst...
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a lively folk-based romantic duet from the 1980 movie 'Chinnanjsiru Kiliye'. Set in a rustic rural backdrop, it depicts a young woman beautifully dressed in a Kandangi saree and fragrant flowers, secretly waiting for her lover in a grove at dusk. The singers playfully describe her anticipation and the secretive romantic encounter that unfolds between the two lovers under the cover of night. The lyricist Gangai Amaran uses rich agricultural and nature-based metaphors common in Tamil folklore, such as crops ready for harvest, deep banyan roots, and cattle leaping fences. These imagery choices highlight the natural, raw, and vibrant essence of rural romance, enhanced by G. K. Venkatesh's earthy musical arrangement and dynamic vocals.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile / Metaphor)

Sirichchaa paaru maththaappu Azhagu maththaappoo

Compares her bright smile directly to a lit firework/sparkler ('maththaappu').

Traditional Blessing Imagery (Uvamana)

Arugu pol verodi Aal pol thazhaichchirukku

Uses the traditional Tamil wedding blessing of taking deep roots like 'Arugu' (Bermuda grass) and spreading wide like 'Aal' (Banyan tree) to describe thriving love.

Metaphor (Urvagam)

Aasaiyum velanjirukku Aruvadaikku kaaththirukku

Compares growing romantic desire to a mature field of crops waiting to be harvested ('Aruvadaikku kaaththirukku').

Allegory / Metaphor

Ada veli thaandum maadu Onnu payira meya paakkuthadi

The lover entering the grove is symbolically described as a stray cow jumping a fence to graze on crops.

Emonai / Rhyming (Monai & Etukai)

Munthaana panthaada Hae munnum pinnum kaaththaada

Rhythmic repetition of initial sound and internal cadence across phrases like 'Munthaana' and 'panthaada'.

Did you know?

Trivia

The phrase 'Arugu pol verodi Aal pol thazhaithu' used in the lyrics is an ancient traditional Tamil blessing usually uttered by village elders to newlyweds, wishing their family lineage to take deep roots like Bermuda grass (which never dies) and branch out grandly like a Banyan tree. Music composer G. K. Venkatesh was a pioneer in blending authentic Tamil folk idioms with orchestral arrangements, and was notably the master/mentor under whom legendary maestro Ilaiyaraaja worked as an assistant.

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