- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Movie name
- Snegithi
- Movie release year
- 1970
- Lyrics added on
- 7 Aug 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song captures the deep anguish of unfulfilled love and the lingering heartbreak after separation. The narrator laments the cruelty of fate, questioning why destiny brought two hearts together only to pull them apart. Even after attempting to shut down all emotions—metaphorically closing the doors to the temple of the mind—the memory of the beloved remains, lingering like an unshakeable deity. Through evocative metaphors of nature, such as beetles seeking paper flowers, birds chasing mirages, and clouds pouring rainfall with no reward, Kannadasan beautifully articulates the illusion, futility, and eternal longing inherent in lost love.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvam)
“Mana koviyilai naan moodivitten / Innum dheivam therivathenna”
Compares the mind to a temple ('Mana koviyil') and the beloved/love to a deity ('dheivam'), illustrating how sacred yet painfully persistent the memory remains.
Anaphora / Initial Rhyme (Moona)
“Kangal inainthathenna / Kadhal piranthathenna / Kaalam pirinththathenna / Kavithai siriththathenna”
The repetition of the initial 'Ka-' sound across consecutive lines ('Kangal', 'Kadhal', 'Kaalam', 'Kavithai') creates a rhythmic and melodic flow.
Imagery / Paradox
“Kaagith poovilum vandu varum / Kaanal neerukkum paraavai varum”
Uses paradoxical imagery of insects approaching fake paper flowers and birds flocking to mirages to emphasize how love deceives with false hope.
Analogy
“Naanoru vaanam avaloru meagam / Irandum inaiyavillai”
Compares the lover and his beloved to the sky and a cloud, existing in the same realm yet destined never to merge permanently into one entity.
Did you know?
Trivia
Featuring lyrics by the legendary poet Kannadasan, this song from Snegithi (1970) showcases his signature style of combining philosophical questioning with romantic grief, utilizing powerful imagery from nature to depict emotional suffering.
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