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Lyrics & meaning

Kannadi Pathirathil

From Punar Jenmam · 1961

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
T. Chalapathi Rao
Details
Punar Jenmam1961

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kannadi paathirathilLike a glass vessel
Kalleripattadhu polStruck by a thrown stone,
En ennamennum thaen kalasamWill my honey-pot of thoughts
Unnaamal udainthidumooShatter without being enjoyed?
Female
Inba kaaviyam poithaanoHas the epic of joy turned out to be false?
Konda kaadhalum poithaanaIs the love I cherished a lie?
En aasaigal veenthaanaHave my desires gone in vain?
Ini maidhiyum kaanbaenaaWill I ever find peace hereafter?
Female
Inba kaaviyam poithaanoHas the epic of joy turned out to be false?
Konda kaadhalum poithaanaIs the love I cherished a lie?
Female
Idhu kaalathin seyal thanaIs this the work of fate?
Sugam kaanal neer thaanaIs happiness merely a mirage?
Idhu kaalathin seyal thanaIs this the work of fate?
Sugam kaanal neer thaanaIs happiness merely a mirage?
Sugam kaanal neer thaanaIs happiness merely a mirage?
Mana nambikkai veenthaanaHas the trust in my heart gone in vain?
Naan vembhiya kaaithaanaAm I a fruit that withered prematurely?
Female
Inba kaaviyam poithaanoHas the epic of joy turned out to be false?
Konda kaadhalum poithaanaIs the love I cherished a lie?
Female
Irul moodiya vaan polaeLike a sky shrouded in darkness,
Karai yeriya meen polaeLike a fish stranded on the shore,
Irul moodiya vaan polaeLike a sky shrouded in darkness,
Karai yeriya meen polaeLike a fish stranded on the shore,
Thuyar meeridum nilaiyaalaeDue to this state of overwhelming sorrow,
Pdum vedhani theeraadhooWill the agony I suffer never end?
Oru paadhaiyum thonaadhooWill no path show itself to me?
Female
Inba kaaviyam poithaanoHas the epic of joy turned out to be false?
Konda kaadhalum poithaanaIs the love I cherished a lie?
En aasaigal veenthaanaHave my desires gone in vain?
Ini maidhiyum kaanbaenaaWill I ever find peace hereafter?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Inba Kaaviyam Poithaano from Punar Jenmam (1961) is a deeply moving lament about heartbreak, shattered expectations, and grief. The song depicts a woman processing the painful collapse of her love story. She compares her cherished feelings to a fragile vessel of honey shattered by an unexpected stone, fearing that all her hopes and sweet dreams have been completely wasted. Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram uses evocative natural imagery, such as a dark, cloud-covered sky and a fish writhing out of water on the dry shore, to illustrate her intense helplessness and emotional agony. Overwhelmed by fate, she questions whether joy is merely an illusion and wonders if she will ever find clarity or peace again. P. Susheela's expressive vocal rendition elevates this poignant reflection on destiny and lost love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

Kannadi paathirathil Kalleripattadhu pol

Compares her fragile thoughts being shattered to a glass vessel hit by a thrown stone.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

En ennamennum thaen kalasam

Directly metaphorizes her heart's thoughts as a pot filled with honey ('thaen kalasam').

Rhetorical Question

Inba kaaviyam poithaano / Sugam kaanal neer thaana

Expresses disbelief and sorrow by questioning whether the epic of happiness was false and joy is just a mirage.

Simile (Uvamai)

Karai yeriya meen polae

Compares her helpless, suffering state to a fish washed up on the dry shore.

Did you know?

Trivia

Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram was renowned for combining deeply emotional poetry with social commentary and philosophy. Punar Jenmam (1961), directed by C. V. Ranganatha Das, featured Sivaji Ganesan and Padmini. This iconic sad solo performed by P. Susheela is widely recognized as one of the finest melancholic compositions in early Tamil cinema.

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