- Lyricist
- Kanakasurabhi
- Singer
- M. L. Vasanthakumari
- Music directors
- Chittor V. Nagaiah, A. Rama Rao
- Movie name
- Thai Ullam
- Movie release year
- 1952
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Aug 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Konjum Puraave is a poetic song from the 1952 Tamil film Thai Ullam. The song draws rich allegories from nature—a caressing dove, the rising moon, the blossoming lotus, and a singing cuckoo—to explore the mysterious spell that love casts over living beings. The singer addresses these natural elements, pondering how love brings delight, longing, and connection across the world. Through vivid imagery, the lyricist asks why the ocean swells upon seeing the moon, why the lotus blooms looking up at the sun, and why the cuckoo sings melodiously upon finding its partner. It attributes all these wondrous reactions to the magical illusion and divine trickery of Kamadeva (Cupid).
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Refrain
“Konjum puraavae”
The phrase 'Konjum puraavae' is repeated at the start and end of several stanzas to anchor the song's musical theme.
Simile (Upamai)
“Mangaiyai polae”
Comparing the full, rising moon to a beautiful young maiden using the word 'polae' (like).
Personification (Maantharudhal)
“Vin nokki nee Sirippadhum yeno”
Attributing human actions like smiling ('Sirippadhum yeno') to the lotus as it faces the sun's rays.
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Pongum nilaavae / Mangaiyai polae”
The second consonant 'n' matches in 'Pongum' and 'Mangaiyai', creating traditional Tamil second-letter rhyming.
Did you know?
Trivia
S. V. Sahasranamam starred in 'Thai Ullam' (1952), an adaptation of Charles Dickens' novel 'Great Expectations'. 'Konjum Puraave' was sung by the legendary Carnatic music exponent M. L. Vasanthakumari (MLV) and composed by V. Nagaiah and A. Rama Rao. MLV's exquisite classical vocal renditions and sangatis made this song one of the biggest hits of the early 1950s.
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