- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Leelaa
- Music director
- S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
- Movie name
- Konjum Salangai
- Movie release year
- 1962
- Lyrics added on
- 5 Aug 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song celebrates the artistic transcendence and joyful ecstasy brought by classical dance and music. The sweet, rhythmic chiming of a dancer's anklets (salangai) serves as an aesthetic trigger that inspires a surge of fresh poetry and melody in the listener's heart. Kannadasan's lyrics ponder whether this divine art is the epic creation of great poets, the sweet tone of the traditional yaazh, or the sublime grace of Bharatanatyam performed by maiden dancers. As the dance unfolds, every movement—the swaying hands, tinkling bangles, darting eyes, and rhythmic footwork—connects the individual soul to universal harmony. The composition emphasizes how rhythm and music elevate human emotions, causing the heart, language, and the world itself to dance together in unfading beauty.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“vilaiyaada / uravaada / mozhiyaada / malaraada”
The repetition of the suffix '-aada' across multiple line endings creates a fluid, rhythmic cadence mirroring dance movements.
Uvamai (Simile / Metaphor)
“Saelaadum vizhiyodum”
The phrase 'Saelaadum vizhi' compares the quick, graceful movement of a dancer's eyes to the swimming motion of 'Sael' (carp fish).
Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Singaara kai kuzhungi / Mangaatha ezhil aada”
The second consonant sound matches across adjacent lines, enhancing Tamil poetic prosody.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Konjum sathangai oli kettu”
The refrain 'Konjum sathangai oli kettu' is strategically repeated throughout the song to anchor the theme of anklet rhythms driving artistic creation.
Did you know?
Trivia
Released in 1962, 'Konjum Salangai' is historically significant as the first Tamil film to be fully shot in Technicolor in India (and processed abroad). Composed by S. M. Subbaiah Naidu and sung by P. Susheela, the movie is renowned for its rich classical music and dance highlights, including a famous musical duel featuring the Nadaswaram played by maestro Karukurichi Arunachalam.
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