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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Malare Malare Malare

From Unnai Ondru Ketpen · 1986

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
V. S. Narasimhan
Details
Unnai Ondru Ketpen1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Aaa….aaa…..aa….aaa…..Vocalizing melody (Aaa... aaa...)
Aaa….aaa…..aa….aaa…..Vocalizing melody (Aaa... aaa...)
Male
Malarae malarae malarae malarae maalaigaloduOh flower, flower, flower, flower! Along with garlands,
Manjalum sooduga malaraeAdorn yourself with auspicious turmeric, oh flower!
Uyirae uyirae uyirae uyiraeOh my life, my life, my life, my life!
Oorvala megam thoranamaagi koorum vaanamThe sky proclaims that the passing clouds have turned into festive festoons.
Male
Malarae malarae….Oh flower, oh flower...
Male
Kaalkalin naattiyam kambanin viruththamThe dance of your feet is like the rich verse of poet Kambar,
Kangali intha malarukkae poruththamYour eyes are perfectly matched to this beautiful flower.
Kaalkalin naattiyam kambanin viruththamThe dance of your feet is like the rich verse of poet Kambar,
Kangali intha malarukkae poruththamYour eyes are perfectly matched to this beautiful flower.
Male
Koondhalil orr megam konda pin yaen thaagamWhen a dark cloud rests in your hair, why feel thirst anymore?
Koondhalil orr megam konda pin yaen thaagamWhen a dark cloud rests in your hair, why feel thirst anymore?
Maeniyil kaaman thoodhu madaloIs your frame a love missive dispatched by Kamadeva?
Melliya aadai podum nilavo azhago….radhiyo….Is it the moon draped in soft attire, beauty incarnate, or goddess Rathi?
Male
Malarae malarae malarae malarae maalaigaloduOh flower, flower, flower, flower! Along with garlands,
Manjalum sooduga malaraeAdorn yourself with auspicious turmeric, oh flower!
Uyirae uyirae uyirae uyiraeOh my life, my life, my life, my life!
Oorvala megam thoranamaagi koorum vaanamThe sky proclaims that the passing clouds have turned into festive festoons.
Male
Malarae malarae….Oh flower, oh flower...
Male
Thaavani siraiyinil thaalangal kidaikkumRhythmic beats are discovered within the prison of the half-saree,
Thazhuvalao pudhiya sangeetham padaikkum aa….aaa…aa..aa….And a tender embrace creates a fresh musical composition...
Thaavani siraiyinil thaalangal kidaikkumRhythmic beats are discovered within the prison of the half-saree,
Thazhuvalao pudhiya sangeetham padaikkumAnd a tender embrace creates a fresh musical composition.
Male
Ambugal un paarvai adharangalo kovaiYour glances are sharp arrows, and your lips are like ripe red berries,
Ambugal un paarvai adharangalo kovaiYour glances are sharp arrows, and your lips are like ripe red berries,
Kaadhugal moga raagam tharumoWill your ears bestow a melody of deep passion?
Kaigalum veenaiyaaga varumo kanavo…..ninaivo….Will your hands transform into a veena? Is this a dream or a memory?
Male
Malarae malarae malarae malarae maalaigaloduOh flower, flower, flower, flower! Along with garlands,
Manjalum sooduga malaraeAdorn yourself with auspicious turmeric, oh flower!
Uyirae uyirae uyirae uyiraeOh my life, my life, my life, my life!
Oorvala megam thoranamaagi koorum vaanamThe sky proclaims that the passing clouds have turned into festive festoons.
Male
Malarae malarae….Oh flower, oh flower...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This romantic song features a lover extolling his beloved's beauty through elaborate poetic metaphors, addressing her tenderly as a blooming flower and his very life. He compares her graceful posture and gait to the poetic rhythm of classical Tamil verse and her physical attributes to celestial phenomena and divine archetypes. Ultimately, the song celebrates marital union, sacred rituals, and deep emotional attachment, evoking an atmosphere of joy, festivity, and romantic devotion.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Metaphor & Simile

Kaalkalin naattiyam kambanin viruththam

Comparing the movement of feet to 'Kambanin Viruththam' (the classic verse meter of poet Kambar), drawing a parallel between physical grace and literary elegance.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Koondhalil orr megam konda pin yaen thaagam

Describing dense black tresses as a dark rain-bearing cloud ('megam') that quenches all thirst.

Rhetorical Question & Rhetorical Contrast

Melliya aadai podum nilavo azhago….radhiyo….

Asking whether her form is a messenger of Cupid ('Kaaman thoodhu'), the moon wrapped in silk, or Goddess Rathi.

Emona / Rhyme (Monai and Ethirai)

Thaavani siraiyinil thaalangal kidaikkum

Use of second-letter rhyming (Thaavani / Thazhuvalao) and head-rhyme in successive lines typical of Tamil lyrical poetry.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Unnai Ondru Ketpen' (1986) featured music composed by V. S. Narasimhan, a renowned classical violinist and composer known for bringing sophisticated orchestration and Carnatic classical influences into Tamil film music. The lyrics written by Vaali showcase classical Tamil literary references like Kambar's poetry.

Keep listening

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