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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Malare Malare Mangai

From Veeranganai · 1964

Lyricist
Kavi Rajagopal
Singer
P. Leela
Music director
S. Vedhachalam
Details
Veeranganai1964

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Malarae malaraeO flower, O flower!
Mangaiyum neeyum ondruA young maiden and you are one and the same.
Idhai marandhaal marandhaalIf one forgets this, forgets this,
Manidhanum mirugamum ondruMan and beast become one and the same.
Female
Malarae malaraeO flower, O flower!
Mangaiyum neeyum ondruA young maiden and you are one and the same.
Idhai marandhaal marandhaalIf one forgets this, forgets this,
Manidhanum mirugamum ondruMan and beast become one and the same.
Female
Malarae malaraeO flower, O flower!
Female
Kasaki mugarndhaal manam yedhuIf crushed and smelled, where is the fragrance?
Kanniyai vadhaithaal sugam yaedhuIf a maiden is tortured, where is the joy?
Kasaki mugarndhaal manam yedhuIf crushed and smelled, where is the fragrance?
Kanniyai vadhaithaal sugam yaedhuIf a maiden is tortured, where is the joy?
Kaamam kangalai maraithu vidumLust will blind one's eyes,
Kaamam kangalai maraithu vidumLust will blind one's eyes,
Kaalam kadhaiyai maattrividumTime will alter the story,
Kaalam kadhaiyai maattrividumTime will alter the story,
Kaalam kadhaiyai maattrividumTime will alter the story,
Female
Malarae malaraeO flower, O flower!
Female
Pennai madhikkindraThose who respect
Pergalai kandaalaeA woman, when seen,
Pennangu thaayaga maaruvaalShe transforms into a motherly figure to them.
Aval thannai virumbidumTo the young man who loves her,
Thaanum virumbidumAnd whom she also loves in return,
Kaalaikku kaadhaliyaaguvaalShe becomes a beloved lover.
Pennin karppai madhikkadhaTo the lustful man who does not respect
KaamuganukkavalA woman's virtue and chastity,
Veeraanganaiyaaga seeruvaalShe will rise up and strike back as a valiant heroine!
Veeraanganaiyaaga seeruvaalShe will rise up and strike back as a valiant heroine!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from the film Veeranganai (1964) serves as a poignant social commentary on female dignity and moral integrity. The lyrics compare a woman's gentle nature to a flower, emphasizing that just as crushing a flower destroys its sweet fragrance, tormenting a maiden deprives life of all joy and reduces human beings to brutal beasts. It warns that while lust may temporarily blind a person, time inevitably brings justice and turns the tables.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Mangaiyum neeyum ondru

Directly equating a young woman to a soft flower ('Mangaiyum neeyum ondru').

Analogy (Uvamaani)

Kasaki mugarndhaal manam yedhu / Kanniyai vadhaithaal sugam yaedhu

Drawing a parallel between crushing a flower to smell it versus torturing a maiden for pleasure.

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Kaamam kangalai maraithu vidum / Kaalam kadhaiyai maattrividum

Repetition of initial consonant sound 'K' across successive lines ('Kaamam', 'Kaalam').

Iyaibu (Rhyming end words)

Kasaki mugarndhaal manam yedhu / Kanniyai vadhaithaal sugam yaedhu

Rhyming ends 'yedhu' and 'yaedhu' at the end of consecutive poetic lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

The title track theme encapsulates the core plot of the 1964 action-drama Veeranganai, where the female protagonist fights against social injustice and predatory men. Written by Kavi Rajagopal and sung by P. Leela, the song is celebrated for its strong feminist undertones during 1960s Tamil cinema.

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