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Lyrics & meaning

Malligaa Malligaa

From Shaakuntalam · 2023

Lyricist
Kabilan
Singer
Ramya Behara
Music director
Mani Sharma
Details
Shaakuntalam2023

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Malligaa malligaaOh Jasmine, oh Jasmine!
Maalathi maalai thaa!Give me a garland of Malathi flowers!
Sooda vaa! sooda vaa!Come to adorn it! Come to adorn it!
Engae en raajanae?Where is my king?
Female
Malligaa malligaaOh Jasmine, oh Jasmine!
Maalathi maalai thaa!Give me a garland of Malathi flowers!
Sooda vaa! sooda vaa!Come to adorn it! Come to adorn it!
Engae en raajanae?Where is my king?
Female
Hamsikaa hamsikaaOh swan, oh swan!
Kaalamae neeluthaeTime keeps stretching long!
Poyi vaa poyi vaa!Go and return! Go and return!
Rajanai thedi vaa!Go search for the king and return!
Female
Avanukkor kanikkaiA precious gift for him,
Naan thara vendumae!I must present!
Kaathalae naanadaaI am love itself,
Yaadhumaai aanenI have become everything.
Chorus
Aahaa neelaveniAh, long dark-haired beauty,
Boomi pookkum kaalamae!It is the season when the earth blooms!
Rajan unai seraTo unite with your king,
Rajiyamaalum rani neeYou are the queen ruling the kingdom!
Chorus
Munikal vasikkumEven if it is a forest of penance
Thava vanamaayinWhere sages reside,
Kaaman ambu pugumae!Love God Cupid's arrow will enter!
Kaadhal poovin vaasamThe fragrance of the flower of love,
Kaatru thaduthaal thagumo!Can even the wind stop it?
Female
Swapnika chaitrikaDreamy and spring-like girl,
En priyaa netrikaaMy beloved with divine eyes,
Sooda vaa! sooda vaa!Come to adorn it! Come to adorn it!
Maamalar rajanae!Oh king of great flowers!
Female
Maamazhai megamae!Oh grand rain clouds!
Maamazhai megamae!Oh grand rain clouds!
Swamiyai kooti vaaBring my lord back!
Vaanamae veenaiyaaiUsing the sky as a Veena,
Enkadhai meettavaa!Shall I play my life story?
Female
Thozhiyae! thozhiyae!Oh my dear friend! Oh my dear friend!
Thalaivannal thaayaanenI have become a mother because of my lord,
Sekkiram varachcholliAsk him to come quickly,
Vazhiyinai kaattammaa!And show him the way, my friend!
Female
Minmini polaveeLike fireflies,
Miliruthae aagaayamae!The night sky glitters!
Azhagiya vennilaaOh beautiful white moon,
Veguthae kaadhalae!Love is burning bright!
Female
Ilaiyudhir kaalathalinIn this season of autumn,
Aasirama vaasiyaiUpon this hermitage dweller,
Aasaiyaai paarkavaaWill you gaze with desire,
Ennuyir rajanae!My soul's king?
Female
O pani! o pani!Oh mist! Oh mist!
Yen indha kadumpaniWhy this harsh, heavy cold mist?
Aayenum aayenumEven so, even so,
Unmadai naan iniI am madly in love now!
Female
Sirusiru pani vizhumAs tiny drops of mist fall
Azhagiya velaithanIn this beautiful twilight hour,
Annavan nyabagamThe memory of my lord
Veppathai veesuthae!Radiates warmth!
Female
Kulir vanam pogidaFor the chilly forest to fade,
Malarvanam aagidaAnd turn into a blooming garden,
Thulirkkerenae aasaiyilI sprout with yearning desire
Vasanthamai naanAs spring itself!
Female
Kangalin thedalaeThe longing search of my eyes,
Kanumo kaachalaeWill it cause a fever of love?
Maalaiyum kaalaiyumEvery evening and morning,
Mannavan nyabagamIt is only thoughts of my king!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Malligaa Malligaa' is a soulful, romantic composition from the movie Shaakuntalam, capturing Shakuntala's deep longing and aching wait for King Dushyanta. She calls out to nature—the jasmine blossoms, the swans, and the rain clouds—imploring them to carry her message and bring back her beloved king. The lyrics express her profound love, her anticipation of his arrival, and her realization that she carries his child while living in a hermitage amidst nature.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Anaphora / Repetition (Adukku Thodar)

Malligaa malligaa

Repetition of words like 'Malligaa malligaa', 'Sooda vaa! sooda vaa!', and 'Poyi vaa poyi vaa!' creates rhythmic musicality and emphasizes emotional urgency.

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagathis)

Vaanamae veenaiyaai

The sky is metaphorically pictured as a giant Veena ('Vaanamae veenaiyaai') upon which she plays her story of yearning.

Simile (Uvamaani)

Minmini polavee

Stars shining in the night sky are compared to fireflies ('Minmini polavee').

Personification

Hamsikaa hamsikaa

Addressing the swans, mist ('O pani'), rain clouds, and jasmine flowers directly as messengers and companions.

Amoni / Rhyme (Emoni & Ethirukai)

Kulir vanam pogida / Malarvanam aagida

Traditional Tamil poetic rhyming structures (e.g., Kulir vanam / Malarvanam) enhancing acoustic beauty.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Mani Sharma, 'Malligaa' serves as the centerpiece emotional solo for Shakuntala in Gunasekhar's mythological drama Shaakuntalam (2023). Sung delicately by Ramya Behara with lyrics by veteran Kabilan, the track heavily draws inspiration from classical Sanskrit literature's 'Meghadootam' trope, where nature acts as a messenger between separated lovers.

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