- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- L. R. Eswari
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Bhavani
- Movie release year
- 1967
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Jun 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song from the 1967 movie 'Bhavani' captures a young woman's playful yet soulful reflections on love, courtship, and romantic longing. She imagines how a lover praises his beloved using timeless poetic tropes like doe-like eyes and honeyed words, expressing the delightful conflict between playful resistance and surrender. In the latter stanzas, the song touches upon sleepless nights filled with sweet romantic reveries, moonlit desires, and the destiny that brought two souls together.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamai (Simile/Metaphor)
“Maan vizhi thaen mozhi kaadhali”
Compares eyes to a gentle doe ('Maan vizhi') and speech to sweet honey ('Thaen mozhi').
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Valarpirai idhai kaanumbothu / Aruginil vara koorum bothu”
Repetition of the rhythmic ending phrase 'bothu' across consecutive lines to create a melodic flow.
Metaphor
“Kanirasa idazh thedum bothu”
Refers to youthful, vibrant lips as 'Kanirasa idazh' (fruit-juice lips).
Antithesis / Playful Paradox
“Anaithaal thaduppen / Koduthaal sirippen”
Juxtaposes resisting an embrace with smiling upon receiving affection to capture coy female shyness (Naanam).
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by M. S. Vishwanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan, 'Malligai' highlights L. R. Eswari's distinct playful vocal style which became a signature benchmark for expressive romantic numbers in 1960s Tamil cinema.
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