- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vijaya Ramani
- Movie name
- Then Chittugal
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 7 Feb 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic romantic duet sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and P. Susheela depicts the longing of two lovers during the chilly Tamil month of Margazhi (December-January). The female protagonist laments the biting cold and playfully urges her beloved about the upcoming month of Thai (January-February), which is traditionally considered the auspicious season for Tamil weddings. She longs for their union and the sacred wedding thread ('thaali'), eagerly anticipating the grand procession, nadaswaram music, and flower showers of their marriage. Through poetic exchanges, the lovers express their passionate affection and intimate night-time dreams. The male lover praises her beauty, comparing her walk to a rose chariot and describing how her captivating eyes turn his heart into a soaring kite. The lyricist Kannadasan skillfully captures traditional Tamil cultural motifs of seasonality, romance, and wedded longing with playful, rhythmic grace.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Raasaaththi nadanthaa rosaa thaer kanakkaa”
Compares the heroine's graceful walk to the movement of a chariot made of roses ('rosaa thaer kanakkaa').
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Aaththaadi manasa kaaththaadi aakki”
Metaphorically compares the lightness and wild movement of the lover's heart to a kite ('manasa kaaththaadi aakki').
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Kuththuvilakka anaichchu / Meththa iruttil rasichchu”
Matching initial consonant/vowel sounds in consecutive lines ('Kuththuvilakka' / 'Meththa').
Hyperbole (Uruvagap Punaivu)
“Naanaaga thavichcen naaraaga elachchen”
Exaggerates her physical longing and weight loss due to separation as thinning down to a thin strand of fiber ('naaraaga elachchen').
Did you know?
Trivia
The song highlights the culturally iconic Tamil phrase 'Thai Pirandhal Vazhi Pirakkum' (The birth of the month of Thai brings new beginnings/solutions), referring to Thai as the prime wedding season following the chilly, non-wedding month of Margazhi.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Then Chittugal
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.