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Kaavalkaaran album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mellapo Mellapo

From Kaavalkaaran · 1967

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Kaavalkaaran
Movie release year
1967
Lyrics added on
16 Apr 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mellapo mellapo
Melidaiyaalae mellapo
Sollipo sollipo solvadhai
Kannaal sollipo malligaiyae
Mellapo mellapo
Melidaiyaalae mellapo
{ Odaiyil neeralai
Medaiyil thendralin naadagam
Ethanai aayiram } (2)
Thottil katti
Podum poonkodi
Palli kolla paarkum painkili
Andhi maalaiyil
Indha solaiyae sorkamaagumo
Mella thaan
Mella thaan mayangi
Nadanthaal maadhu
Sollathaan sollathaan
Thayangi varainthaal
Thoodhu ippozhudhae
MellapoFemale :Mella thaan
Hmm sollipo
Aahaan sollithaan
……………………..
{ Semmaankani
Punnagai naloviyam
Sevvidhazh thenmaadhulai
Ponmozhi soloviyam } (2)
Sinthu nadai
Podum paarkudam
Chinna vizhi paarvai poocharam
Enna meniyo
Innum paadavo
Thamizh thedavo
MellapoFemale :Mella thaan
Ponezhil
Thamarai poovinaal
Mannavan kanvizhi
Poigaiyil mevinaal muthu
Thamizh paadum poonkuyil
Mutham ondru
Vendum aan kuyil
Andha paadalil
Anbu oodalil mangai naaninaal
Mellapo mellapo
Melidaiyaalae mellapo
Sollipo sollipo solvadhai
Kannaal sollipo malligaiyae
MellapoFemale :Mella thaan
Hmm sollipo
Aahaan sollithaan
Walk slowly, walk slowly,
O slender-waisted girl, walk slowly.
Tell me before you go, tell me what you wish to say,
tell me with your eyes, my sweet jasmine!
Walk slowly, walk slowly,
O slender-waisted girl, walk slowly.
The rippling waves in the stream,
the play of the gentle breeze on stage—
how many thousands of them there are!
Setting up a cradle,
the flowering vine sways,
as the green parrot seeks to sleep.
In this twilight evening,
has this garden turned into heaven?
Slowly,
so slowly, lost in a daze of love,
the young woman walked.
Hesitating to speak aloud,
she shyly drew
a message of love right now.
Walk slowly... / Slowly...
Mmm, tell me before you go...
Aha, having told you...
...
Like a sweet ripe mango,
her smile is a lovely painting.
Red lips like a honey-sweet pomegranate,
her golden words are art in speech.
Swaying gracefully as she walks,
like a pot of pure milk,
the glance of her little eyes is a garland of flowers.
What radiant beauty she has!
Shall I sing more about her,
or search for more sweet Tamil words?
Walk slowly... / Slowly...
With her golden beauty,
like a blooming lotus flower,
in the pool of her king's eyes,
she settled gracefully. Like a sweet
songbird singing pearl-like Tamil,
longing for a single kiss,
the male cuckoo bird calls.
To that sweet song,
in their playful lovers' quarrel, the girl blushed with shyness.
Walk slowly, walk slowly,
O slender-waisted girl, walk slowly.
Tell me before you go, tell me what you wish to say,
tell me with your eyes, my sweet jasmine!
Walk slowly... / Slowly...
Mmm, tell me before you go...
Aha, having told you...
Male
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Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Male
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Female
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Female
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Mellapo Mellapo is a romantic song from the 1967 Tamil film Kaavalkaaran, composed by M. S. Viswanathan and written by Vaali. The song captures a sweet, playful conversation between lovers in a serene garden. The male protagonist admires his beloved's graceful movements and asks her to convey her love through her expressive eyes, comparing her beauty to nature's elements like blooming jasmine, lotus flowers, and gentle breezes. As the song progresses, rich metaphors describe the heroine's smile as a fine painting and her red lips as honeyed pomegranates. She responds with delicate shyness and playful hesitation, creating a charming duet filled with poetic romance and classical Tamil imagery.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

“Mellapo mellapo / Melidaiyaalae mellapo”

Repetition of initial consonant sounds in 'Mellapo' and 'Melidaiyaalae'.

Uvamaai (Metaphor / Simile)

“Sevvidhazh thenmaadhulai”

Comparing the heroine's bright red lips to sweet honeyed pomegranate ('Sevvidhazh thenmaadhulai').

Metaphor

“Chinna vizhi paarvai poocharam”

Comparing the gaze of small eyes to a string or garland of flowers ('paarvai poocharam').

Anaphora / Repetition

“Mellapo mellapo / Sollipo sollipo solvadhai”

Rhythmic repetition of words like 'Mellapo', 'Sollipo', and 'Mella thaan' to enhance the musicality.

Did you know?

Trivia

Kaavalkaaran (1967) stars M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and J. Jayalalithaa. The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan (MSV), with lyrics penned by Vaali. The duet was sung by the iconic pair T. M. Soundararajan and P. Susheela, becoming one of the classic romantic hit songs of 1960s Tamil cinema.

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