- Lyricist
- T. Rajendar
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- T. Rajendar
- Movie name
- Mythili Ennai Kaathali
- Movie release year
- 1986
- Lyrics added on
- 25 May 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This iconic emotional track depicts a lover agonizing over the tragic circumstances separating him from his beloved. Using vivid allegories—a wounded bird trapped by a hunter, a burning veena continuing to play melody, and a lamp striving to burn without oil—the protagonist conveys his unyielding devotion despite overwhelming suffering and cruel fate. He expresses that while worldly forces can harm the physical body, true love binds hearts eternally beyond physical separation and mortality.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uvamaani / Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Naanum unthan uravai naadi vantha paravai”
Compares the lover seeking love to a helpless bird hunted down by a trapper.
Moni / Rhyme and Alliteration (Monai)
“Thedi vantha velai vedan seitha leelai”
Use of initial sound alliteration with 'Naanum' and 'naadi', as well as internal rhyming in 'velai' and 'leelai'.
Contrast / Paradox
“Veenai erigirathu viralgal vegirathu Naadham meettugiraen vaaraayo”
Illustrates extreme suffering and sacrifice by contrasting a burning instrument with the act of creating music.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed, written, and directed by multi-talented filmmaker T. Rajendar, this song became an iconic heartbreak anthem in Tamil cinema. S. P. Balasubrahmanyam's high-pitch vocal delivery and emotional modulation in this song are widely celebrated as one of his career-defining performances.
Keep listening
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