- Lyricist
- Piraisoodan
- Singer
- K. S. Chithra
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Ninaivu Chinnam
- Movie release year
- 1989
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Jul 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Oorellaam Thoonguthu' is a hauntingly sorrowful solo from the 1989 Tamil film Ninaivu Chinnam, composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung with profound emotion by K. S. Chithra. The song portrays the inner anguish and extreme loneliness of a young woman who stays awake through the quiet night while the rest of the world rests peacefully. She longs deeply for her beloved, expressing how her youthful heart is crumbling under the weight of unfulfilled love and longing. Through vivid visual imagery—such as a candle flame flickering in a harsh wind, an empty seashell devoid of pearls, and a flower missing its fragrance—lyricist Piraisoodan captures her profound existential grief. She questions the cruelty of fate and society, wondering why youth and love were bestowed upon her if they were only destined to end in misery and separation.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Oorellaam thoonguthu unna mattum kaanala / Manaseno yaenguthu kanni manam thaangala”
The matching rhyming sound at the end of consecutive lines ('kaanala' and 'thaangala') creates a lyrical, rhythmic flow.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Ennuyuir dheepanthaan kaattrilthaan aaduthu”
The protagonist's fragile life/soul is metaphorically compared to a flame ('dheepam') flickering helplessly in the wind.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Ingaethaan vaaduthu rosavae”
The woman compares herself to a wilting rose ('rosavae') that is fading away due to separation from her beloved.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Inneram engae nee rasavae / Ingaethaan vaaduthu rosavae”
The repetition of the initial vowel sound ('In-') in consecutive lines establishes Tamil poetic harmony.
Rhetorical Question
“Pennukku nenappae paavam endraal / Intha paruvam vanthathil niyaayam enna”
She asks a tragic rhetorical question about why women are given youth and emotions if yearning for love is deemed sinful.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by lyricist Piraisoodan and composed by Ilaiyaraaja, 'Oorellaam Thoonguthu' remains one of K. S. Chithra's most critically acclaimed solo tracks from the late 1980s. The soundtrack of Ninaivu Chinnam also features a male version of the same song rendered by K. J. Yesudas, serving as a dual thematic motif for the movie's tragic romance.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from Ninaivu Chinnam
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.