- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Bairavi
- Movie release year
- 1978
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Apr 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This folk-style romantic song from 'Bairavi' (1978) expresses the intense longing, playful anticipation, and emotional arc of a village woman waiting for her beloved ('saami'). Using evocative rural imagery—such as winnowing grain in the wind, drawing water with an irrigation picottah ('yaetham'), and watching a flooded river—the lyricist Kannadasan grounds her personal passion in the rhythms of agricultural life and traditional Tamil rituals like the festival month of Thai, sandalwood, kumkum, and marriage processions. The emotional progression shifts from anxious solitude and sleepless nights—symbolized by a burning oil lamp and a churning heart separated across the river—to ultimate joy and fulfillment when her lover finally arrives seeking her out, resolving her secret torment into celebration.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Proverb / Idiomatic Usage (Pazhamozhi)
“Kaathadikkum neram thoothunadhu laabam”
Refers to the famous Tamil proverb 'Kaatruள்ள pothe thoothikol' (Winnow while the wind blows / Make hay while the sun shines), applying agricultural wisdom to seize love's opportune moments.
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Indha meenu thullum”
The heroine metaphorically compares herself (or her heart) to a fish leaping joyfully in water once her lover crosses the river to join her.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Thaiyum porandhaa / Pongalum undu / Mangalam undu”
The repeating end sound 'undu' creates a rhythmic cadence celebrating upcoming auspicious events.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyming)
“Sandhanam vandhaachu / Kungumam vandhaachu”
The second consonant sounds rhyme in traditional Tamil verse, lending musicality to the folk rhythm.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Bairavi' (1978) is a landmark film in Tamil cinema history as it marked Rajinikanth's debut as a solo lead hero, leading distributor M. Kalaignanam to give him the iconic title 'Superstar'. The movie's music was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, featuring lyrics written by the legendary poet laureate Kannadasan.
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