- Lyricist
- T. Rajendar
- Singer
- K. J. Yesudas
- Music director
- T. Rajendar
- Movie name
- Unakkaga Oru Roja
- Movie release year
- 1985
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Mar 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a deeply melancholic lament from the movie 'Unakkaga Oru Roja', reflecting the profound grief and heartbreak of a woman betrayed by love and cruel fate. Through rich lyrical imagery, her tragic state is compared to a flute that has lost its music, a delicate flower that has been bruised, a doorstep where the traditional decorative floor design (kolam) has been ruined, and a moon shrouded in dark clouds. The lyrics trace her journey from joyful hope to utter disillusionment as the man she relied on abandons her like a breeze moving to another garden. Composed and penned by T. Rajendar, the song builds a dramatic arc emphasizing how fleeting happiness can be, like a flash of lightning in the night sky. Rendered with soulful emotional depth by K. J. Yesudas, the song captures the helplessness of an innocent soul whose mind falters after her world falls apart, turning her life into a poem without words.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathu / Oru poovin manam kaayamaanathu”
Compares the protagonist's lost voice and inner sorrow directly to a flute that has gone mute and a flower whose fragrance/heart is wounded.
Simile (Upamai)
“Vaanil thondrum minnal pola”
Uses 'pola' (like) to compare the fleeting nature of her love to a sudden, ephemeral flash of lightning in the sky.
Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Vithithaanae sathi seithathu / Ival mathithaanae thadumaaruthu”
The second letter 'thi' (தி) rhymes in 'Vithithaanae' and 'mathithaanae'.
Puns / Polysemy (Shledai)
“Avanthaanae aval thedum kaaththu / Kaaththu avanai ninaiththu kaaththu kidanthapothu”
Plays on the word 'Kaaththu', using it both as 'wind/breeze' (the lover) and 'waiting' (longing for him).
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Vaarththai tholaintha kavithai ival / Vaazhkkai kulaintha bedhai ival”
Directly equates the broken protagonist to a 'poem that lost its words'.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Oru pullaanguzhal oomaiyaanathu' is one of the classic melancholic tracks composed and written by T. Rajendar for the 1985 drama 'Unakkaga Oru Roja'. Known for his rhyming, highly metaphorical Tamil lyrics, T. Rajendar frequently collaborated with legendary playback singer K. J. Yesudas for emotional solo tracks during the 1980s. Yesudas's expressive rendition elevated this song into a hugely popular sad melody on Tamil radio and cassette releases of that era.
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