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Manidhanum Dheivamagalam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Paal Pongum Paruvam

From Manidhanum Dheivamagalam · 1975

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela
Music director
Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
Movie name
Manidhanum Dheivamagalam
Movie release year
1975
Lyrics added on
3 Nov 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
………………
Paal pongum paruvam
Adhil naan thangum idhayam
Paal pongum paruvam
Adhil naan thangum idhayam
Kanavum ninaivum manathil malarum
Paal pongum paruvam
Adhil naan thangum idhayam
Kanavum ninaivum manathil malarum
Margazhi mathaththu paniyum
Intha mangaiyai kandathum paniyum
Margazhi mathaththu paniyum
Intha mangaiyai kandathum paniyum
Alai thanil varum azhagu padagu
Ival udal ena anaithu pazhagu
Alai thanil varum azhagu padagu
Ival udal ena anaithu pazhagu
…………….
Male :……………….
Paal pongum paruvam
Adhil naan thangum idhayam
Bharatha deviyin madiyil
Intha pasumaiyai viriththathu edharkku
Bharatha deviyin madiyil
Intha pasumaiyai viriththathu edharkku
Kadhalin deviyai anaiththu
Naan kaaviyam paadida ninaiththu
Kadhalin deviyai anaiththu
Naan kaaviyam paadida ninaiththu
Aadalum paadavum
Male :Kamathaa
Female :Naadagam podavum
Male :Rigapaa
Female :Oodalum koodalum
Male :Nirimaa
Female :Thedavum naadavum
Male :Rigasaa
…………….
Male :……………….
Paal pongum paruvam
Adhil naan thangum idhayam
Both :Kanavum ninaivum manathil malarum
...
Youth overflowing like milk,
and a heart where I come to stay.
Youth overflowing like milk,
and a heart where I come to stay.
Dreams and thoughts blossom in the heart.
Youth overflowing like milk,
and a heart where I come to stay.
Dreams and thoughts blossom in the heart.
Even the chill mist of the month of Margazhi
bows down upon seeing this woman.
Even the chill mist of the month of Margazhi
bows down upon seeing this woman.
Like a graceful boat drifting on the waves,
hold her body close and learn to cherish it.
Like a graceful boat drifting on the waves,
hold her body close and learn to cherish it.
...
Male: ...
Youth overflowing like milk,
and a heart where I come to stay.
Upon the lap of Mother India,
why was this lush greenery spread out?
Upon the lap of Mother India,
why was this lush greenery spread out?
To embrace the goddess of love,
and sing a poem of romance.
To embrace the goddess of love,
and sing a poem of romance.
To dance and to sing,
Male: Ga Ma Dha
Female: To act out our play,
Male: Ri Ga Pa
Female: Playful lovers' tiffs and sweet reunions,
Male: Ni Ri Ma
Female: To seek and to desire each other,
Male: Ri Ga Sa
...
Male: ...
Youth overflowing like milk,
and a heart where I come to stay.
Both: Dreams and thoughts blossom in the heart.
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Paal Pongum Paruvam from the 1975 film Manidhanum Dheivamagalam is a poetic duet composed by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan and written by Kannadasan. The song celebrates the exuberance of youth and romance, comparing a woman's vibrant youth to boiling milk and her figure to a boat gliding effortlessly over ocean waves. The lovers intertwine nature's beauty, Mother India's landscape, and artistic expressions like music and drama to describe their passion. A distinctive musical highlight is the integration of classical Carnatic swaras (musical notes) into the romantic conversational dialogue between the lovers.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile / Metaphor)

“Paal pongum paruvam”

Compares the peak of youthfulness and passion to milk boiling and overflowing over a vessel.

Sledai / Polysemy (Puns / Double Meaning)

“Margazhi mathaththu paniyum / Intha mangaiyai kandathum paniyum”

The word 'paniyum' is cleverly used twice: first referring to winter dew ('pani') in Margazhi, and second meaning to bow down or yield ('paniyum') in awe of the maiden's beauty.

Uvamai (Simile)

“Alai thanil varum azhagu padagu / Ival udal ena anaithu pazhagu”

Compares the curves and movement of her body to a graceful boat riding waves on the ocean.

Swaraksharam / Musical Integration

“Male :Kamathaa / Female :Naadagam podavum”

Interspersing classic Carnatic solfège notes (Ga Ma Dha, Ri Ga Pa) into lyric lines as melodic responses during romantic banter.

Did you know?

Trivia

Manidhanum Dheivamagalam (1975) featured iconic actor Sivaji Ganesan in dual roles. The music director Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan, a legendary Carnatic violinist, was renowned for seamlessly weaving classical ragas and swara patterns into mainstream Tamil film songs, as brilliantly demonstrated in this duet.

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