Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Thiru Neelakandar album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Paarthadhu Podhaadhu

From Thiru Neelakandar · 1972

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Leela
Music director
C. N. Pandurangan
Movie name
Thiru Neelakandar
Movie release year
1972
Lyrics added on
4 Jun 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Paarththathu pothaathu
Mugam paarththathu pothaathu
Pasi idhil theeraathu
Pakkaththil oru murai varalaamaa….
Paarththathu pothaathu
Mugam paarththathu pothaathu
Pasi idhil theeraathu
Pakkaththil oru murai varalaamaa….
Therukku thirunaalum
Devikku sila naalum
Thevai endrariyaamal
Paruva kaala kanavu kandu oruvarai oruvar
Paarththathu potha
Paarththathu pothaathu
Mugam paarththathu pothaathu
Pasi idhil theeraathu
Pakkaththil oru murai varalaamaa….
Thamarai kulungaamal megalai nadungaamal
Thaen kinnam mayangaamal sugamethu
Maamani medaiyil maaranin kanai thoduththu
Vanithaiyin kalai paarththu uravaadu
Paarththathu pothaathu
Mugam paarththathu pothaathu
Pasi idhil theeraathu
Pakkaththil oru murai varalaamaa….
Vaanaththai naan paarkka
Poomeththai nee paarkkum
Nyaalaththil irangaamal
Paruva kaala kanavu kandu oruvarai oruvar
Paarththathu pothaathu
Mugam paarththathu pothaathu
Pasi idhil theeraathu
Pakkaththil oru murai varalaamaa….
Just looking is not enough,
Looking at your face is not enough.
This longing will not be satisfied by this,
May I come closer to you just once?
Just looking is not enough,
Looking at your face is not enough.
This longing will not be satisfied by this,
May I come closer to you just once?
Every street has its festival days,
And every goddess has her sacred times.
Without understanding that both are necessary,
Lost in youthful dreams, at each other...
Just looking is not...
Just looking is not enough,
Looking at your face is not enough.
This longing will not be satisfied by this,
May I come closer to you just once?
Without the lotus swaying and the waist-chain trembling,
Without the cup of honey swooning, what pleasure can there be?
Aiming the love-god's arrows on a bed of gems,
Admire the woman's charms and hold her close.
Just looking is not enough,
Looking at your face is not enough.
This longing will not be satisfied by this,
May I come closer to you just once?
With me gazing up at the sky,
And you staring down at the bed of flowers,
Without ever stepping down to earth,
Lost in youthful dreams, at each other...
Just looking is not enough,
Looking at your face is not enough.
This longing will not be satisfied by this,
May I come closer to you just once?
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Paarththathu pothaathu from the movie Thiru Neelakandar (1972) is a sensual and poetic track expressing romantic longing and the desire for intimacy. Sung with classical grace by P. Leela to Kannadasan's lyrics, the song features a woman expressing that exchange of distant glances and hesitant gazes can never fulfill the deep emotional and physical hunger of love. She invites her lover to move past shy hesitations and embrace physical and emotional closeness, drawing upon classical metaphors of Cupid's arrows, flowers, and ornaments to describe the delicate ecstasy of true union.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Pasi idhil theeraathu

Pasi (hunger) is used as a metaphor for intimate physical and emotional desire.

Edukku (Second-letter Rhyme)

Thamarai kulungaamal megalai nadungaamal

The second letters 'lu' in kulungaamal and 'du' in nadungaamal create a rhythmic rhyme structure.

Monai (Alliteration)

Maamani medaiyil maaranin kanai thoduththu

Repetition of the 'Ma' sound across words creates melodic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

Thiru Neelakandar (1972) featured music by C. N. Pandurangan and starred T. R. Mahalingam. Kannadasan's lyrics seamlessly blend classical Tamil poetic metaphors with accessible, romantic film song conventions.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Thiru Neelakandar

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.