- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Chandrabose
- Movie name
- Kaliyugam
- Movie release year
- 1988
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Mar 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Palliyilae Velli Nilaa' is a poignant, mournful composition that reflects on past happiness and present tragedy. The singer gazes upon the moon from a lonely space, reminiscing about a once-joyful past that now feels like a distant memory. He laments the absence of his loved one, questioning whether the innate, sacred bond of maternal/familial love can ever truly be severed by fate. The lyrics use vivid imagery of light collapsing into darkness—comparing lost happiness to a festival of lights (Deepavali) suddenly engulfed in pitch black, and hope being swept away by a sudden storm. Through Vairamuthu's soulful lyrics and SPB's emotionally charged vocals, the song captures the agonizing drama of life where cherished dreams collapse into grief.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Adukkuthodar / Refrain (Repetition)
“Palliyilae velli nilaa”
The line 'Palliyilae velli nilaa' is repeated continually as a haunting refrain to anchor the mood of longing and loneliness.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu / Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu”
End-rhyming words 'iravu' and 'kanavu' create poetic cadence across consecutive lines.
Contrast / Antithesis (Muran)
“Andha naal paarthadhu aanandha iravu / Indha naal paarppadhu aasaiyin kanavu”
Contrasting 'Andha naal' (that day of joy) with 'Indha naal' (this day of hopeless dreaming) highlights emotional loss.
Uruvagamm (Metaphor)
“Deepavali irulaanadhae / Sooravazhi uruvaanadhae”
Comparing a joyful life turning into tragedy to Deepavali (light) turning into darkness.
Moonaal / Alliteration
“Vaanukkum bomikkum paadhaigal amaithaen / Vaazhkkaikkum thaevaikkum aasaigal vidhaithaen”
Repetition of the 'V' sound at the beginning of words in adjacent lines ('Vaanukkum', 'Vaazhkkaikkum').
Did you know?
Trivia
'Palliyilae Velli Nilaa' is from the 1988 Tamil film Kaliyugam, starring Prabhu and Raghuvaran. The film's soundtrack was composed by Chandrabose, a popular composer during the late 1980s known for delivering melodious and emotionally heavy tracks sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
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