- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- S. P. Shailaja
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Vai Pandal
- Movie release year
- 1984
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Jan 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Panangaattu Narithaandi' from the 1984 movie 'Vai Pandal' is a lively and playful folk dance track written by lyricist Vaali. In the song, a woman teasingly compares her lover to a sly fox from the palmyra grove who tried to dodge her attention, but she successfully corners and catches him. She lightheartedly mocks his bashfulness, noting how he trembles nervously whenever she steps closer despite possessing handsome, prince-like city features that deserve a warding off of the evil eye. Using rich rural imagery—such as water rushing into canal trenches reflecting the sudden surge of romantic desires—she encourages him to abandon his shyness and engage in playful romance.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Panangaattu narithaandi”
Compares the elusive male protagonist to a 'Panangaattu nari' (a fox in the palmyra forest) to emphasize his sly and elusive behavior.
Monaai (Initial Alliteration)
“Vazhiyilae marachchen vasamaa pudichchen”
Repetition of the 'Va' sound across words 'Vazhiyilae', 'marachchen' (middle 'm' sound rhythm), and 'vasamaa'.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Naan kitta ponaa nadunguthu thaanaa”
The lines end with matching rhyming suffixes '-thaanaa'.
Eduhai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Thanni vanthu paaya pallaththula”
Repetition of second letter pattern/consonant rhyming in 'Thanni' and 'Thathalikkum'.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written by acclaimed lyricist Vaali for the 1984 Tamil film 'Vai Pandal', this folk song uses traditional rural proverbs and cultural motifs, such as 'Poosanikkaai suththanum' (circling an ash gourd to ward off the evil eye).
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