Poo Kodiyin Punnagai
From Iruvar · 1997
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Sandhya JK
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Details
- Iruvar1997
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| {Poo kodiyin punnagai | The smile of the flowering creeper, |
| Alai nadhiyin punnagai | The smile of the wavy river, |
| Mazhai mugilin punnagai | The smile of the rain cloud, |
| Nee kaadhalin punnagai} (2) | You are the smile of love.} (2) |
| Female | |
| Andha pournami enbadhu | That full moon |
| Oru maadhaththin punnagai | Is the smile of a single month, |
| Un varugaiyil pooththadhenna | What blossomed upon your arrival |
| En vaazhkkaiyin punnagai | Is the smile of my entire life, |
| En vaazhkkaiyin punnagai | The smile of my entire life. |
| Female | |
| Poo kodiyin punnagai | The smile of the flowering creeper, |
| Alai nadhiyin punnagai | The smile of the wavy river, |
| Mazhai mugilin punnagai | The smile of the rain cloud, |
| Nee kaadhalin punnagai | You are the smile of love. |
| Female | |
| Unadhu nizhal tharaivizhundhaal | If your shadow falls upon the ground, |
| En madiyil yendhikkolven … | I will gather and hold it in my lap... |
| Aaa….aaaaa….aaa….aaa…… | (Vocalizing) |
| Unadhu nizhal tharaivizhundhaal | If your shadow falls upon the ground, |
| En madiyil yendhikkolven | I will gather and hold it in my lap. |
| Female | |
| Vaan mazhaiyil nee nanaindhaal | If you get drenched in the sky's rain, |
| Thendral kondu naan thudaippen | I will wipe you dry using the gentle breeze. |
| Oru naal enai sodhiththu paar | Test me one day and see, |
| Oru vaarththaikku uyir tharuven | I will give my life for a single word from you, |
| Oru vaarththaikku uyir tharuven | I will give my life for a single word from you. |
| Female | |
| Poo kodiyin punnagai | The smile of the flowering creeper, |
| Alai nadhiyin punnagai | The smile of the wavy river, |
| Mazhai mugilin punnagai | The smile of the rain cloud, |
| Nee kaadhalin punnagai | You are the smile of love. |
| Female | |
| Neelam mattum izhandhuvittaal | If it loses its blue color, |
| Vaanil oru kooraiyillai | The sky has no roof. |
| Neelam mattum izhandhuvittaal | If it loses its blue color, |
| Vaanil oru kooraiyillai | The sky has no roof. |
| Female | |
| Sooriyanai izhandhuvitaal | If it loses the sun, |
| Kizhakkukkoru thilagamillai | The east has no tilak to adorn it. |
| Nee oru murai thirumbikkondaal | If you turn away from me even once, |
| En uyirukku urudhiyillai | There is no guarantee for my life, |
| En uyirukku urudhiyillai | There is no guarantee for my life. |
{ பூ கொடியின்
புன்னகை அலை
நதியின் புன்னகை
மழை முகிலின் புன்னகை
நீ காதலின் புன்னகை } (2)
The smile of the flowering creeper,
The smile of the wavy river,
The smile of the rain cloud,
You are the smile of love.} (2)
அந்தப் பௌர்ணமி
என்பது ஒரு மாதத்தின்
புன்னகை உன் வருகையில்
பூத்ததென்ன என் வாழ்க்கையின்
புன்னகை என் வாழ்க்கையின்
புன்னகை
That full moon
Is the smile of a single month,
What blossomed upon your arrival
Is the smile of my entire life,
The smile of my entire life.
பூ கொடியின்
புன்னகை அலை
நதியின் புன்னகை
மழை முகிலின் புன்னகை
நீ காதலின் புன்னகை
The smile of the flowering creeper,
The smile of the wavy river,
The smile of the rain cloud,
You are the smile of love.
உனது நிழல்
தரைவிழுந்தால் என்
மடியில் ஏந்திக்கொள்வேன்
ஆ ஆஆஆஆ ஆஆ ஆஆ
உனது நிழல் தரைவிழுந்தால்
என் மடியில் ஏந்திக்கொள்வேன்
If your shadow falls upon the ground,
I will gather and hold it in my lap...
(Vocalizing)
If your shadow falls upon the ground,
I will gather and hold it in my lap.
வான் மழையில்
நீ நனைந்தால் தென்றல்
கொண்டு நான் துடைப்பேன்
ஒரு நாள் எனை சோதித்துப்
பார் ஒரு வார்த்தைக்கு உயிர்
தருவேன் ஒரு வார்த்தைக்கு
உயிர் தருவேன்
If you get drenched in the sky's rain,
I will wipe you dry using the gentle breeze.
Test me one day and see,
I will give my life for a single word from you,
I will give my life for a single word from you.
பூ கொடியின்
புன்னகை அலை
நதியின் புன்னகை
மழை முகிலின் புன்னகை
நீ காதலின் புன்னகை
The smile of the flowering creeper,
The smile of the wavy river,
The smile of the rain cloud,
You are the smile of love.
நீலம் மட்டும்
இழந்துவிட்டால் வானில்
ஒரு கூரையில்லை நீலம்
மட்டும் இழந்துவிட்டால்
வானில் ஒரு கூரையில்லை
If it loses its blue color,
The sky has no roof.
If it loses its blue color,
The sky has no roof.
சூரியனை இழந்து
விட்டால் கிழக்குக்கொரு
திலகமில்லை நீ ஒரு முறை
திரும்பிக்கொண்டால் என்
உயிருக்கு உறுதியில்லை
என் உயிருக்கு உறுதியில்லை
If it loses the sun,
The east has no tilak to adorn it.
If you turn away from me even once,
There is no guarantee for my life,
There is no guarantee for my life.
{Poo kodiyin punnagai
The smile of the flowering creeper,
Alai nadhiyin punnagai
The smile of the wavy river,
Mazhai mugilin punnagai
The smile of the rain cloud,
Nee kaadhalin punnagai} (2)
You are the smile of love.} (2)
Andha pournami enbadhu
That full moon
Oru maadhaththin punnagai
Is the smile of a single month,
Un varugaiyil pooththadhenna
What blossomed upon your arrival
En vaazhkkaiyin punnagai
Is the smile of my entire life,
En vaazhkkaiyin punnagai
The smile of my entire life.
Poo kodiyin punnagai
The smile of the flowering creeper,
Alai nadhiyin punnagai
The smile of the wavy river,
Mazhai mugilin punnagai
The smile of the rain cloud,
Nee kaadhalin punnagai
You are the smile of love.
Unadhu nizhal tharaivizhundhaal
If your shadow falls upon the ground,
En madiyil yendhikkolven …
I will gather and hold it in my lap...
Aaa….aaaaa….aaa….aaa……
(Vocalizing)
Unadhu nizhal tharaivizhundhaal
If your shadow falls upon the ground,
En madiyil yendhikkolven
I will gather and hold it in my lap.
Vaan mazhaiyil nee nanaindhaal
If you get drenched in the sky's rain,
Thendral kondu naan thudaippen
I will wipe you dry using the gentle breeze.
Oru naal enai sodhiththu paar
Test me one day and see,
Oru vaarththaikku uyir tharuven
I will give my life for a single word from you,
Oru vaarththaikku uyir tharuven
I will give my life for a single word from you.
Poo kodiyin punnagai
The smile of the flowering creeper,
Alai nadhiyin punnagai
The smile of the wavy river,
Mazhai mugilin punnagai
The smile of the rain cloud,
Nee kaadhalin punnagai
You are the smile of love.
Neelam mattum izhandhuvittaal
If it loses its blue color,
Vaanil oru kooraiyillai
The sky has no roof.
Neelam mattum izhandhuvittaal
If it loses its blue color,
Vaanil oru kooraiyillai
The sky has no roof.
Sooriyanai izhandhuvitaal
If it loses the sun,
Kizhakkukkoru thilagamillai
The east has no tilak to adorn it.
Nee oru murai thirumbikkondaal
If you turn away from me even once,
En uyirukku urudhiyillai
There is no guarantee for my life,
En uyirukku urudhiyillai
There is no guarantee for my life.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
Poo Kodiyin Punnagai is a deeply romantic song from the film Iruvar, composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu and sung by Bombay Jayashri. The song compares various delightful sights in nature—such as flowers, rivers, rain clouds, and the full moon—to smiles, ultimately describing the beloved as the very embodiment of love's smile that brightens the protagonist's entire life. The lyrics express intense devotion, devotion so deep that the protagonist promises to catch the lover's shadow in her lap, wipe away rain with the breeze, and lay down her life at a single command. It paints a picture of complete emotional dependence, emphasizing that just as the sky loses its sanctuary without its blue hue and the east loses its mark without the sun, the speaker cannot survive if her lover turns away.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Refrain
“Poo kodiyin punnagai / Alai nadhiyin punnagai / Mazhai mugilin punnagai”
The repetitive phrasing ending with 'punnagai' (smile) creates a rhythmic, melodic refrain across multiple lines, reinforcing the central metaphor of natural beauty as smiles.
Hyperbole (Atisayokti)
“Unadhu nizhal tharaivizhundhaal / En madiyil yendhikkolven”
Exaggerated romantic devotion where the speaker poetically claims she will catch a falling shadow in her lap and wipe rain off her lover using the gentle breeze.
Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)
“Nee kaadhalin punnagai ... Sooriyanai izhandhuvitaal / Kizhakkukkoru thilagamillai”
Directly equating the beloved's presence and existence to the very smile of love and comparing the sun to a decorative tilak on the forehead of the eastern sky.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme in Tamil Prosody)
“punnagai ... punnagai ... punnagai”
The ending word 'punnagai' rhymes continuously at the end of consecutive lines, giving a classical Tamil poetic structure.
Did you know?
Trivia
Poo Kodiyin Punnagai is designed to evoke the nostalgia of 1960s Tamil cinema retro music, matching the period setting of Mani Ratnam's vintage film Iruvar (1997). Composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu, the track features classical vocals by Bombay Jayashri, perfectly capturing the elegance of classic Tamil film poetry.
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