- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- K. J. Yesudas
- Music director
- Deva
- Movie name
- Bharathi Kannamma
- Movie release year
- 1997
- Lyrics added on
- 2 Nov 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song from the film 'Bharathi Kannamma' is a heart-wrenching expression of tragic love constrained by deep-seated societal barriers. The protagonist addresses the gentle breeze, asking it to carry a tender message to his beloved Kannamma. He reflects on the harsh reality that while societal oppression and death may claim the lives of individual lovers, true love itself remains immortal and lives forever in stories and epics. He laments the futility of their affection in a rigid, regressive world, drawing vivid imagery such as lighting a lamp in a deserted temple, sowing seeds in barren soil, or trying to catch fish in a mirage. Consoling her, he asks her not to grieve over a world that refuses to change, suggesting that they treat their current separation as a temporary intermission and hold out hope for a union in their next birth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification / Breeze Messenger (Thoodhu)
“Poongaattrae poongaattrae poovidam nee sellu”
Addressing the gentle breeze ('Poongaattrae') as a sentient messenger capable of taking a secret message to the lover, a classic Sangam Tamil literary trope known as 'Thoodhu'.
Antithesis / Paradox (Muran)
“Kaadhalargal vaazhvathillai kallarai solgirathu / Kaadhal mattum saavathillai kaaviyam solgirathu”
Juxtaposition of physical mortality ('graveyards say lovers don't live') against spiritual immortality ('epics say love never dies') to highlight the enduring nature of true love.
Extended Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Veyirkaala kaanal neeril valai veesinaai”
Comparing unrequited or socially forbidden efforts of love to futile acts like lighting lamps in empty temples, sowing seeds on barren ground, or fishing in a mirage.
Analogy (Upamai)
“Idaivelai polae intha pirivaagalaam”
Comparing their painful lifelong separation to a brief theatrical intermission ('Idaivelai'), offering solace through hope of reunification in the next birth.
Did you know?
Trivia
Directed by Cheran, 'Bharathi Kannamma' (1997) is a critically acclaimed film centered around southern Tamil Nadu's caste dynamics and social inequality. The song, set to Deva's soulful music and sung by K.J. Yesudas, became one of the most famous tragedy anthems of late 1990s Tamil cinema, winning praise for Vaali's evocative lyrics.
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