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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Porale Porale Samanja

From Meenakshi · 1980

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Mano
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Meenakshi1980

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Poraalae poraalae samancha ponnu poraalaeShe is going, she is going, the girl who has come of age is going
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polaeLike a crop awaiting the harvest
Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeMay all her desires be filled like an overflowing field
Chorus
Poraalae poraalae samancha ponnu poraalaeShe is going, she is going, the girl who has come of age is going
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polaeLike a crop awaiting the harvest
Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeMay all her desires be filled like an overflowing field
Female
Maadakkulam kammaayilaeAt the Madakkulam pond
Manja vachu kulikkaiyilaeWhile bathing after applying turmeric
Machchanthaan thaedi vanthaandiHer beloved cousin came searching for her
Maadakkulam kammaayilaeAt the Madakkulam pond
Manja vachu kulikkaiyilaeWhile bathing after applying turmeric
Machchanthaan thaedi vanthaandiHer beloved cousin came searching for her
Chorus
Poraalae poraalae samancha ponnu poraalaeShe is going, she is going, the girl who has come of age is going
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polaeLike a crop awaiting the harvest
Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeMay all her desires be filled like an overflowing field
Male
…………………[Musical Interlude]
Male
Aaththukku anthapuram anjaaru thennamaramBeyond the river, five or six coconut trees
Thaennamara pakkathilae sevaththa kaalaNear the coconut tree, a fair young man
Thaagaminnu vanthu ninnu thudichchaanCame standing there yearning, claiming to be thirsty
Antha chinnaponnu maattaennu nadichchaThat young girl pretended to refuse him
Female
Neranju nikkum kenaththu thanniThe water in the brimming well
Paruva ponnu endraandiHe said is like a youthful girl
Erangi konjam kulichikkira vanthaandiHe came down to take a dip and bathe
Neranju nikkum kenaththu thanniThe water in the brimming well
Paruva ponnu endraandiHe said is like a youthful girl
Erangi konjam kulichikkira vanthaandiHe came down to take a dip and bathe
Puththam pudhusaanava azhukkaagira thottaandiHe touched the brand-new innocent girl until she became intimate
Puththam pudhusaanava azhukkaagira thottaandiHe touched the brand-new innocent girl until she became intimate
Chorus
Poraalae poraalae samancha ponnu poraalaeShe is going, she is going, the girl who has come of age is going
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polaeLike a crop awaiting the harvest
Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeMay all her desires be filled like an overflowing field
Female
Pooththu nikkuthu senthaamaraThe red lotus stands in full bloom
Kaaththirukkuthu manavaraiThe wedding dais awaits
Yaekkathilae aaduthadi munthaanaHer saree pallu flutters in longing
Antha elasaanathu dhinam theduthu aththaanaThat fragile young maiden daily searches for her beloved cousin
Antha elasaanathu dhinam theduthu aththaanaThat fragile young maiden daily searches for her beloved cousin
Chorus
Poraalae poraalae samancha ponnu poraalaeShe is going, she is going, the girl who has come of age is going
Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polaeLike a crop awaiting the harvest
Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeMay all her desires be filled like an overflowing field
Female
Maadakkulam kammaayilaeAt the Madakkulam pond
Manja vachchu kulikkaiyilaeWhile bathing after applying turmeric
Machchanthaan thaedi vanthaandiHer beloved cousin came searching for her
Maadakkulam kammaayilaeAt the Madakkulam pond
Manja vachu kulikkaiyilaeWhile bathing after applying turmeric
Machchanthaan thaedi vanthaandiHer beloved cousin came searching for her

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Poraalae Poraalae Samancha Ponnu Poraalae from the movie Meenakshi (1980) is a vibrant Tamil folk song composed by the Shankar-Ganesh duo with lyrics penned by Vaali. The song celebrates a young village maiden who has attained womanhood, drawing rich agrarian imagery to symbolize her growth, beauty, and burgeoning romantic desires. Her transition into maturity is poetically compared to a crop ready for harvest and a field brimmed with water. Set in a picturesque rural context near the historic Madakkulam pond, the narrative highlights the romantic teasing and courtship between the maiden and her suitor (her machan/cousin). Through metaphors of blooming red lotuses, brimming wells, and playful refusal, the song captures the innocence, erotic playfulness, and joyful anticipation of marriage in traditional Tamil folk culture.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polae / Ava aasaiyellaam nerainjidattum vayalai polaeie [Lines 2-3 & 30-31, 38-39]

Poetic device

Aruvadaikku kaaththirukkum payirai polae

Compares the girl who attained maturity to a crop waiting for harvest ('payirai polae') and her desires to a fully irrigated field ('vayalai polae').

Monaai (Initial Alliteration)

Maadakkulam kammaayilae / Manja vachu kulikkaiyilae / Machchanthaan thaedi vanthaandi [Lines 7-9]

Repetition of the initial 'Ma' sound in consecutive lines creates a rhythmic folk cadence.

Metaphor & Imagery

Neranju nikkum kenaththu thanni / Paruva ponnu endraandi [Lines 21-22]

The brimming well water ('neranju nikkum kenaththu thanni') is used as a sensual metaphor for a maiden at the peak of her youth.

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Trivia

This song features authentic folk terminology like 'samancha ponnu' (a girl who reached puberty) and 'kammai' (irrigation tank), capturing the cultural realism of rural Tamil Nadu. Music composer duo Shankar-Ganesh effectively integrated traditional folk rhythms with studio orchestration, making it a prominent rustic melody of 1980s Tamil cinema.

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