Porkkalam Porkkalam
From Muthu Mandapam · 1962
- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- P. Susheela, T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Muthu Mandapam1962
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Porkalam…. | Battlefield... |
| Male | |
| Porkalam porkalam | Battlefield, battlefield |
| Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam | Female: The battlefield called love |
| Male :Porkalam porkalam | Male: Battlefield, battlefield |
| Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam | Female: The battlefield called love |
| Male :Porkalam porkalam | Male: Battlefield, battlefield |
| Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam | Female: The battlefield called love |
| Male | |
| Kannum kannum paaindhu paaindhu | Where eyes dart and lock with each other |
| Minnugindra porkalam | A shining, glittering battlefield |
| Kannum kannum paaindhu paaindhu | Where eyes dart and lock with each other |
| Minnugindra porkalam | A shining, glittering battlefield |
| Female | |
| Porkalam…. | Battlefield... |
| Kanni nenjum kaalai nenjum | A maiden's heart and a youth's heart |
| Pinnugindra porkalam …porkalam | A battlefield where hearts entwine... battlefield |
| Male :Porkalam porkalam | Male: Battlefield, battlefield |
| Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam | Female: The battlefield called love |
| Male | |
| Naanam endra kudhirai yaeri | Riding upon the horse called shyness |
| Aadi vandha penmaiyae | Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully! |
| Naanam endra kudhirai yaeri | Riding upon the horse called shyness |
| Aadi vandha penmaiyae | Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully! |
| Female :Aasaiendra villaiyaendhi | Female: Holding the bow named desire |
| Oodi vandha kaalaiyae | Oh young man who came running! |
| Aasaiendra villaiyaendhi | Holding the bow named desire |
| Oodi vandha kaalaiyae | Oh young man who came running! |
| Male | |
| Pattam pettr pen endraalum | Even if she is an educated woman with degrees |
| Palliarai padhumaiyae | She becomes a gentle doll in the bedchamber |
| Female :Sattam kattra aan endraalum | Female: Even if he is a man who learned the law |
| Thaarathin munn adimaiyae…adimaiyae | He becomes a surrender/slave before his wife... a slave |
| Female | |
| Porkalam porkalam | Battlefield, battlefield |
| Male :Kaadhal ennum porkalam | Male: The battlefield called love |
| Both :Porkalam porkalam | Both: Battlefield, battlefield |
| Kaadhal ennum porkalam | The battlefield called love |
போர்க்களம்
Battlefield...
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
Battlefield, battlefield
Female: The battlefield called love
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female: The battlefield called love
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female: The battlefield called love
கண்ணும் கண்ணும் பாய்ந்து பாய்ந்து
மின்னுகின்ற போர்க்களம்
கண்ணும் கண்ணும் பாய்ந்து பாய்ந்து
மின்னுகின்ற போர்க்களம்
Where eyes dart and lock with each other
A shining, glittering battlefield
Where eyes dart and lock with each other
A shining, glittering battlefield
போர்க்களம்.....
கன்னி நெஞ்சும் காளை நெஞ்சும்
பின்னுகின்ற போர்க்களம்......போர்க்களம்
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
Battlefield...
A maiden's heart and a youth's heart
A battlefield where hearts entwine... battlefield
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female: The battlefield called love
நாணமென்ற குதிரை ஏறி
ஆடி வந்த பெண்மையே
நாணமென்ற குதிரை ஏறி
ஆடி வந்த பெண்மையே
Riding upon the horse called shyness
Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully!
Riding upon the horse called shyness
Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully!
Female: Holding the bow named desire
Oh young man who came running!
Holding the bow named desire
Oh young man who came running!
{ஆசையென்ற வில்லையேந்தி
ஓடி வந்த காளையே
ஆசையென்ற வில்லையேந்தி
ஓடி வந்த காளையே} (2)
Even if she is an educated woman with degrees
She becomes a gentle doll in the bedchamber
Female: Even if he is a man who learned the law
He becomes a surrender/slave before his wife... a slave
பட்டம் பெற்ற பெண்ணென்றாலும்
பள்ளியறைப் பதுமையே
சட்டம் கற்ற ஆணென்றாலும்
தாரத்தின் முன் அடிமையே......அடிமையே
Battlefield, battlefield
Male: The battlefield called love
Both: Battlefield, battlefield
The battlefield called love
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
இருவர் :
போர்க்களம் போர்க்களம்
காதலென்னும் போர்க்களம்
Porkalam….
Battlefield...
Porkalam porkalam
Battlefield, battlefield
Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam
Female: The battlefield called love
Male :Porkalam porkalam
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam
Female: The battlefield called love
Male :Porkalam porkalam
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam
Female: The battlefield called love
Kannum kannum paaindhu paaindhu
Where eyes dart and lock with each other
Minnugindra porkalam
A shining, glittering battlefield
Kannum kannum paaindhu paaindhu
Where eyes dart and lock with each other
Minnugindra porkalam
A shining, glittering battlefield
Porkalam….
Battlefield...
Kanni nenjum kaalai nenjum
A maiden's heart and a youth's heart
Pinnugindra porkalam …porkalam
A battlefield where hearts entwine... battlefield
Male :Porkalam porkalam
Male: Battlefield, battlefield
Female :Kaadhal ennum porkalam
Female: The battlefield called love
Naanam endra kudhirai yaeri
Riding upon the horse called shyness
Aadi vandha penmaiyae
Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully!
Naanam endra kudhirai yaeri
Riding upon the horse called shyness
Aadi vandha penmaiyae
Oh womanhood that came swaying gracefully!
Female :Aasaiendra villaiyaendhi
Female: Holding the bow named desire
Oodi vandha kaalaiyae
Oh young man who came running!
Aasaiendra villaiyaendhi
Holding the bow named desire
Oodi vandha kaalaiyae
Oh young man who came running!
Pattam pettr pen endraalum
Even if she is an educated woman with degrees
Palliarai padhumaiyae
She becomes a gentle doll in the bedchamber
Female :Sattam kattra aan endraalum
Female: Even if he is a man who learned the law
Thaarathin munn adimaiyae…adimaiyae
He becomes a surrender/slave before his wife... a slave
Porkalam porkalam
Battlefield, battlefield
Male :Kaadhal ennum porkalam
Male: The battlefield called love
Both :Porkalam porkalam
Both: Battlefield, battlefield
Kaadhal ennum porkalam
The battlefield called love
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
The song 'Porkalam' from Muthu Mandapam (1962) metaphorically equates romantic love to a battlefield where lovers playfully duel with emotion, glances, and charm rather than weapons. The lyricist Kannadasan uses military imagery like horses, bows, and battlegrounds to depict the gentle clash between male desire and female bashfulness.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Uruvam (Metaphor)
“Kaadhal ennum porkalam”
Love is directly metaphorized as a battlefield ('Kaadhal ennum porkalam'), bashfulness as a horse ('Naanam endra kudhirai'), and desire as a bow ('Aasaiendra villu').
Adukku Thodar / Repetition
“Kannum kannum paaindhu paaindhu”
Repetition of words like 'Kannum kannum' and 'paaindhu paaindhu' creates rhythm and emphasizes the intensity of visual exchange.
Ethirai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Pattam pettr pen endraalum / Sattam kattra aan endraalum”
Rhyming of the second letter across lines such as 'Pattam' and 'Sattam' or 'Kanni' and 'Pinnugindra'.
Antithesis / Irony
“Sattam kattra aan endraalum Thaarathin munn adimaiyae”
Contrasting external societal stature (holding degrees or mastering laws) with vulnerable surrender in romantic intimacy.
Did you know?
Trivia
Muthu Mandapam (1962), starring S. S. Rajendran and Vijayakumari, featured music composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics by Kannadasan. Kannadasan's playful usage of martial metaphors to describe marital intimacy made this duet a memorable comedic-romantic highlight.
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