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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Punnagai Oru Poovo

From Porutham · 1985

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Details
Porutham1985

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Pon idhazh athu thaeno paaloAre those golden lips sweet honey or milk?
Ennangal nadhiyoAre thoughts like a river?
Devathai paavanai thaedinaal dhevanaiThe divine angel searched for her lord,
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Pon idhazh athu thaeno paaloAre those golden lips sweet honey or milk?
Ennangal nadhiyo….haAre thoughts like a river?... ha
Male
Thoongaatha nenjam thannai yaedaakkinaalShe turned her sleepless heart into a blank page,
Thudigindra ennam thannai ezhuththaakkinaalShe turned her fluttering thoughts into written words.
Ezhuthinaai mugavari yaenginaen thinasariYou wrote an address, and I yearned for you daily,
Kanavilae adikkadi kalanginaen malarkkodiOh flowering creeper, I frequently felt restless in my dreams.
En ennappadiyae nee thottu thazhuvuTouch and embrace me just as I have wished,
En kanni ilamaanae….Oh my youthful, innocent deer...
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Pon idhazh athu thaeno paaloAre those golden lips sweet honey or milk?
Ennangal nadhiyoAre thoughts like a river?
Devathai paavanai thaedinaal dhevanaiThe divine angel searched for her lord,
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Pon idhazh athu thaeno paaloAre those golden lips sweet honey or milk?
Ennangal nadhiyo….Are thoughts like a river?...
Male
Neraaga unnai kaana naan vaadunaenI withered away yearning to see you face-to-face,
Nee entha dhesam endru naan thedinaenI searched, wondering which distant land you belonged to.
Kanavilae anaiththaval ninaivilae sirikkiraalShe who embraced me in dreams now laughs in reality,
Kadhalan ketkiraan anaiththida marukkiraalThe lover requests a hug, but she teasingly refuses.
En sorkka kadhavu en pakkam irukkuMy heavenly door stands right beside me,
En sontham idhuthaa….no…Is this truly my relative/destiny?... no...
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Pon idhazh athu thaeno paaloAre those golden lips sweet honey or milk?
Ennangal nadhiyoAre thoughts like a river?
Devathai paavanai thaedinaal dhevanaiThe divine angel searched for her lord,
Male
Punnagai oru poovo ponnoIs a smile a flower or precious gold?
Pen oru nadhiyoIs a woman a flowing river?
Male
…………….....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

"Punnagai Oru Poovo" is a romantic, poetic Tamil song penned by Gangai Amaran for the 1985 movie Porutham. The lyrics explore the poetic wonder of love, metaphorically comparing the female beloved to flowers, gold, rivers, and divine angels. The protagonist reflects on the anguish of longing, reading letters, dreaming of his beloved, and finally experiencing the tender interplay between dream and reality. The stanzas evoke deep romantic imagery where thoughts become written words and dreams blur into conscious longing. Through playful rhetorical questions and sweet metaphors like 'flowering creeper' and 'young deer', the song captures the essence of youthful courtship, separation, and intimate longing.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Aani)

“Punnagai oru poovo ponno”

Posing questions comparing beauty to nature and precious elements ('Is a smile a flower or gold?') to emphasize grace.

Metaphor (Uvagam)

“Pen oru nadhiyo”

Comparing a woman's graceful form to a flowing river ('Pen oru nadhiyo') and a lover to a young deer ('Ilamaane').

End Rhyme (Eyai Thodai)

“Thoongaatha nenjam thannai yaedaakkinaal / Thudigindra ennam thannai ezhuththaakkinaal”

Matching end sounds in adjacent lines ('yaedaakkinaal' and 'ezhuththaakkinaal') creating musical rhythm.

Initial Alliteration (Monai Thodai)

“Thoongaatha nenjam thannai yaedaakkinaal”

Repetition of initial consonant sounds ('Thoongaatha' / 'Thudigindra') at the start of consecutive lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

Porutham (1985) features lyrics written by Gangai Amaran, who frequently collaborated as both a lyricist and music director in 1980s Tamil cinema, known for incorporating rich poetic metaphors grounded in folk and classical aesthetics.

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