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Lyrics & meaning

Pura Rendu Vaanil

From Kuppathu Ponnu · 1982

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Kuppathu Ponnu1982

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
………………
Male
Pura rendu vaanil sendruTwo doves fly into the sky,
Megam engum meyumaeGazing across the clouds everywhere,
Nilaakkoodu thannil thoongumaeAnd sleeping in their nest made of the moon.
Female
Vaanamengum vairapookkalDiamond flowers scattered across the entire sky,
Vennilaavai moikkum eekkalFlies swarming around the bright white moon.
Male :Vaanamengum vairapookkalMale: Diamond flowers scattered across the entire sky,
Vennilaavai moikkum eekkalFlies swarming around the bright white moon.
Female
Raaja raagam paadumpothuWhen the kingly melody is sung,
Male :Bhoomi nindru ketkkumeMale: The Earth stands still to listen.
Male
Pura rendu vaanil sendruTwo doves fly into the sky,
Megam engum meyumaeGazing across the clouds everywhere,
Nilaakkoodu thannil thoongumaeAnd sleeping in their nest made of the moon.
Chorus
………………
Male
Oo…pani mazhaithuli vizhum sudum en meedhuOh, dew drops falling on me feel scorching hot,
Anbe un nuni viralgalilMy love, at your fingertips,
Ivan uyir ippothuMy life resides right now.
Female :Ohho….nadhiyinil oru nuraiyena vanthaenaeFemale: Oh, I arrived like foam floating on a river,
Neeyo nurai odhungida karaiyena nindraayaeAnd you stood as the riverbank where the foam comes to rest.
Male
Kallodum odaiyil thallaadum odamaeA boat teetering in a stream flowing over rocks,
Kallodum odaiyil thallaadum odamaeA boat teetering in a stream flowing over rocks.
Female :Thaaga pookkalukku thanneeril vaasamFemale: For thirsty flowers, the fragrance is in water,
Male :Paavai vervaigalil panneerin vaasamMale: In the maiden's sweat lies the fragrance of rosewater.
Female :AnaiththaalFemale: If embraced,
Male :EriyumMale: It will burn,
Female :Idhu kaaman dheepamFemale: This lamp of desire.
Both :Anaiththaal eriyum idhu kaaman dheepamBoth: If embraced, this lamp of desire burns brighter.
Male
Pura rendu vaanil sendruTwo doves fly into the sky,
Megam engum meyumaeGazing across the clouds everywhere,
Nilaakkoodu thannil thoongumaeAnd sleeping in their nest made of the moon.
Female
Oo….avan varum varai uranguthu en oonjalOh, my swing slumbers until he arrives,
Yaeno sudu malargalai sumanthathu en koondhalWhy does my tress of hair carry warm flowers?
Male :Oo…ho…madhu alaigalil nanainthaval en deviMale: Oh, soaked in waves of nectar, my goddess,
Nagam enum nagai aninthaval en raniWearing fingernails as her jewels, my queen.
Female
Nanangal kangalil naanungal kaigalilGood manners in her eyes, shyness in her hands,
Nanangal kangalil naanungal kaigalilGood manners in her eyes, shyness in her hands.
Male :Naanum neeyum oru santhosa jaadhiMale: You and I belong to a single species of joy,
Female :Naalai vizhunthu vidum ponnaana veliFemale: Tomorrow, this golden fence will fall away.
Male :AnaiththaalMale: If embraced,
Female :EriyumFemale: It will burn,
Male :Idhu kadhal jodhiMale: This flame of love.
Both :Anaiththaal eriyum idhu kadhal jodhiBoth: If embraced, this flame of love burns brighter.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Pura Rendu Vaanil Sendru from the 1982 movie Kuppathu Ponnu is a poetic duet depicting passionate, romantic devotion between two lovers. Metaphorically comparing the couple to a pair of doves floating through the sky and resting on the moon, the song weaves surrealist imagery of stars as diamond flowers and cool dew drops feeling warm with passionate anticipation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Pun / Double Entendre (Sledai)

Anaiththaal eriyum idhu kaaman dheepam

The word 'Anaiththaal' carries a dual meaning: 'to extinguish' (a flame) and 'to embrace' (a lover). The paradox states that embracing extinguishes nothing, but rather causes the lamp of love to burn brighter.

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Vaanamengum vairapookkal

The stars are metaphorically depicted as diamond blossoms ('vairapookkal') scattered across the night sky.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi)

Bhoomi nindru ketkkume

Exaggerating the power of music by stating that the Earth halts its motion just to listen to their song.

Alliteration (Monai / Ethirai)

Nanangal kangalil naanungal kaigalil

Rhythmic repetition of consonant and vowel sounds ('Na') creating a soft, poetic musical rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the musical duo Shankar-Ganesh and penned by Vairamuthu, this track showcases early 1980s Tamil romantic duet arrangements rendered by veteran playback singers S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and S. Janaki.

Keep listening

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