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Lyrics & meaning

Sengaiyil Vandu

From Kuravanji · 1960

Lyricist
Thirikudarasappa Kavirayar
Singers
P. Leela, A. P. Komala, A. G. Rathnamala, C. S. Jayaraman
Music director
T. R. Pappa
Details
Kuravanji1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Humming …Humming...
Male
Sengaiyil vandu kalinThe bangles on her red hands hum like bees
Sengaiyil vandu kalinendruSaying that bees hum on her red hands
Seyang seyamendraadaDancing to victory and triumphs
Idai sangathamendru silambhu pulampoduWhile her waist anklets jingle in harmony
Thandai kalanthaadaAnd her leg ornaments dance along
Sengaiyil vandu kalinendruSaying that bees hum on her red hands
Seyang seyamendraadaDancing to victory and triumphs
Idai sangathamendru silambhu pulampoduWhile her waist anklets jingle in harmony
Thandai kalanthaadaAnd her leg ornaments dance along
Male
Iru kongai kodum pagaiHer two breasts, like fierce enemies
VendranamendruDeclaring they have won victory
Kuzhaindhu kuzhaindhaadaSwaying and moving gracefully
Malar paingodi nangai vasandha soundhariThe tender golden vine-like lady, Vasantha Sundari
Pandhu payindraalePracticed playing with a ball
Kongai kodum pagaiHer breasts, like fierce enemies
VendranamendruDeclaring victory
Kuzhaindhu kuzhaindhaadaSwaying and moving gracefully
Malar paingodi nangai vasandha soundhariThe tender golden vine-like lady, Vasantha Sundari
Pandhu payindraalePracticed playing with a ball
Kongai kodum pagaiHer breasts, like fierce enemies
VendranamendruDeclaring victory
Kuzhaindhu kuzhaindhaadaSwaying and moving gracefully
Malar paingodi nangai vasandha soundhariThe tender golden vine-like lady, Vasantha Sundari
Pandhu payindraalePracticed playing with a ball
Aval pandhu payindraaleIndeed, she practiced playing with a ball
Female
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Andha thannaliyai yen marandhaaiWhy did you forget that cool grace and mercy?
VenilaavaeO white moon
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Andha thannaliyai yen marandhaaiWhy did you forget that cool grace and mercy?
VenilaavaeO white moon
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Female
Pennudan pirandhadhundooHave you ever been born as or alongside a woman?
VennilaavaeO white moon
Pennudan pirandhadhundooHave you ever been born alongside a woman?
VennilaavaeO white moon
Endahn penmai kandungEven after witnessing my womanhood
Kaayalaamo vennilaaveIs it fair to scorch me with your beams, O white moon?
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Andha thannaliyai yen marandhaaiWhy did you forget that cool grace?
VenilaavaeO white moon
Thanamudhudan pirandhaaiYou were born alongside the divine nectar
VenilaavaO white moon
Chorus
Solla kaelaai kuriListen to me tell your fortune
Solla kaelaaiListen as I speak
Mullai poonguzhalaalaeO maiden with jasmine-adorned tresses
Solla kaelaaiListen as I tell
Female
Nannagaril vaazhum muthuThe precious pearl living in this grand city
Mogana pasungiliyaeO charming green parrot-like maiden
Chorus
Solla kaelaai kuriListen to me tell your fortune
Solla kaelaaiListen as I speak
Female
Thoghai nee avanai kanduO peacock-like maiden, having seen him
Mogithaai ammaeYou fell deeply in love, my dear
Adhu solla bayanthirunthenI was afraid to speak of it
SolluvaenYet now I shall speak
Thoghai nee avanai kanduO peacock-like maiden, having seen him
Mogithaai ammaeYou fell deeply in love, my dear
Adhu solla bayanthirunthenI was afraid to reveal it
SolluvaenYet now I shall speak
Moghiniyae unnudaiyae kirukiruppellaamO enchantress, all of your frenzy and craze
Avan mogha kirukiruppadiIs entirely due to his spellbinding love
Moghana kalliO charming, playful thief of hearts
Chorus
Solla kaelaai kuriListen to me tell your fortune
Solla kaelaaiListen as I speak
Male
Irunda meganjsuttri surunduWith dark clouds coiled around her head
Suzhiyeriyum kondaiyaalPossessing a bun that swirls high
Kuzhaiyaeri adi nenjai sooraiyaadumReaching her ears to plunder the heart
Vizhi kendaiyaalWith her carp-like darting eyes
Irunda meganjsuttri surunduWith dark clouds coiled around her head
Suzhiyeriyum kondaiyaalPossessing a bun that swirls high
Kuzhaiyaeri adi nenjai sooraiyaadumReaching her ears to plunder the heart
Vizhi kendaiyaalWith her carp-like darting eyes
Male
Arambai dhesavillumWith eyebrows shaped like celestial bows
Virumbhi aasai kollum puruvathaalEyebrows that evoke deep desire
Arambai dhesavillumWith eyebrows shaped like celestial bows
Virumbhi aasai kollum puruvathaalEyebrows that evoke deep desire
Pirar arivai maykkmoru karuvamirukkuThere lies an instrument to captivate the intellect of others
Mangai paruvathaal mangai paruvathaalOwing to her youthfulness as a young woman
Pirar arivai maykkmoru karuvamirukkuThere lies an instrument to captivate the intellect of others
Mangai paruvathaal mangai paruvathaalOwing to her youthfulness as a young woman

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

These lyrics belong to the classical Kuravanji dance drama tradition, drawn from Thirukoota Rasappa Kavirayar's classic work and adapted for the 1960 movie Kuravanji. The song unfolds in three major thematic movements: the description of the heroine Vasantha Sundari's captivating beauty while playing ball, her poignant love-lorn monologue addressed to the moon (Vennila), and the fortune-teller (Kurathi) divining her secret romance.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Sengaiyil vandu kalinendru

Classical Tamil poetic tradition where the second letter of consecutive lines rhymes, as seen in 'Sengaiyil' / 'Sangatham' and 'Thanamudhudan' / 'Pennudan'.

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Vizhi kendaiyaal

Comparing the heroine's eyes to darting Kendai fish ('Vizhi kendaiyaal') and her bun to dark storm clouds ('Irunda megan').

Apostrophe

Andha thannaliyai yen marandhaai Venilaavae

Addressing the moon ('Vennilaave') directly as a conscious entity to express love-sickness.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film Kuravanji (1960) starring Sivaji Ganesan and S. S. Rajendran brought traditional Tamil Kuravanji literature to mainstream cinema. The lyrics are directly adapted from Thirukoota Rasappa Kavirayar's 18th-century masterpiece 'Thirukuttrala Kuravanji'.

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