- Lyricist
- Isaignani Ilayaraja
- Singer
- Ilayaraja
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- En Rasavin Manasile
- Movie release year
- 1991
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Jul 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Sola Pasungkiliyae from the movie En Rasavin Manasile is a heart-wrenching lament expressing the inconsolable grief of a man mourning the sudden death of his beloved, Solaiyamma. Addressing her with affectionate metaphors drawn from nature—a green parrot, a delicate vine, a palm shoot, and a sweet cuckoo—he questions why fate allowed happiness to enter his life briefly, only to snatch it away and leave his spirit in agony. The lyrics vividly capture the tragic contrast between the lingering remnants of wedding preparations—such as fresh jasmine flowers and the post-hole dug for the marriage canopy—and the cruel reality of her death. He mourns how her life dissolved rapidly like camphor in the wind, leaving him completely helpless and shattered.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamanam)
“Sola pasungkiliyae… Sondhamulla poongkodiyae… Eechcha ilangkuruththae…”
The protagonist addresses his beloved using delicate natural elements like 'Sola pasungkili' (green parrot of the grove), 'Poongkodi' (flowering vine), and 'Eechcha ilangkuruthu' (tender date palm shoot).
Repetition / Anaphora (Adukku Thodar)
“Vanthathu vanthathu yen / Sendrathu sendrathu yen”
Words like 'vanthathu vanthathu' and 'sendrathu sendrathu' are repeated to convey intense emotional anguish and questioning.
Irony and Imagery
“Panthakaalu pallam innum / Manneduthu moodaliyae”
Highlights the poignant contrast between active wedding preparations (hole dug for the pandal post) and sudden death, emphasizing the abruptness of tragedy.
Symbolic Imagery
“Karppoora katti onnu kaathula ponathadi / Sendhoora vaazhai onnu sethula saanjathadi”
Compares the fragility and transience of human life to a piece of camphor evaporating in the wind and a banana plant falling in mud.
Did you know?
Trivia
Sola Pasungkiliyae is a classic mourning/dirge song written, composed, and sung by Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja for the 1991 blockbuster En Rasavin Manasile, directed by Kasthuri Raja and starring Rajkiran. Ilaiyaraaja's raw, rustic vocal delivery and folk orchestration made it one of the most iconic path-breaking mourning songs in Tamil cinema history.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
From the same album
More songs from En Rasavin Manasile
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.