- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Tenali Raman
- Movie release year
- 1956
- Lyrics added on
- 3 May 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Thennavan thaai nattu singaaramae is a majestic cultural and patriotic song from the 1956 Tamil film Tenali Raman. Sung with classical grace, the song celebrates the artistic splendor, scenic landscapes, and architectural heritage of South India under historical monarchs like King Krishnadevaraya. It depicts temple sculptures that seem to sing with life, picturesque gardens with swans, and ocean waves that pale in comparison to the elegance of local women. Furthermore, lyricist Kannadasan highlights cultural and regional unity by calling out the five prominent linguistic regions of the South—Kannada, Tamil, Tulu, Malayalam, and Andhra. The lyrics express that despite regional variations in language and customs, the people share an underlying oneness and shared identity within India.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification (Tharkurippettram / Uruvagandhal)
“Inghu sirppangal paadum sangeedhame”
Stone sculptures are poetically described as singing music, attributing human artistic expression to temple architecture.
Hyperbole & Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Engal kalaimadhar kaar koondhal tharum yaasagam”
The rolling ocean waves are metaphorically pictured as begging to borrow beauty from the flowing dark tresses of South Indian women.
Alliteration & Prosodic Enumeration (Monai / Edhugai)
“Kannada senthamizh thulu malaiyaalam”
Harmonious listing of the five southern linguistic regions (Kannada, Tamil, Tulu, Malayalam, Andhra) to create rhythmic flow and emphasize unity.
Did you know?
Trivia
Tenali Raman (1956) starred Sivaji Ganesan in the title role alongside N. T. Rama Rao as Emperor Krishnadevaraya. Composed by the legendary Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy duo and written by Kannadasan, this song stands out historically for explicitly mentioning the five linguistic entities of South India (Kannada, Tamil, Tulu, Malayalam, Andhra), celebrating the multicultural harmony of the historic Vijayanagara era.
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