Ulle Irukkum
From Kavitha · 1962
- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, K. Jamunarani
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Kavitha1962
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Ulle irukkum pon amma | O golden lady who stays inside, |
| Veliye vandhu sollamma | Come outside and tell us, dear lady. |
| Female :Ulle irukkum pon amma | O golden lady who stays inside, |
| Veliye vandhu sollamma | Come outside and tell us, dear lady. |
| Male | |
| Unmaiyai nalla therinjavanga | The ones who know the truth well, |
| Unnaiyalladhu yaaramma | Who else could it be other than you, lady? |
| Female :Unmaiyai nalla therinjavanga | The ones who know the truth well, |
| Unnaiyalladhu yaaramma | Who else could it be other than you, lady? |
| Male | |
| Saalaiyilae orunaal nee thaniyae vandhaayae | One day you came alone along the road, |
| Solaiyilae rendu | In the grove, two |
| Yaanai nuzhaiya kandaaiyae | Elephants were seen entering by you! |
| Saalaiyilae orunaal nee thaniyae vandhaayae | One day you came alone along the road, |
| Solaiyilae rendu | In the grove, two |
| Yaanai nuzhaiya kandaaiyae | Elephants were seen entering by you! |
| Female | |
| Yaanaiyil ondru unnaiyum kandu | Seeing you, one of those elephants |
| Virattudhendru sonnaayae | Chased after you, so you said! |
| Yaanaiyil ondru unnaiyum kandu | Seeing you, one of those elephants |
| Virattudhendru sonnaayae | Chased after you, so you said! |
| Yaanaigal puguntha solaigal azhindha | The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered, |
| Kadhaiyum unakku theriyuma | Do you know that story as well? |
| Yaanaigal puguntha solaigal azhindha | The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered, |
| Kadhaiyum unakku theriyuma | Do you know that story as well? |
| Male | |
| Solaigal azhindhadhu yaaniagalaala | Were the groves destroyed by elephants? |
| Female :Soorai kaatraalaa | Or by a fierce storm wind? |
| Male :Uyir velai mudinthathu vanjagaraalaa | Was the boundary of life destroyed by traitors? |
| Female :Iyarkaiyinaalaa | Or was it caused by nature? |
| Male | |
| Vaazhkai paalam idinthathu paadhagaralaa | Was the bridge of life collapsed by evildoers? |
| Female :Paavathinaalaa | Or was it because of sin? |
| Male :Indha paarilae kavidhavai polae | In this world, like a poem (Kavitha), |
| Paavai kedaippaala oru paavai kedaippaalaa | Can such a maiden be found? Can another maiden be found? |
| Female :Ponnamma | Ponnamma, |
| Male :Sollamma | Tell me, lady. |
| Female :Ponnamma | Ponnamma, |
| Male :Sollamma | Tell me, lady. |
முனங்கல் :
........
O golden lady who stays inside,
Come outside and tell us, dear lady.
O golden lady who stays inside,
Come outside and tell us, dear lady.
உள்ளே இருக்கும் பொன்னம்மா
வெளியே வந்து சொல்லம்மா
உள்ளே இருக்கும் பொன்னம்மா
வெளியே வந்தா சொல்லம்மா
The ones who know the truth well,
Who else could it be other than you, lady?
The ones who know the truth well,
Who else could it be other than you, lady?
உண்மையை நல்லாத் தெரிஞ்சவங்க
உன்னையல்லாது யாரம்மா
உண்மையை நல்லாத் தெரிஞ்சவங்க
உன்னையல்லாது யாரம்மா...
One day you came alone along the road,
In the grove, two
Elephants were seen entering by you!
One day you came alone along the road,
In the grove, two
Elephants were seen entering by you!
உள்ளே இருக்கும் பொன்னம்மா
Seeing you, one of those elephants
Chased after you, so you said!
Seeing you, one of those elephants
Chased after you, so you said!
The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered,
Do you know that story as well?
The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered,
Do you know that story as well?
சாலையிலே ஒருநாள் நீ தனியே வந்தாயே
சோலையிலே ரெண்டு
யானை நுழையக் கண்டாயே
சாலையிலே ஒருநாள் நீ தனியே வந்தாயே
சோலையிலே ரெண்டு
யானை நுழையக் கண்டாயே
Were the groves destroyed by elephants?
Or by a fierce storm wind?
Was the boundary of life destroyed by traitors?
Or was it caused by nature?
யானையில் ஒன்று உன்னையும் கண்டு
விரட்டுதென்று சொன்னாயே
யானையில் ஒன்று உன்னையும் கண்டு
விரட்டுதென்று சொன்னாயே
யானைகள் புகுந்த சோலைகள் அழிந்த
கதையும் உனக்குத் தெரியுமா..
யானைகள் புகுந்த சோலைகள் அழிந்த
கதையும் உனக்குத் தெரியுமா...
Was the bridge of life collapsed by evildoers?
Or was it because of sin?
In this world, like a poem (Kavitha),
Can such a maiden be found? Can another maiden be found?
Ponnamma,
Tell me, lady.
Ponnamma,
Tell me, lady.
உள்ளே இருக்கும் பொன்னம்மா
வெளியே வந்து சொல்லம்மா
உண்மையை நல்லாத் தெரிஞ்சவங்க
உன்னையல்லாது யாரம்மா...
உள்ளே இருக்கும் பொன்னம்மா
சோலைகள் அழிந்தது யானைகளாலா
சூறைக் காற்றாலா......
உயிர் வேலை முடிந்தது வஞ்சகராலா
இயற்கையினாலா.....
வாழ்க்கைப் பாலம் இடிந்தது பாதகராலா
பாவத்தினாலா.......
இந்தப் பாரிலே கவிதாவைப் போல
பாவைக் கிடைப்பாளா ஒரு பாவை கிடைப்பாளா
பொன்னம்மா....
சொல்லம்மா.....
பொன்னம்மா....
சொல்லம்மா.....
Ulle irukkum pon amma
O golden lady who stays inside,
Veliye vandhu sollamma
Come outside and tell us, dear lady.
Female :Ulle irukkum pon amma
O golden lady who stays inside,
Veliye vandhu sollamma
Come outside and tell us, dear lady.
Unmaiyai nalla therinjavanga
The ones who know the truth well,
Unnaiyalladhu yaaramma
Who else could it be other than you, lady?
Female :Unmaiyai nalla therinjavanga
The ones who know the truth well,
Unnaiyalladhu yaaramma
Who else could it be other than you, lady?
Saalaiyilae orunaal nee thaniyae vandhaayae
One day you came alone along the road,
Solaiyilae rendu
In the grove, two
Yaanai nuzhaiya kandaaiyae
Elephants were seen entering by you!
Saalaiyilae orunaal nee thaniyae vandhaayae
One day you came alone along the road,
Solaiyilae rendu
In the grove, two
Yaanai nuzhaiya kandaaiyae
Elephants were seen entering by you!
Yaanaiyil ondru unnaiyum kandu
Seeing you, one of those elephants
Virattudhendru sonnaayae
Chased after you, so you said!
Yaanaiyil ondru unnaiyum kandu
Seeing you, one of those elephants
Virattudhendru sonnaayae
Chased after you, so you said!
Yaanaigal puguntha solaigal azhindha
The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered,
Kadhaiyum unakku theriyuma
Do you know that story as well?
Yaanaigal puguntha solaigal azhindha
The groves that were destroyed when elephants entered,
Kadhaiyum unakku theriyuma
Do you know that story as well?
Solaigal azhindhadhu yaaniagalaala
Were the groves destroyed by elephants?
Female :Soorai kaatraalaa
Or by a fierce storm wind?
Male :Uyir velai mudinthathu vanjagaraalaa
Was the boundary of life destroyed by traitors?
Female :Iyarkaiyinaalaa
Or was it caused by nature?
Vaazhkai paalam idinthathu paadhagaralaa
Was the bridge of life collapsed by evildoers?
Female :Paavathinaalaa
Or was it because of sin?
Male :Indha paarilae kavidhavai polae
In this world, like a poem (Kavitha),
Paavai kedaippaala oru paavai kedaippaalaa
Can such a maiden be found? Can another maiden be found?
Female :Ponnamma
Ponnamma,
Male :Sollamma
Tell me, lady.
Female :Ponnamma
Ponnamma,
Male :Sollamma
Tell me, lady.
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song from the 1962 Tamil film 'Kavitha' is a structured philosophical dialogue set to music, featuring a back-and-forth exchange between the singers. The male and female voices debate the tragic events that led to ruin, using rich allegories of wild elephants invading a peaceful grove and violent storms uprooting nature. The male character points to human malice, treachery, and evil motives as the causes of destruction, whereas the female character questions whether natural fate, cosmic design, or past sins were at play. Ultimately, the song pays homage to the character named Kavitha, playing on her name as a metaphor for an ideal, poetic woman whose presence and tragedy leave an indelible mark on the world.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Allegory / Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Yaanaigal puguntha solaigal azhindha”
The entering of wild elephants into a peaceful grove symbolizes treacherous outsiders invading and ruining a peaceful family or life.
Pun / Double Entendre (Slaidhai)
“Indha paarilae kavidhavai polae paavai kedaippaala”
Plays on the name of the protagonist 'Kavitha' and the Tamil word for poem ('kavidhai'), comparing a maiden's beauty and virtue to a fine poem.
Second-letter Rhyme (Edhugai)
“Saalaiyilae orunaal nee thaniyae vandhaayae / Solaiyilae rendu”
Repetition of the second consonant sound 'la' in consecutive rhyming lines (Saalaiyilae / Solaiyilae).
Assonance / Anaphora (Monai)
“Uyir velai mudinthathu vanjagaraalaa / Iyarkaiyinaalaa”
Matching end-rhyme suffixes across alternating dialogue lines (-aalaa suffix in vanjagaraalaa, iyarkaiyinaalaa, paadhagaralaa, paavathinaalaa).
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is composed by K. V. Mahadevan with lyrics by A. Maruthakasi for the 1962 film 'Kavitha'. Maruthakasi was known for his mastery over dramatic allegory and dialogue-driven songwriting, which allowed the film's narrative conflict to be seamlessly woven into musical numbers.
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