- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Vani Jairam
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Rajangam
- Movie release year
- 1981
- Lyrics added on
- 13 Feb 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This poignant song expresses intense emotional distress and heartbreak. The narrator mourns the loss of a sanctuary, comparing their partner or protector to a traditional 'sumaithaangi' (a stone bench built for weary travellers to rest heavy burdens). When the very pillar of support becomes a heavy burden itself, the protagonist is left helpless and grief-stricken. Through vivid imagery of a bloomed lotus getting soiled in murky water and a lush garden of joy catching fire, lyricist Vairamuthu captures the tragedy of an innocent woman whose happiness is abruptly consumed by sorrow, leaving her with no one to turn to for solace.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Enai thaangum sumaithaangi Sumaiyaagi ponaal”
Compares a supportive loved one to a 'sumaithaangi' (resting stone) that unexpectedly turns into a heavy burden ('sumai').
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Nanathavanam thee pidichchaa”
Compares a happy life full of peace and love to a blooming garden ('nandhavanam') catching fire.
Irony / Contrast
“Pooththiruntha thaamarai poo Neeril azhukkanathaiyyaa”
Contrasts a clean, blooming lotus with soiled water, reflecting how pure intentions/life became tarnished.
Did you know?
Trivia
Written during lyricist Vairamuthu's early rise in Tamil cinema in the early 1980s, the song uses classical Tamil cultural metaphors like 'Sumaithaangi' (stone pillars historically placed along walking paths for porters to rest) to convey profound emotional dependency.
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