- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Gramathu Athiyayam
- Movie release year
- 1980
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Jun 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song from 'Gramathu Athiyayam' (1980) expresses melancholic reflections on innocence, heartbreak, and life's unpredictable nature. The singer metaphorically compares a young woman to an unfading rose flower and her fluttering, delicate heart to a kite swaying in the breeze, illustrating how helpless passion can go astray without foresight. The lyrics critique the hypocrisy of the world, describing townspeople who wear false disguises. Metaphors like drawing a pattern (kolam) on flowing river water depict the futility and transience of human hopes and efforts, leaving behind a poignant sense of yearning and sorrow.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Uwamai)
“Kaathaadi pol aadum pennoda siru nenju”
Compares the delicate and unstable emotions of a young girl's heart to a kite ('kaathaadi pol') fluttering in the wind.
Metaphor (Uruvagham)
“Vaadaadha rosaa poo… naan onnu paathaen…”
Refers to a pure, tender young woman as an unfading rose flower ('vaadaadha rosaa poo').
Second-Letter Rhyme (Edhugai)
“Kaathoda poyaachu ennoda baaram / Aathoda poyaachu en kaala naeram”
The second consonant sound 'th' rhymes between 'Kaathoda' and 'Aathoda'.
Visual Imagery & Metaphor
“Kaavaeri neer maelae kanni potta kolam”
Draws a vivid picture of impermanence by comparing lost efforts or love to a rangoli/kolam pattern drawn on flowing river water.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Gramathu Athiyayam' (1980) was directed by C. Rudhraiya, best known for his avant-garde film 'Aval Appadithan'. The soundtrack was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja, with lyrics penned by his brother Gangai Amaran. This song captures a classic late-70s/early-80s rural acoustic feel characteristic of Ilaiyaraaja's rustic compositions.
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