- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan
- Movie name
- Manidhanum Dheivamagalam
- Movie release year
- 1975
- Lyrics added on
- 27 Nov 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This iconic song from Manidhanum Dheivamagalam captures a hedonistic yet deeply philosophical outlook on life, echoing the carpe diem spirit of Omar Khayyam's poetry. Kannadasan frames life as a drama driven by intoxication and youth as an epic of love, advising listeners to live fully in the present rather than waiting for an uncertain tomorrow. The song cleverly juxtaposes sensory, material pleasures with spiritual imagery, comparing worldly intoxication and romantic passion to divine ecstasy and holy rituals.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Vaazhkkaiyae bodhai naadagam”
Life is directly equated to an intoxicating drama, framing human existence as a performance driven by sensory intoxication.
Allusion
“Umarkayaam potta oviyam”
Explicit reference to the Persian poet Omar Khayyam, invoking his philosophy of enjoying the present moment and life's earthly pleasures.
Rhyme and Contrast (Iyaibu)
“Sivalogamaa sugalogamaa”
Juxtaposes 'Sivalogam' (heavenly divine realm) with 'Sugalogam' (realm of sensory happiness) through rhythmic sound matching.
Did you know?
Trivia
Kannadasan was deeply inspired by Edward FitzGerald's translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, which influenced several of his philosophical songs, including this classic tuned by Kunnakudi Vaidyanathan.
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