Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Vanavillena Vandhu

From Asai Magan · 1953

Lyricist
Kuyilan
Singer
Jikki
Music director
V. Dakshinamurthy
Details
Asai Magan1953

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Vaanavillena vanthu kadhalinYou came like a rainbow and showed
Varna jalanal kaattinaaiThe colorful magic of love.
Maasillaatha en ulla veenaiyilOn the unblemished veena of my heart,
Mouna geedhangal meettinaaiYou played silent songs.
Female
Vaazhvin aanantha pon moolaigalilIn the golden corners of life's joy,
Vanthu peroli veesinaaiYou arrived and shone a grand light.
Vaazhga nee enthan ulla koyililMay you dwell in the temple of my heart,
Vaazhga vaazhga nee endrumaeMay you live long, live long forever.
Female
Vaana veedhiyil odum meanalWill a cloud drifting in the sky's path
Varna villinai moodumoObscure the colorful rainbow?
Maasillaatha en ulla kottaigalWill the pristine fortresses of my heart
Mannil vizhunthu mannaagumoFall to the earth and turn into dust?
Female
Thenil thointhezhum enthan aasaigalMy desires drenched in honey,
Theinthu maainthidum kaalamoIs it time for them to erode and perish?
Theerumo thuyar maarumoWill this sorrow end? Will it change?
Ariyaathu en manam yaenguthaeWithout knowing the answers, my heart yearns in anguish.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a deeply emotional reflection on the bliss of love intertwined with the fear of heartbreak and uncertainty. The speaker remembers how their beloved entered their life like a radiant rainbow, playing quiet melodies on the veena of their heart and bringing immense light into their existence. They pray for their beloved to forever reside in the temple of their soul. However, the narrative shifts to anxious foreboding. The speaker wonders whether floating clouds will cover their rainbow, whether the strong fortresses of their heart will crumble into dust, and if their honeyed dreams are destined to erode away. Unable to foresee the future, their heart aches with uncertainty, questioning whether their grief will ever find resolution.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai Ani)

Vaanavillena vanthu kadhalin

Compares the sudden, beautiful entry of love into the protagonist's life to the appearance of a vibrant rainbow ('Vaanavillena').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Maasillaatha en ulla veenaiyil

Metaphorically equates the soul/heart to a veena ('ulla veenaiyil') and a temple ('ulla koyilil').

Second-Letter Rhyme (Edhugai)

Maasillaatha en ulla kottaigal

The second consonant 's' (க்/ஸ்) rhymes across lines 'Maasillaatha' (line 3) and 'Maasillaatha' (line 11), or the 'i'/'u' sound matches in Tamil prosody.

Initial Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai)

Thenil thointhezhum enthan aasaigal

Repetition of the initial sound 'Th' across words 'Thenil' and 'Theinthu', as well as 'Theerumo' in subsequent lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Asai Magan' (1953) featured lyrics by the prominent poet Kuyilan. The imagery of comparing love to a transient rainbow obscured by clouds is a traditional motifs in classical Tamil poetry (Sangam literature) adapted into 1950s cinema.

Keep listening

More from Asai Magan