- Lyricist
- Udumalai Narayanakavi
- Singer
- M. L. Vasanthakumari
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Kaveriyin Kanavan
- Movie release year
- 1959
- Lyrics added on
- 11 Dec 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song celebrates the beauty of the Tamil language and the timeless wisdom of Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar. The song likens a sweet Tamil songstress to a golden parrot who bestows the nectar of wisdom through her melodious singing. It explicitly incorporates couplets from Tirukkural, emphasizing how spiritual and intellectual nourishment (food for the ears) surpasses material food, and how the sweet words of Tamil are sweeter than ambrosia or musical instruments like the flute and veena.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Alliteration)
“Vanna tamizh sornakili / Vaai thirandhaal”
Repetition of initial consonants across words in a line (e.g., 'Vanna' and 'Vaai').
Edhugai (Rhyming second letter)
“Vanna tamizh sornakili / Valluvan sol thellamudhai”
Matching second letter across consecutive lines ('Vanna' and 'Valluvan').
Metaphor (Uvamai)
“Valluvan sol thellamudhai”
Comparing Tamil/words of Tirukkural to 'Thellamudhu' (clear nectar) and the singer to a 'Sornakili' (golden parrot).
Direct Quotation / Allusion
“Kuzhalinidhu yaazhinidhu enbar thammakkal”
Incorporation of actual Tirukkural verses ('Kuzhalinidhu yaazhinidhu...' and 'Sevikkunavu illadha podhu...').
Did you know?
Trivia
The lyricist Udumalai Narayanakavi was famous for weaving rationalist ideals and ancient Tamil literature, particularly Tirukkural, into film songs. Rendered by the legendary Carnatic vocalist M. L. Vasanthakumari, this song remains a celebrated tribute to Tamil literature in early Tamil cinema.
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