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Kalaikoil album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Varavendum Oru

From Kalaikoil · 1964

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
L. R. Eswari
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Movie name
Kalaikoil
Movie release year
1964
Lyrics added on
3 Feb 2025

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Varavendum oru poludhu
Varamalae irundhaal suvai theriyaadhu
Varavendum oru poludhu
Varamalae irundhaal suvai theriyaadhu
Kelamal neeyum tharamale naanum
Varamale irundhaa suvai theriyadhu
Seradha pennum paaradha kannum
Orae naalil ore vidham malarndhenna
Varavendum oru poludhu
Varamalae irundhaal suvai theriyaadhu
Neer polae oodai nilavilae vaazhum
Adhae inbam adhae sugam varum ingae
Paadamal paada koodamal kooda
Idho maadhu idho madhu manam engae
Varavendum oru poludhu
Varamalae irundhaal suvai theriyaadhu
A moment must come...
If it never arrives, you will never know its sweetness.
A moment must come...
If it never arrives, you will never know its sweetness.
If you do not ask, and I do not give,
What is the point of being in the same place at the same time?
A woman who stays distant, and eyes that do not look,
What is the use if they blossom the same way on the same day?
A moment must come...
If it never arrives, you will never know its sweetness.
Just like a stream that lives beneath the moonlight,
That very same joy and pleasure will come here.
To sing without singing, to unite without touching,
Here is the woman, here is the wine—where is your heart?
A moment must come...
If it never arrives, you will never know its sweetness.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic song captures the tantalizing dynamics and sweet anticipation of romantic love. The lyrics emphasize that love's true essence cannot be rushed or forced; a specific moment of natural convergence must take place for love's sweetness to be truly felt. Without the tension of longing and restraint, romance loses its deepest flavor. Kannadasan employs striking imagery and poetic paradoxes, such as singing without vocalizing and uniting without physical touch, to express profound emotional intimacy. Rendered with sensuous elegance by L. R. Eswari to Viswanathan-Ramamoorthy's evocative score, the song stands as a masterclass in Tamil romantic poetry.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Varavendum oru poludhu / Varamalae irundhaal suvai theriyaadhu

Repetition of the initial consonant sound 'Va' across adjacent lines ('Varavendum' and 'Varamalae').

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Seradha pennum paaradha kannum

Agreement of the second consonant 'ra' in 'Seradha' and 'Paaradha'.

Muran (Paradox / Antithesis)

Paadamal paada koodamal kooda

Contradictory phrasing 'paadamal paada' (to sing without singing) and 'koodamal kooda' (to unite without uniting) to express tacit emotional connection.

Upamai (Simile)

Neer polae oodai nilavilae vaazhum

Comparing serene romantic bliss to a cool stream flowing quietly under the moonlight ('Neer polae').

Did you know?

Trivia

Featured in the 1964 film 'Kalaikoil' directed by C. V. Sridhar, this song highlights singer L. R. Eswari's exceptional ability to deliver sensuous yet deeply poetic romantic compositions. The film's soundtrack by Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy is celebrated as one of the finest musical collaborations in Tamil cinema history.

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