- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- K. J. Yesudas
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Movie name
- Vazhvey Maayam
- Movie release year
- 1982
- Lyrics added on
- 6 Aug 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Vaazhvae Maayam is a deeply philosophical song from the 1982 movie of the same name. Sung by K. J. Yesudas with music composed by Gangai Amaran and lyrics penned by Vaali, the song meditates on the fleeting and illusory nature of human existence. It compares life to a kolam drawn on water, highlighting how human relationships, wealth, and popularity last only as long as one is performing on life's stage. Once the play ends, everyone departs alone. The song contrasts key milestones of human existence—from being birthed by a mother to being consumed by fire, from being conceived by two people to being carried to the grave by four. Utilizing theatrical imagery, Vaali portrays life as a drama where mortal bodies are merely temporary disguises. As the protagonist faces his terminal fate in the movie, the song serves as a poignant reminder of mortality, destiny, and the impermanence of worldly attachments.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Upamai)
“Thanneeril podum kolam”
Compares worldly existence and mortal achievements to a pattern drawn on water, emphasizing impermanence.
Wordplay / Polysemy (Sledai)
“Mei endru meniyai yaar sonnathu…”
Plays on the dual meaning of 'Mei', which in Tamil means both 'body' and 'truth', questioning why a physical body is mistaken for ultimate reality.
Monai & Edhugai (Alliteration & Rhyme)
“Thaayaalae vandhathu / Theeyaalae vendhathu”
Uses matching initial and second-letter sounds (Thaayaalae / Theeyaalae) to sharply contrast birth by a mother with destruction by fire.
Numerical Antithesis
“Undaavathu rendaalathaan / Oorpovathu naalaaladhaan”
Contrasts the number two ('rendu' - parents) involved in birth with four ('naalu' - pallbearers) carrying the dead body.
Extended Metaphor (Allegory)
“Yaar yaarkku enna vesamo / Ingae yaar yaarkku entha medaiyo…”
Frames life as a theatrical performance where people put on disguises ('vesham') on stage ('medai') until the climax ('uchcha kaatchi').
Did you know?
Trivia
The title of the 1982 superhit film 'Vazhvey Maayam', starring Kamal Haasan, Sridevi, and Sripriya, is derived directly from this song. Composed by Gangai Amaran and rendered by K. J. Yesudas, the song occurs at the emotional climax of the movie when the lead character comes to terms with his terminal cancer diagnosis.
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