- Lyricist
- Suratha
- Singers
- M. K. Thiyagaraja Bagavathar, P. Leela
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Amarakavi
- Movie release year
- 1952
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Aug 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic duet from Amarakavi (1952) showcases romantic admiration filled with rich imagery of nature. The lovers praise each other's beauty, drawing elegant parallels between celestial phenomena and their profound feelings. The song captures a moment of serene adoration, comparing the moon to an ivory tusk and the beloved's cheeks to the blushing dusk sky.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Yaanai thandham polae pirai nilaa”
The crescent moon is explicitly compared to an elephant's tusk using the comparative word 'polae'.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Deva amudham neerae kalai mani”
The beloved is directly identified as divine nectar (Deva amudham) and a jewel of fine arts (kalai mani).
End Rhyme (Iyaipu)
“veesudhae / thoongudhae / minnudhae / konjudhae”
The uniform suffix ending '-udhae' across several lines creates a melodic and rhythmic harmony.
Did you know?
Trivia
This song was penned by the celebrated poet Suratha, who earned the revered title 'Uvamai Kavagnar' (Poet of Metaphors/Similes) in Tamil literature for his iconic use of vivid imagery, as demonstrated in comparing the crescent moon to an elephant's tusk. The movie 'Amarakavi' (1952) featured legendary singer-actor M. K. Thiyagaraja Bhagavathar (MKT) with music composed by G. Ramanathan.
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