- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Sakthi Kumar
- Movie name
- Pillai Selvam
- Movie release year
- 1973
- Lyrics added on
- 24 Feb 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This tender lullaby from 'Pillai Selvam' (1973), written by Kannadasan and sung by P. Susheela, captures a mother's unconditional love and comforting words to her child. She celebrates her son as a divine blessing who preserves her family line, embellishing her adoration with lavish imagery of ruby cradles and diamond beds. Seeing tears in her child's eyes, she encourages him to stay strong and smile, reassuring him that the world is as safe as a mother's lap and that a bright future awaits him.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Maanikka thottil vairathil kattil”
The child's humble resting place is metaphorically elevated to a cradle of rubies and a bed of diamonds to emphasize the priceless worth of the child to the mother.
Alliteration (Monai)
“Kanna un kangalil kanneerum pongutha”
Repetition of the 'Ka' sound in Kanna, Kangalil, and Kanneerum creates a smooth, gentle musicality ideal for a lullaby.
Rhetorical Question
“Nee deivam thantha pillai allavo”
The line asks 'Are you not the child given by God?' as a rhetorical assertion of the child's sacred origin.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is a classic example of Kannadasan's mastery in writing maternal affection lyrics. Rendered soulfully by P. Susheela under Sakthi Kumar's musical direction, 'O Babu Mani Babu' remains a cherished lullaby in Tamil cinema history.
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