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Manakanakku album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Chinna Chinna Veedu Katti

From Manakanakku · 1986

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
P. Jayachandran
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Manakanakku
Movie release year
1986
Lyrics added on
21 Apr 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Chinna chinna veedu katti
Suththi suththi odi vanthu
Chinna pillai kaalam thottu
Vanthathintha sontha ammaa
Kollaiyilae vachcha kodi
Komba suththi valarnthaarpola
Enna suththi nee valarnthae
Unna suththi naan valarnthaen
Enna suththi nee valarnthae
Unna suththi naan valarnthaen
Epothum unna kann pola kappen
Mamana marakkaathae
En mana koottukullae
Oru kiliyai valarththaene
Adhan azagai rasichenae
Naan ennai maranthaenae
Naan ennai maranthaenae
Building tiny little playhouses,
Running round and round,
Ever since our childhood days,
This bond of ours has grown, my dear.
Like a vine planted in the backyard
Twining around a branch as it grows,
You grew up wrapped around me,
And I grew up wrapped around you.
You grew up wrapped around me,
And I grew up wrapped around you.
I will always protect you like my own eyes,
Don't ever forget your uncle...
Inside the cage of my heart,
I raised a sweet parrot,
I admired its beauty,
And lost myself completely.
And lost myself completely.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This soulful song reflects the pure, deep affection of a maternal uncle (Maaman) towards his young niece as she grows up. He nostalgically recalls her childhood days, playing together and building toy houses. Using poetic imagery, he describes their intertwined bond as similar to a creeper vine growing supportively around a sturdy branch. He promises to protect her like his own eyes and fondly expresses how raising her inside his heart was like caring for a beautiful parrot, bringing him complete self-forgetting bliss.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Adukkuthodar (Repetition for Emphasis)

Chinna chinna veedu katti

Repetition of words like 'Chinna chinna' (tiny) and 'Suththi suththi' (around and around) emphasizes innocent childhood activities and enthusiasm.

Uvamai (Simile)

Kollaiyilae vachcha kodi Komba suththi valarnthaarpola

Compares their codependent growth to a backyard creeper vine growing wrapped around a supporting branch.

Uvamai (Simile)

Epothum unna kann pola kappen

Compares the act of protecting his beloved niece to safeguarding one's own eyesight/pupil ('kann pola kappen').

Uruvagaim (Metaphor)

En mana koottukullae Oru kiliyai valarththaene

Refers to his heart as a cage ('mana koottukullae') and the cherished girl as a parrot ('kili') being raised inside it.

Did you know?

Trivia

Manakanakku (1986) is notable for featuring actor Kamal Haasan in a friendly guest appearance as a film director alongside Vijayakanth in the lead role. The soundtrack was composed by legendary music director M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics penned by Panchu Arunachalam.

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