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Aaravalli album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Chinna Kutti Nathanaa

From Aaravalli · 1957

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singer
Tiruchi Loganathan
Music director
G. Ramanathan
Movie name
Aaravalli
Movie release year
1957
Lyrics added on
2 Mar 2025

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Kunnakkudi pora vandiyil
Kudumbam pooraa yaeththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Kunnakkudi pora vandiyil
Kudumbam pooraa yaeththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Kuluradikkira kozhanthai melae
Thunaiyao pottu poththunaa
Kuluradikkira kozhanthai melae
Thunaiyao pottu poththunaa
Kuvaakuvaannu kaththinathaala
Mudhugula rendu saaththunaa
Kuvaakuvaannu kaththinathaala
Mudhugula rendu saaththunaa
Kilukilupaiyak kaiyil koduththu
Azhutha pullaiyai thaeththunaa
Kilukilupaiyak kaiyil koduththu
Azhutha pullaiyai thaeththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Kunnakkudi pora vandiyil
Kudumbam pooraa yaeththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Pannappatti gramaththilae pazhaiya
Sorum thinnukittaa
Pannappatti gramaththilae pazhaiya
Sorum thinnukittaa
Pangaali oottu singaaraththoda
Pazhaiya kadhaiyum pesikittaa
Pangaali oottu singaaraththoda
Pazhaiya kadhaiyum pesikittaa
Kannukkuttiyae mallukkattiyae
Kayaththai pottu pidichchukittaa
Kannukkuttiyae mallukkattiyae
Kayaththai pottu pidichchukittaa
Mannukkattiyaal maangaa adichchu
Vaayila pttu kadichchukittaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
Kunnakkudi pora vandiyil
Kudumbam pooraa yaeththunaa
Chinna kutti naaththanaa
Sillaraiyae maaththunaa
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
And onto the cart heading to Kunnakudi,
She loaded the entire family!
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
And onto the cart heading to Kunnakudi,
She loaded the entire family!
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
Over the shivering child,
She wrapped a warm cloth.
Over the shivering child,
She wrapped a warm cloth.
When it cried out wa-wa,
She smacked its back twice!
When it cried out wa-wa,
She smacked its back twice!
Placing a rattle in its little hand,
She comforted the crying baby.
Placing a rattle in its little hand,
She comforted the crying baby.
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
And onto the cart heading to Kunnakudi,
She loaded the entire family!
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
In the village of Pannappatti,
She ate cold rice,
In the village of Pannappatti,
She ate cold rice,
With Singaram from the relative's house,
She chatted about old times.
With Singaram from the relative's house,
She chatted about old times.
Wrestling with a young calf,
She lassoed it with a rope!
Wrestling with a young calf,
She lassoed it with a rope!
Knocking down a mango with a lump of earth,
She popped it in her mouth and took a bite!
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change,
And onto the cart heading to Kunnakudi,
She loaded the entire family!
The little sister-in-law,
Exchanged money for loose change.
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic folk-style song from the 1957 Tamil film Aaravalli vividly depicts the vibrant escapades and playful antics of a young sister-in-law (naaththanaar). She breaks currency into loose change for travel expenses and packs the entire family into a bullock cart bound for the pilgrimage town of Kunnakkudi. Along the journey, she attends to a cold baby—disciplining it with a light swat when it screams and soothing it with a toy rattle. Upon reaching Pannappatti village, her lively spirit shines as she relishes humble fermented rice, reminisces with relatives, wrestles a young calf to tether it with rope, and hurls mud clods to knock down mangoes from trees. Written by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, the lyrics paint an authentic, joyful portrait of rural Tamil domestic life and rustic camaraderie.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Onomatopoeia (Oliyakkurippu)

“Kuvaakuvaannu kaththinathaala”

'Kuvaakuvaannu' mimics the sound of a crying baby, adding realistic auditory imagery to the scene.

Second-letter Rhyme (Edukai)

“Chinna kutti naaththanaa / Sillaraiyae maaththunaa”

Matching second consonants across lines ('Chinna' / 'Sillarai' / 'Kunnakkudi') creates a natural rhythmic flow characteristic of Tamil folk poetry.

Initial Consonant Rhyme (Moonaay / Alliteration)

“Pannappatti gramaththilae pazhaiya”

Repetition of the 'Pa' sound ('Pannappatti' / 'Pazhaiya' / 'Pangaali') enhances the song's oral storytelling tempo.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by legendary music director G. Ramanathan and written by the iconic poet Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, 'Chinna Kutti Naaththanaa' is celebrated for capturing rural Tamil vernacular idioms. Trichy Loganathan's spirited vocal performance made the song a lasting classic in Tamil cinema's folk genre.

Keep listening

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