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Thalattu Ketkuthamma album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaalam Ennum

From Thalattu Ketkuthamma · 1991

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Thalattu Ketkuthamma
Movie release year
1991
Lyrics added on
5 Dec 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaalam enum noolilae…..ae….ae…
Ingu paesum bommaigal aadudhu aa…..aa….
Paavam rendu bommaiyum vidum…
Kanneer kannatthil odudhu
Aa……aa…..aa….aa….aaa….aa…aa…..
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
Dhaevan tharum thaaimaithaan
Vaendaam enum penmai thaan
Oru vindhai aanadhae….ae….
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
Kandrugalai eendredukka
Aadum maadum anjudhaa
Karpath thadai vaendum endru
Dheivaththidam kenjudhaa
Pillai ondru vaendum endru
Yeththanaiyo thaaik kulam
Koyil kulam saami endru
Sutri vandhu vaendidum
Sutri vandha podhilum
Petredukka koodumo
Mukkulikkum yaarumae
Mutthedukka aagumo
Pennai oru dheivamaai
Paesugindra kaaranam
Aval thaangum thaaimai thaan…….
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
Dhaevan tharum thaaimaithaan
Vaendaam enum penmai thaan
Oru vindhai aanadhae….ae….
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
Ai irandu maadham yendru
Annai padum vaedhanai
Kai irandil thaenai alli kondu
Varum saadhanai
Sorum indri neerum indri
Saambal thinna thondralaam
Thitthikkindra mutthangalai
Pillaiyidam vaangalaam
Pachai vanna thaar vidum
Vaazhai maram saaindhidum
Muththukkalai eendridum
Sippigalum maaindhidum
Pillaigalai thaangidum
Penmai uyir vaazhndhidum
Idhu dhaevan theerppu thaan………….
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
Dhaevan tharum thaaimaithaan
Vaendaam enum penmai thaan
Oru vindhai aanadhae….ae….
Ammaa enum vaartthaithaan
Pala arththam solgira vaakkiyam
Yellorkkum vaaikkumaa
Adhai kaadhaal kaetkira baakkiyam
On the thread of time...
Talking puppets dance here...
Sadly, from both puppets,
Tears stream down their cheeks.
Ah... ah... ah... ah...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
Motherhood is a gift from God—
A woman turning it away
Is truly a strange thing...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
To give birth to their young,
Do cows and goats ever hesitate in fear?
Asking for birth control,
Do they ever plead with God?
Longing for a child of their own,
So many yearning women
Visit temples, sacred ponds, and deities,
Walking around them in heartfelt prayer.
Even after praying and making those rounds,
Is everyone able to give birth?
Can everyone who dives into the sea
Bring back a precious pearl?
The reason woman
Is revered as a goddess
Is the motherhood she carries...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
Motherhood is a gift from God—
A woman turning it away
Is truly a strange thing...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
For ten long months,
The pain a mother endures
Becomes the great triumph of gathering honey
In both her hands.
Without food or water,
She may crave to eat mere ashes;
Yet she receives sweetest kisses
In return from her child.
Yielding a green bunch of fruit,
The banana plant falls.
Giving birth to pearls,
The oysters perish.
Yet by bearing children,
Womanhood lives on forever.
This is God's decree...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
Motherhood is a gift from God—
A woman turning it away
Is truly a strange thing...
The word 'Mother'
Is a sentence holding so many meanings.
Does everyone get
The blessing of hearing it with their ears?
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Ammaa Enum Vaartthaithaan from Thalattu Ketkuthamma is a deeply emotional ode to motherhood and womanhood. The song begins with a philosophical observation that human beings are like puppets dancing to the thread of time. It draws a stark contrast between animals, who reproduce effortlessly without fear, and human women who often go through countless prayers, temple visits, and penance just to be blessed with a child, emphasizing that motherhood is a rare divine grace not given to everyone.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvagam)

Kaalam enum noolilae…..ae….ae…

Human beings are metaphorically depicted as talking puppets controlled by the thread of Time ('Kaalam enum noolilae... bommaigal aadudhu').

Analogy (Uvamai)

Pachai vanna thaar vidum Vaazhai maram saaindhidum

A mother's sacrifice is compared to nature: a banana tree that dies after yielding its fruit and an oyster that perishes after producing pearls.

Ethirai (Second letter rhyme)

Sorum indri neerum indri

Rhyming of the second consonant sound across lines, such as 'Sorum' and 'Saambal' or 'Pachai' and 'Muththukkalai'.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by the legendary Vaali and rendered by K. J. Yesudas for the 1991 Tamil drama film Thalattu Ketkuthamma, starring Prabhu and Kanaka.

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