Kalli kaattil Pirantha Thaye Song Lyrics – Vijay Prakash
From Thenmerku Paruvakaatru · 2010
- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- Vijay Prakash
- Music director
- N. R. Raghunanthan
- Movie name
- Thenmerku Paruvakaatru
- Movie release year
- 2010
- Lyrics added on
- 29 Mar 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Kallikaatil Pirandha Thayae' from 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru' is a deeply emotional ode to maternal love, self-sacrifice, and resilience amidst harsh rural poverty. Written by Vairamuthu, the song vividly portrays a mother belonging to the arid, drought-prone landscapes of rural Tamil Nadu. Despite breaking rocks, gathering thorny firewood, and enduring relentless hardship, she ensures her child suffers no pain and goes to bed fed, eating only whatever leftovers remain. The song highlights the sacredness and unparalleled devotion of a mother, comparing her selfless nurturance to pure gold and divine magic. Through evocative imagery of dry lands, simple millet porridge, and endless manual labor, the track emphasizes that while there may be many gods and relatives, a mother's place in a child's life is singular and irreplaceable.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Contrast (Maran-thodai / Oxymoron)
“Mullukaatil mulacha thayae / Enna mullu thaika vidala neeyae”
Juxtaposes the harsh, prickly environment where the mother lives ('Mullukaatil') with her extreme protective tender care ('mullu thaika vidala').
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)
“Ava kallapulinji kanji oothuna”
Exaggerates the mother's hard physical labor as squeezing porridge out of rocks to emphasize how she creates sustenance from nothing.
Imagery & Local Color (Thinai Bimbam)
“Onan karatula koozh kudippa / Avaaran-guzhaiyila kai thudaipa”
Paints a raw, realistic picture of rural agrarian poverty using hyper-local elements like lizard mounds, porridge, and Tanner's Cassia leaves.
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Kaeppa kaliyil oru nei olugum / Kaanja karuvaadu thaen olugum”
Compares simple dry food cooked by a loving mother to rich delicacies like ghee and honey to denote the magical power of maternal affection.
Rhyme & Assonance (Edhugai / Monai)
“Kallikaatil pirandha thayae / Mullukaatil mulacha thayae”
Uses matching initial consonant and vowel sounds ('Kalli' / 'Mulli' and 'Kallu' / 'Mullu') to establish rhythmic Tamil folk meter.
Did you know?
Trivia
The film 'Thenmerku Paruvakaatru' won three National Film Awards in 2010, including Best Feature Film in Tamil, Best Supporting Actress for Saranya Ponvannan (who played the central mother character Veerayi), and Best Lyricist for Vairamuthu for writing lyrics in this movie. The film also marked the debut of Vijay Sethupathi in a lead role.
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