- Lyricist
- Papanasam Sivan
- Singer
- Kannamba
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Sudharsan
- Movie release year
- 1951
- Lyrics added on
- 20 Mar 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a classic Tamil lullaby expressing a mother's deep affection and adoration for her child. The mother showered her child with loving epithets, comparing the child to her own eyes, the pupil/apple of her eyes, rock candy, sugarcane, and precious treasure. She lovingly invites the smiling child to play and dance in front of her, share sweet nectar, and give her a kiss before lulling the child to sleep with traditional lullaby syllables.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamai / Rupaka)
“Karkandenbaeno katti karumbenbaenoo”
Directly equating the child to sweet items like 'Karkandu' (rock candy) and 'Katti Karumbu' (sugarcane block) to emphasize sweetness and affection.
Synecdoche / Metaphor
“En kann enbaenoo kannin mani enbaenoo”
Referring to the child as 'Kannin Mani' (apple/pupil of the eye), depicting the child as indispensably precious to the mother's sight and life.
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Karkandenbaeno katti karumbenbaenoo”
Use of the initial 'Ka' sound across words ('Karkandenbaeno', 'Katti', 'Karumbenbaenoo') to create rhythm.
Anaphora / Repetition (Ettudhal)
“En selvamae ingae odivaa”
Repetition of endearing invocations ('En selvamae ingae odivaa') to reinforce maternal fondness and lyrical sweetness.
Did you know?
Trivia
Papanasam Sivan, often hailed as the 'Tamil Tyagayya' of Carnatic music, penned the lyrics for this lullaby in the 1951 film 'Sudharsan'. Sung by the veteran actress-singer P. Kannamba under G. Ramanathan's musical direction, the song remains a quintessential example of traditional Tamil maternal lullabies.
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