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Marudhu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Karuvakaatu Karuvaaya

From Marudhu · 2016

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Jithin Raj, Vandana Srinivasan, Jayamoorthy
Music director
D. Imman
Movie name
Marudhu
Movie release year
2016
Lyrics added on
29 Nov 2016

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Karuvakkattu karuvayaa
Kooda kaalamelam varuvayaa
Mutham kodukkum thiruvayaa
Enna moochu mutta viduvayaa
Karuvakkattu karuvayaa
Kooda kaalamelam varuvayaa
Mutham kodukkum thiruvayaa
Enna moochu mutta viduvayaa
Thannanthani maanu iva thanni illa meenu
Manja thaali potta nee mattumthaanae aanu
Kutham illa ponnu nee kutha vecha thenu
Kannukulla vechu unna kaappathuven naanu
Thodutha poovukku naar poruppu
En thuvanda selaikku nee poruppu
Izhutha izhuppukku naan poruppu
En idippu vallikku nee poruppu
Natchathiram ethanaiyo
Ennikka therinjathu enakku
Macham mattum ethanaiyo
Innum edukkala kanakku
Naan vellaankarattil molacha mottu
Un vetti eduthu veli kattu
Un annakayithil mudinju kittu
En aayul muzhukka anba kottu
Karuvakkattu karuvayaa
Kooda kaalamelam varuvayaaaaa…
Mutham kodukkum thiruvayaa
Yeh paasam ulla nenjil
Naan vaasam panna poren
Vaaram varum munne
Unna maasam panna poren
Saama kozhi koova un sangathikku vaaren
Otha mutham thantha naan retta pulla thaaren
Paalu thayira uraiyum munne
Pathu thadava senthiruppom
Thayiru mora maaru mattum
Uyirum uyirum kalanthiruppom
Usuraiyum maanathaiyum unkitta kuduthitten thalaiva
Yezhu jenmam theeru mattum enakku irukkanum urava
Karuvakkattu karuvayaa….
My dark-skinned man from the Karuva woods,
Will you walk beside me all my life?
With those sweet lips that give kisses,
Will you kiss me till I lose my breath?
My dark-skinned man from the Karuva woods,
Will you walk beside me all my life?
With those sweet lips that give kisses,
Will you kiss me till I lose my breath?
She is a lonely deer, a fish out of water,
To me who wears your yellow wedding thread, you are the only man!
You are a flawless girl, sweet as stored honey,
I will keep you in my eyes and protect you forever.
The fiber is responsible for the strung flowers,
And you are responsible for my crumpled saree!
I will yield whenever you pull me close,
But you are responsible for my aching waist!
However many stars shine in the sky,
I know how to count them all,
But how many beauty marks you have on you,
I still haven't kept count!
I am a flower bud sprouted on dry gravel,
Take your dhoti and build a fence around me.
Tie me tightly to your waist-cord,
And shower your love on me for all my life!
My dark-skinned man from the Karuva woods,
Will you walk beside me all my life?
With those sweet lips that give kisses...
Inside this loving heart of yours,
I am going to make my home.
Before a single week goes by,
I am going to make you pregnant!
When the midnight rooster crows, I will come to your side,
Give me a single kiss, and I will give you twins!
Before the milk sets into yogurt,
We will embrace ten times!
Until that yogurt is churned into buttermilk,
Our lives will stay merged as one!
I have surrendered my life and honor to you, my love,
Through all seven lifetimes, you must remain my partner!
My dark-skinned man from the Karuva woods...
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Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Karuvakkattu Karuvaya' is a passionate romantic folk duet set in rural Tamil Nadu. The female protagonist expresses her deep affection and lifelong devotion to her lover, whom she affectionately calls 'Karuvayan' (the dark-skinned man of the blackthorn forest). The song weaves playful intimacy with deep commitments of marital love, imagery of rural life, and poetic promises of togetherness that transcend generations. The male counterpart responds with assurances of protection, care, and fatherhood, romanticizing their domestic future together through traditional metaphors involving milk, yogurt, roosters, and farming landscapes. The lyrics celebrate raw, uninhibited affection grounded in rural cultural aesthetics.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagaimai)

“Thannanthani maanu iva thanni illa meenu”

Comparing the heroine to 'thanni illa meenu' (a fish out of water) and 'kutha vecha thenu' (honey stored in a pot) to highlight her vulnerability and sweet pure nature.

Edugai (Second-letter Rhyming)

“Thodutha poovukku naar poruppu / Izhutha izhuppukku naan poruppu”

Matching second consonants across lines ('d' sound in 'Thodutha' and 'Izhutha') to create rhythmic symmetry.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

“En thuvanda selaikku nee poruppu / En idippu vallikku nee poruppu”

Repetition of the ending syllable 'poruppu' at the end of consecutive lines.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navirtchi)

“Paalu thayira uraiyum munne / Pathu thadava senthiruppom”

Exaggerating intimate domestic speed and fertility using metaphors of milk curdling and twin offspring.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Karuvakkattu Karuvaya' from the film 'Marudhu' (2016) was composed by D. Imman and sung by Vandana Srinivasan and Jithin Raj. Written by Vairamuthu, the song gained massive popularity across rural Tamil Nadu for its evocative folk melody and expressive rustic lyrics.

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