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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kattana Muthu Muthuchirippu

From Avare En Deivam · 1969

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
T. R. Pappa
Movie name
Avare En Deivam
Movie release year
1969
Lyrics added on
18 Jul 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu
En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu
Pottodu poo viriththa virippu
Idhu ponnodu vairaththin madhippu
Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu
En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu
Maamadhurai meenaal manisangam eduththu
Thaenudan paal koduththaalo
Maamadhurai meenaal manisangam eduththu
Thaenudan paal koduththaalo
En vannakkili pesi thulli vilaiyaada
Vannakkili pesi thulli vilaiyaada
Vaarththaigal ival koduththaalo….
Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu
En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu
Pottodu poo viriththa virippu
Idhu ponnodu vairaththin madhippu
Kaanjiyai aalum kaamaatchiyammai
Kalaigalai anuppi vaiththaalo
Antha kaasi visaalaatchi aruginil vanthu
Kaalnadai payila vaiththaalo….
Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu
En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu
Pottodu poo viriththa virippu
Idhu ponnodu vairaththin madhippu
Poovaadai veesa pudhu malar polae
Purappadu pallikku magalae
Un paavaadaiyodu pazhagiya thamizhin
Paavaadai veesattum malarae
Thamizhin paavaadai veesattum malarae
Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu
En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu
Pottodu poo viriththa virippu
Idhu ponnodu vairaththin madhippu
A sweet smile like glistening pearls,
Playful expressions gifted by God to my darling child!
Like a bed of flowers spread with a bindi,
Having the precious worth of gold and diamonds!
A sweet smile like glistening pearls,
Playful expressions gifted by God to my darling child!
Did Goddess Meenakshi of great Madurai take a jeweled conch,
And feed you milk mixed with honey?
Did Goddess Meenakshi of great Madurai take a jeweled conch,
And feed you milk mixed with honey?
For my colorful little parrot to chatter and play with joy,
For my colorful little parrot to chatter and play with joy,
Did she give you all these sweet words?
A sweet smile like glistening pearls,
Playful expressions gifted by God to my darling child!
Like a bed of flowers spread with a bindi,
Having the precious worth of gold and diamonds!
Did Mother Kamakshi, who rules Kanchi,
Send all the fine arts to you as a gift?
Did Goddess Visalakshi of Kashi come by your side,
And teach your little feet how to walk?
A sweet smile like glistening pearls,
Playful expressions gifted by God to my darling child!
Like a bed of flowers spread with a bindi,
Having the precious worth of gold and diamonds!
Spreading a sweet fragrance like a fresh flower,
Set off to school now, my daughter!
Along with the sway of your little skirt,
Let the poetic breeze of familiar Tamil waft, my blossom!
Let the poetic breeze of Tamil waft, my blossom!
A sweet smile like glistening pearls,
Playful expressions gifted by God to my darling child!
Like a bed of flowers spread with a bindi,
Having the precious worth of gold and diamonds!
Female
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Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kattaana Muththu Muththu Sirippu is a heartwarming maternal song written by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan. The mother fondly praises her young daughter's innocence, beauty, and grace, comparing her smile to precious pearls and her worth to a combination of gold and diamonds. She attributes her daughter's beauty, speech, and movements to the blessings of three prominent forms of the Divine Mother: Meenakshi of Madurai, Kamakshi of Kanchipuram, and Visalakshi of Kashi. As the child prepares to go to school, the mother lovingly wishes that the sweetness and fragrance of the Tamil language accompany her child's growth and education.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu”

Compares the child's radiant smile directly to pearls ('muththu muththu sirippu') and her speech to a parrot ('vannakkili').

End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

“Kattaana muththu muththu sirippu / En kanmanikku deivam thantha nadippu”

The line endings 'sirippu', 'nadippu', 'virippu', and 'madhippu' share matching terminal sounds, creating a rhythmic and musical flow.

Alliteration (Monaai)

“Kaanjiyai aalum kaamaatchiyammai”

Repetition of the 'K' consonant sound across words in the line ('Kaanjiyai', 'kaamaatchiyammai').

Simile (Uwamai)

“Poovaadai veesa pudhu malar polae”

Explicitly compares the little girl heading to school to a fresh blooming flower ('pudhu malar polae').

Did you know?

Trivia

This iconic Tamil song from the film 'Avare En Deivam' (1969) features lyricism by Kannadasan that ingeniously invokes the classic Sakthi triad—Madurai Meenakshi, Kanchi Kamakshi, and Kashi Visalakshi—to shower maternal blessings upon a child.

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