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Pattondru Ketten album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kungumam Piranthathu

From Pattondru Ketten · 1971

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
P. Susheela, P. B. Sreenivas
Music director
C. Ramachandra
Movie name
Pattondru Ketten
Movie release year
1971
Lyrics added on
29 Jan 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aa…aa….aa….aa…..
Male :Aa….aa….aa…aa….
Female :Aa…aa…aa…aa…aah….aa….
Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa
Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa
Illai kumari pennin udhattilaa
Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa
Inimai kidaippathu kaniyilaa
Oru yaenthizhai mozhiyin kanivilaa
Female :Kulumai kidaippathu paniyilaa…aa…aa..aa…
Kulumai kidaippathu paniyilaa..
Ilamai kumaran oruvan thunaiyilaa
Isaiyum piranthathu kaatrilaa
Isaiyum piranthathu kaatrilaa
Iru idhayam vidugindra moochilaa
Iru idhayam vidugindra moochilaa
Asaivu piranthathu kodiyilaa
Illai azhagi oruththiyin idaiyilaa
Agamum mugamum malarvathaen
Pudhu anantham ninaivil valarvathaen
Female :Aa….alaiyum karaiyai thoduvathaen
Alaiyum karaiyai thoduvathaen
Adhai anainthae thaalam poduvathaen
Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa
Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa
Ah... ah... ah... ah...
Male: Ah... ah... ah... ah...
Female: Ah... ah... ah... ah... aah... ah...
Was kumkum born from a tree,
Was kumkum born from a tree,
Or from a young woman's lips?
Was kumkum born from a tree?
Is sweetness found in fruit,
Or in the gentle words of a graceful woman?
Female: Is coolness found in the dew... ah... ah... ah...
Is coolness found in the dew,
Or in the company of a young man?
Was music born in the breeze,
Was music born in the breeze,
Or in the breath of two hearts?
Or in the breath of two hearts?
Did graceful movement come from a vine,
Or from the waist of a beautiful woman?
Why do the heart and face blossom?
Why does a new joy grow in the mind?
Female: Ah... why does the wave touch the shore?
Why does the wave touch the shore,
Embracing it and keeping a rhythm?
Was kumkum born from a tree,
Was kumkum born from a tree?
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This classic duet from Pattondru Ketten (1971) uses poetic interrogation to contrast the beauty of nature with the intimate allure of romantic love. Through rhetorical questions, the lovers ponder whether true beauty, sweetness, music, and grace originate in natural elements like trees, dew, wind, and waves, or in human emotion and connection.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhetorical Question (Vinaa Alangaram)

“Kungumam piranthathu maraththilaa / Illai kumari pennin udhattilaa”

The lyricist uses repetitive rhetorical questions comparing natural phenomena to romantic traits to highlight the divinity of love.

End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

“Inimai kidaippathu kaniyilaa / Oru yaenthizhai mozhiyin kanivilaa”

The suffix '-ilaa' creates a consistent melodic end rhyme across almost every line in the verse.

Initial Alliteration (Moonaai)

“Isaiyum piranthathu kaatrilaa / Iru idhayam vidugindra moochilaa”

Repetition of initial vowel sounds ('I') across adjacent lines creating phonetic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track was composed by the legendary Hindi cinema music director C. Ramachandra for the Tamil film Pattondru Ketten (1971). The song showcases the iconic pairing of P. Susheela and P. B. Sreenivas, set to the deeply evocative Tamil lyrics of Kannadasan.

Keep listening

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