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Mudhalvan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kurukku Siruthavale

From Mudhalvan · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Hariharan, Mahalakshmi Iyer
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Mudhalvan
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
2 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kurukku chiruthavalae ennai kungumathil karaichavalae
Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil enna konjam poosu thaayaee
Un kolusukkul maniyaaga enna konjam maathu thaayae
Kurukku chiruthavalae….aee … ennai kungumathil karaichavalae
Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil enna konjam poosu thaayaee
Un kolusukkul maniyaaga enna konjam maathu thaayae
Oru kannil neer kasiya..aaa udhattu vazhi usir kasiya
Unnalae sila murai irakkavum sila murai pirakkavum aanadhae
Ada aathoda vizhundha ela andha aathoda povadhu pol
Nenju unnodu thaan pinnodudhae
Ada kaalam marandhu kaattu maramum pookkiradhaee
Kurukku chiruthavalae ennai kungumathil karaichavalae
Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil enna konjam poosu thaayaee
Un kolusukkul maniyaaga enna konjam maathu thaayae
Hey …hey …hey…hey…hey ..hey
Hey…hey …hey ….heyhey…hey
Kambanjangu vizhundha maadhiriyae
Kodiya vittu kudhicha malligaiyae oru mozhiyil sirichu pesariyae
Vaayi mela vaaya vechu vaarthaighala urinju putta
Verala vechu azhuthiya kazhuthula koluthiya veppam innum pogala
Adi ompola chevappu illa kanukkaal kooda karuppu illa
Nee theendum idam thithikkumae
Ini baakki odambum seiya vendum baakkiyamaee
Kurukku chiruthavalae ennai kungumathil karaichavalae
Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil enna konjam poosu thaayaee
Un kolusukkul maniyaaga enna konjam maathu thaayae
Oru thadava izhuthu anaicha padi uyir moocha niruthu kanmaniyae
Om mudhugha tholachu veliyera innum konjam irukku ennavanae
Mazhaiyadikkum siru pechu veyiladikkum oru paarvai
Odambu mannil pudhaiyira varaiyil udan vara koodumo..ooo
Usir ennoda irukkaiyila nee mannoda povadhengae
Ada un jeevanil naan illaiyaa
Kolla vandha maranam kooda kozhambumaiyaa…aaah
Kurukku chiruthavalae ennai kungumathil karaichavalae
Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil
Unna konjam poosuven aiyaa
Un kolusukkul maniyaaga enna konjam
Maathuven aiyaaa…
Ohoo ooooo oooooo …. ohoo oooooo ooooooo
Ohoo oooooo ooooo …. ohoo oooooo oooooo
Girl with the slender waist, you dissolved me like red kumkum!
When you rub turmeric on your chest to bathe, rub a little of me on yourself, my girl!
Turn me into a little bell inside your anklet, my girl!
Girl with the slender waist, you dissolved me like red kumkum!
When you rub turmeric on your chest to bathe, rub a little of me on yourself, my girl!
Turn me into a little bell inside your anklet, my girl!
With tears seeping from one eye and my breath slipping past my lips,
Because of you, I have died a few times and been reborn a few times!
Just like a leaf fallen into a river drifts along with the water,
My heart keeps following right behind you!
Forgetting the season, even a wild forest tree blooms!
Girl with the slender waist, you dissolved me like red kumkum!
When you rub turmeric on your chest to bathe, rub a little of me on yourself, my girl!
Turn me into a little bell inside your anklet, my girl!
Hey... hey... hey... hey... hey... hey...
Hey... hey... hey... hey hey... hey...
Like a pure drop fallen from a pearl millet stem,
Like a jasmine flower leaping off the vine, you smile and speak your sweet words!
You pressed your lips against mine and drank away all my words!
The burning heat you lit on my neck with your pressing fingers hasn't faded yet!
Girl, no one has fair skin like yours, not even your ankles have any darkness!
Every spot you touch turns so sweet!
Now the rest of my body must be blessed with that good fortune!
Girl with the slender waist, you dissolved me like red kumkum!
When you rub turmeric on your chest to bathe, rub a little of me on yourself, my girl!
Turn me into a little bell inside your anklet, my girl!
Pull me in and hold me in a tight embrace until my breath stops, my darling!
There is still a bit more left to pierce through your back, my love!
Your gentle words fall like rain, and your single glance shines like warm sunlight!
Will all of this stay with me until my body is buried in the earth?
When your life breath is inside me, how can you go into the earth?
Tell me, aren't I living inside your very soul?
Even death that comes to take you will be confused, my love!
Girl with the slender waist, you dissolved me like red kumkum!
When I rub turmeric on my chest to bathe,
I will rub a little of you on myself, my love!
Into a little bell inside my anklet,
I will turn you, my love!
Oho oooo oooooo... oho oooooo ooooooo
Oho oooooo ooooo... oho oooooo oooooo
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Kurukku Chiruthavale is an iconic romantic duet from the 1999 Tamil film Mudhalvan. Penned by Vairamuthu and composed by A. R. Rahman, the song depicts intense intimacy, passion, and spiritual merging between two lovers. The male protagonist expresses a deep desire to become an indispensable part of his lover's daily adornments—asking to be smeared like turmeric on her chest or placed as a bell in her anklet.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamai (Simile)

Ada aathoda vizhundha ela andha aathoda povadhu pol / Nenju unnodu thaan pinnodudhae

Compares the heart chasing after the beloved to a leaf drifting helplessly down a flowing river stream.

Uyarvu Navortchi (Hyperbole)

Kolla vandha maranam kooda kozhambumaiyaa…aaah

Exaggerates the depth of their merged souls by stating that even the God of Death coming to take life would end up confused about whom to take.

Visual Imagery

Nenjil manja thechu kulikkaiyil enna konjam poosu thaayaee

Uses vivid cultural imagery of turmeric, kumkum, and anklet bells to describe sensory physical intimacy.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by A. R. Rahman for S. Shankar's political thriller 'Mudhalvan' (1999), the song features masterly renditions by Hariharan and Mahalakshmi Iyer. Its lush arrangements blend traditional rural Tamil folk motifs with modern orchestral soundscapes.

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