- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singers
- Malaysia Vasudevan, S. P. Shailaja
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Nee Thodum Pothu
- Movie release year
- 1984
- Lyrics added on
- 6 Feb 2021
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Maanae maanae maappillai naanae
Mama sugamthanae
Maanae maanae maappillai naanae
Mama sugamthanae
Mayilae idhu margazhi maasamadi
Pudhu malligai vaasamadi
Ennai mayakkuthu izhukkuth
Manasila inikkuthu
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
Mama….naan uruguraen unna nenachchu
Enna pudichhcukka nee anaichchu
Nalla aasaiyum kooduthu allikka theduthu
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
………………..
Kaaveri thanni veenaagalaamaa
Nammoda thottam kaadaagalaamaa
Kaaveri thanni veenaagalaamaa
Nammoda thottam kaadaagalaamaa
Mama madaiya thoranthu vidunga
Male :Tharannanananaa
Female :Vayalil kallakka vidunga
Male :Thannaananaana
Madaiya thoranthu vidunga ponni nadhiya
Vayalil kalakka vidunga enna kavala
Male :Muththaana muththae ennoda soththae
Unnaala undaachchu theeraatha piththae….
Maanae maanae maappillai naanae
Mama sugamthanae
Mama….naan uruguraen unna nenachchu
Enna pudichhcukka nee anaichchu
Nalla aasaiyum kooduthu allikka theduthu
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
Achchaaram podu michchaaththa paadu
Annaththa podu aanantham thaedu
Achchaaram podu michchaaththa paadu
Annaththa podu aanantham thaedu
Unnaththaan manasula varainju vachchen
Female :Tharannanananaa
Male :Mayakkaththil rasichchu vachchen
Female :Thannaananaana
Manasula varainju vachchaen
Adha dhinamum mayakkaththil rasichchu vachchen
Pakkam varanum
Female :Aalaana pinnae kandaenae unna
Aahaahaa aanantham maanthoppil munnae
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
Mama mavanae ennoda varanae
Vaa vaa nayaganae
Mayilae idhu margazhu maasamadi
Pudhu malligai vaasamadi
Ennai mayakkuthu izhukkuth
Manasila inikkuthu
Maanae maanae maappillai naanae
Mama sugamthanae
My gentle deer, I am your groom
Darling, are you doing well?
My gentle deer, I am your groom
Darling, are you doing well?
My peacock, this is the cool month of Margazhi
Filled with the scent of fresh jasmine
It charms me and pulls me close
And feels so sweet in my heart
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
Darling, I melt thinking of you
Hold me tight in your embrace
Deep desire grows, longing to gather me up
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
...
Should the waters of the Cauvery go to waste?
Should our garden turn into a wilderness?
Should the waters of the Cauvery go to waste?
Should our garden turn into a wilderness?
Darling, open up the sluice gates
Male: Tharannananna
Female: Let the water flow into the field
Male: Thannaananaana
Open the sluice gates for the river Ponni
Let it flood the fields, what is there to worry about?
Male: My precious pearl, my greatest treasure
Because of you, an endless craze has seized me...
My gentle deer, I am your groom
Darling, are you doing well?
Darling, I melt thinking of you
Hold me tight in your embrace
Deep desire grows, longing to gather me up
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
Give a token promise now, take care of the rest later
Serve the feast and seek joy
Give a token promise now, take care of the rest later
Serve the feast and seek joy
I have painted your picture in my heart
Female: Tharannananna
Male: And admired it in a sweet daze
Female: Thannaananaana
I painted your picture in my heart
And admired it every day in a sweet daze
You must come close to me
Female: Ever since I came of age, I have only had eyes for you
Aahaa, what bliss we shared in the mango grove back then!
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
My dear cousin, my destined groom
Come to me, my hero
My peacock, this is the cool month of Margazhi
Filled with the scent of fresh jasmine
It charms me and pulls me close
And feels so sweet in my heart
My gentle deer, I am your groom
Darling, are you doing well?
Male
Female
Female
Chorus
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This playful and romantic song expresses the affectionate banter and romance between maternal cousins, a traditional romantic dynamic in South Indian culture. The lovers exchange poetic declarations of longing, comparing their feelings to the cool season of Margazhi, fresh jasmine, and the fertile flow of the Kaveri river nourishing fields.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Mona * (Alliteration)
“Maanae maanae maappillai naanae”
Repetition of the initial 'M' sound across words like Maanae, Maappillai, and Margazhi creates a rich phonetic rhythm.
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Achchaaram podu michchaaththa paadu”
End-rhyming words 'podu' and 'paadu' accentuate the playful musicality of the duet.
Uruvagam (Metaphor)
“Kaaveri thanni veenaagalaamaa / Nammoda thottam kaadaagalaamaa”
Opening sluice gates and watering farm fields serves as an extended agricultural metaphor for emotional closeness and conjugal bliss.
Did you know?
Trivia
Featured in the 1984 Tamil film 'Nee Thodum Pothu', this track written by Gangai Amaran uses rural Tamil folk tropes and imagery of nature to depict traditional cousin courtship.
Keep listening
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