Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Maanthoppu Veetukkari

From Rathinapuri Ilavarasi · 1960

Lyricist
Pattukkottai Kalyanasundram
Singer
P. Leela
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Rathinapuri Ilavarasi1960

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Maanthoppu veetukkariThe girl from the mango orchard house
Maanodum naatukkaariThe girl from the land where deer run
Ye machaan ….vaa machaanHey cousin... come, cousin
Onnai paathu maaardhu aasai vechenLooking at you, my desire grew in my heart
Female
Maanthoppu veetukkariThe girl from the mango orchard house
Maanodum naatukkaariThe girl from the land where deer run
Female
Pollaadha aththai mavanThe wicked aunt's son
Puliyodu sandai pottaanFought with a tiger
Illaadha aasai kaattiShowing enticing desires
Enmelae kannae pottaanHe cast his eyes on me
Female
Pollaadha aththai mavanThe wicked aunt's son
Puliyodu sandai pottaanFought with a tiger
Illaadha aasai kaattiShowing enticing desires
Enmelae kannae pottaanHe cast his eyes on me
Female
Villai eduthu machaanTaking up his bow, cousin
Vaettaikku payanam vachaanSet off on a journey to hunt
Sollamalae odi vandhenWithout telling anyone, I ran away and came
En shokku machaanMy charming cousin
Ye machaan..vaa machaanHey cousin... come, cousin
Onnai thaan thediSearching only for you
manam vaadi vandhenI came with a withered heart
Female
Maanthoppu veetukkariThe girl from the mango orchard house
Maanodum naatukkaariThe girl from the land where deer run
Ye machaan ….vaa machaanHey cousin... come, cousin
Onnai paathu maaardhu aasai vechenLooking at you, my desire grew in my heart
Female
Maanthoppu veetukkariThe girl from the mango orchard house
Maanodum naatukkaariThe girl from the land where deer run

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This iconic Tamil song captures a rustic female protagonist expressing her deep affection and longing for her preferred cousin (machaan). She proudly describes her pastoral origins in a mango orchard country where deer roam freely. She recounts how an overbearing maternal cousin fought a tiger and cast eyes upon her, but while he set off on a hunting expedition with his bow, she escaped secretly to find her true love, expressing how her heart pined for him.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Maanthoppu veetukkari / Maanodum naatukkaari

Matching initial sounds in consecutive lines like 'Maanthoppu' and 'Maanodum' enhances melodic flow.

Edhukai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Pollaadha aththai mavan / Illaadha aasai kaatti

Rhyming second letters in 'Pollaadha' and 'Illaadha' gives rhythmic balance to the stanzas.

Imagery

Maanthoppu veetukkari / Maanodum naatukkaari

Pastoral imagery depicting deer running through mango orchards creates a vivid rural Tamil landscape.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the legendary Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy duo with lyrics by Pattukkottai Kalyanasundaram, this song showcases P. Leela's versatility in rendering playful Tamil folk tunes.

Keep listening

More from Rathinapuri Ilavarasi