Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Saatchi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mama En Mama

From Saatchi · 1983

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Movie name
Saatchi
Movie release year
1983
Lyrics added on
1 Oct 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mama en mama
Mama en mama
Neththu pooththa rojaa
Un nenaippu vanthu thedi vanthen
Rajaa en rajaa paaththu paaththu yaekkam
Pala naalaa enakku illai
Thookkam yaedho yaekkam
Mama en mama
Neththu pooththa rojaa
Un nenaippu vanthu thedi vanthen
Rajaa en rajaa paaththu paaththu yaekkam
Pala naalaa enakku illai
Thookkam yaedho yaekkam
………………..
Ponnaa poranththu maduraiyilaethaan
Poovaa malarnththu trichyilaethaan
Pollaachchi santhaiyilae thaavani pottaen
Pollaatha aalukku naan maalaiyum potteaen
Ennoda aasaikellam irai poda neeyirukkae
Edhukku edhukku athukku athukkuthaan
Mama en mama
Neththu pooththa rojaa
Un nenaippu vanthu thedi vanthen
Rajaa en rajaa paaththu paaththu yaekkam
Pala naalaa enakku illai
Thookkam yaedho yaekkam
……………
Manja kulichchaen mappilla paarththaen
Konja thudichchaen panjanai pottaen
Manja kulichchaen mappilla paarththaen
Konja thudichchaen panjanai pottaen
Kattaamal kattu idhu puththam pudhusuthaan
Kaipattu kaniyum nalla kashmir apple thaan
Unnodu thanichchirukka ooru vittu odivanthaen
Unnodu thanichchirukka ooru vittu odivanthaen
Edhukku edhukku athukku athukkuthaan
Mama en mama
Neththu pooththa rojaa
Un nenaippu vanthu thedi vanthen
Rajaa en rajaa paaththu paaththu yaekkam
Pala naalaa enakku illai
Thookkam yaedho yaekkam
……………
My darling, oh my beloved,
My darling, oh my beloved,
I am a rose that bloomed just yesterday!
With thoughts of you filling my mind, I came looking for you.
My king, oh my king, looking at you brings such longing!
For so many days, I have had
No sleep at all... only this deep longing...
My darling, oh my beloved,
I am a rose that bloomed just yesterday!
With thoughts of you filling my mind, I came looking for you.
My king, oh my king, looking at you brings such longing!
For so many days, I have had
No sleep at all... only this deep longing...
...
I was born as a girl in Madurai,
I blossomed into womanhood in Trichy,
In the Pollachi market, I wore my half-sari,
And on this naughty man, I placed my wedding garland!
You are here to satisfy all my desires,
For what? For what? Why, just for that, for that!
My darling, oh my beloved,
I am a rose that bloomed just yesterday!
With thoughts of you filling my mind, I came looking for you.
My king, oh my king, looking at you brings such longing!
For so many days, I have had
No sleep at all... only this deep longing...
...
I bathed in turmeric and looked at my groom,
Longing to be held, I laid out the soft bed!
I bathed in turmeric and looked at my groom,
Longing to be held, I laid out the soft bed!
Untouched and unopened, this is completely brand new,
A sweet Kashmir apple that will soften and ripen at your touch!
To be alone with you, I ran away from my town,
To be alone with you, I ran away from my town!
For what? For what? Why, just for that, for that!
My darling, oh my beloved,
I am a rose that bloomed just yesterday!
With thoughts of you filling my mind, I came looking for you.
My king, oh my king, looking at you brings such longing!
For so many days, I have had
No sleep at all... only this deep longing...
...
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Mama En Mama' is a romantic expression of a young woman's passionate love and deep longing for her maternal uncle (a traditional romantic relationship in rural Tamil culture). She describes her journey of coming of age, symbolically linking various stages of growing up to notable Tamil cities like Madurai, Trichy, and Pollachi. She playfully demands his affection, expressing how she has lost sleep dreaming of him.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Neththu pooththa rojaa

The speaker compares herself to a flower blossoming yesterday ('Neththu pooththa rojaa') and a Kashmir apple ('kashmir apple thaan').

Initial Rhyme / Monai

Ponnaa poranththu maduraiyilaethaan / Poovaa malarnththu trichyilaethaan

Repetition of initial consonants/sounds ('Po-') across consecutive lines creating a rhythmic oral flow.

Repetition (Anaphora)

Mama en mama

Repetition of terms like 'Mama en mama' and 'Rajaa en rajaa' to emphasize affection and romantic yearning.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film Saatchi (1983) was directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and starred Vijayakanth alongside Viji. The music for the film was composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh, with lyrics written by the celebrated poet Pulamaipithan.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Saatchi

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.