Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Mana Madurai Maamara Kilaiyilae

From Minsara Kanavu · 1997

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Unni Menon, K. S. Chithra, Srinivas
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Minsara Kanavu1997

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
{Oooo..lalal laaOooo..lalal laa
Oohuuu..lalal laaOohuuu..lalal laa
Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa} (2)Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa (Repeated twice)
Male
Maana maduraiIn Manamadurai,
Maamara kilaiyilaeOn a mango tree branch,
Pachcha kizhi onnuA green parrot,
Kettadhu kettadhu kelvi ennaAsked a question; what question did it ask?
Male
En kannu rombha azhagaaAre my eyes extremely beautiful?
En rekka rombha azhagaaAre my wings extremely beautiful?
Indha kelvi enai kettaalIf this question is asked to me,
Enna naan paaduvenWhat will I sing in response?
Male
Mettu saalayilae maattu vandiyilaeOn the unpaved dirt road, in a bullock cart,
Hey poraalae ponnu oruthiHey, a girl is going along!
Ponnu kattiyadhu yenna pudavai endrenWhen asked what saree she was wearing,
Vaana villin vannam endraalShe said it is made of rainbow colors!
Male
Mazhaithuli mannil vandhuWhen raindrops hit the earth,
Sindha sindhaAnd spill again and again,
Yezughiradhae oru vaasamA fragrance arises from the soil;
Adhu enai vaana villil kondu serthuThat fragrance takes me to the rainbow
Vidugiradhae sila neramAnd drops me there sometimes!
Female
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Kaattrum mazhaiyum thandhaanaeHe gave us wind and rain,
Ellorum vaazhathaanaeFor everyone to live happily!
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Paadal ondru thandhaanaeHe gave us a wonderful song,
Ellorum paadathaanaeFor everyone to sing along!
Female
Sirupillai pol manam irundhaalIf our heart remains like a child's,
Thuyar illaiyaeThere would be no sorrow at all!
Paravaiyai pol udal irundhaalIf our body feels light like a bird's,
Bayam illaiyaeThere would be no fear at all!
Female
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Kaiyil bhoomi thandhaanaeHe gave the earth into our hands,
Vazhamodu vaazhath thaanaeFor us to live abundantly!
Female
Mazhaithuli mannil vandhuWhen raindrops hit the earth,
Sindha sindhaAnd spill again and again,
Yezughiradhae oru vaasamA fragrance arises from the soil;
Adhu enai vaana villil kondu serthuThat fragrance takes me to the rainbow
Vidugiradhae sila neramAnd drops me there sometimes!
Female
Maana maduraiIn Manamadurai,
Maamara kilaiyilaeOn a mango tree branch,
Female & Male :Female & Male vocals:
Pach kizhi onnu kettadhuA green parrot asked a question,
Kettadhu kelviyennaWhat question did it ask?
Female
En kannu rombha azhagaaAre my eyes extremely beautiful?
En rekka rombha azhagaaAre my wings extremely beautiful?
Indha kelvi enai kettaalIf this question is asked to me,
Enna naan paaduvenWhat will I sing in response?
Male
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Unnakkanigal thandhaanaeHe gave us ripe fruits,
Uyirellaam thithith thaenaeSweet honey filling our soul!
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Paattukkuyil thandhaanaeHe gave us a singing cuckoo bird,
Sevi ellaam inbathaenaeSweet honey filling our ears!
Male
Ozhigalile oviyangalPaintings are seen,
TherigindradhaeWithin the sounds of nature!
Manathiraiyil kaatchigalumaeVivid scenes are seen,
TherigindradhaeOn the screen of the mind!
Male
Thandhaanae thandhaanaeHe gave us, He gave us,
Megakkoottam thandhaanaeHe gave us clouds in the sky,
Idai ellaam thaalam thaanaeThe sway of the waist becomes the rhythm!
Male
Mazhaithuli mannil vandhuWhen raindrops hit the earth,
Sindha sindhaAnd spill again and again,
Yezhugiradhae oru vaasamA fragrance arises from the soil;
Adhu enai vaanavillil kondu serthuThat fragrance takes me to the rainbow
Vidugiradhae sila neramAnd drops me there sometimes!
Female
Oooo..lalal laaOooo..lalal laa
Oohuuu..lalal laaOohuuu..lalal laa
Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laaOo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa
Male
Maana maduraiIn Manamadurai,
Maamara kilaiyilae…On a mango tree branch...
Female
Oooo..lalal laaOooo..lalal laa
Oohuuu..lalal laaOohuuu..lalal laa
Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laaOo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa
Male
Pachchakkizhi pachchakkizhiGreen parrot, green parrot,
PachchakkizhiGreen parrot!
Female
{Oooo..lalal laaOooo..lalal laa
Oohuuu..lalal laaOohuuu..lalal laa
Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa} (2)Oo….hu lal lala lal lalala laa (Repeated twice)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic song 'Ooh La La La' (or 'Maana Madurai') from the movie Minsara Kanavu is a exuberant celebration of nature, innocence, and life's simple joys. It depicts a carefree spirit reflecting on nature's blessings—rain, wind, birds, and sweet fruits—and drawing parallels between the beauty of nature and human happiness. The imagery of petrichor (the smell of rain on dry earth) lifting one's spirits to a rainbow embodies pure ecstasy and childlike delight.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming in Tamil prosody)

Sirupillai pol manam irundhaal / Paravaiyai pol udal irundhaal

Matching second consonants across lines: 'Mettu saalayilae' / 'Pachcha kizhi' or 'Sirupillai' / 'Paravaiyai'.

Simile (Uwamai)

Sirupillai pol manam irundhaal

Comparing the innocence of the mind to a small child ('Sirupillai pol') and lightness/freedom of the body to a bird ('Paravaiyai pol').

Metaphor & Synesthesia

Ozhigalile oviyangal therigindradhae

Experiencing visual art within sound ('Ozhigalile oviyangal therigindradhae') and tasting honey in sound ('Sevi ellaam inbathaenae').

Personification

Pachcha kizhi onnu kettadhu kettadhu kelvi enna

Giving a parrot human traits, having it ask inquisitive questions about its own aesthetic beauty.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman for Rajiv Menon's directorial debut 'Minsara Kanavu' (1997), this track won A.R. Rahman the National Film Award for Best Music Direction and K.S. Chithra the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. The track is renowned for its complex choral vocal arrangements, upbeat rhythm, and memorable picturization featuring Kajol and Prabhu Deva.

Keep listening

More from Minsara Kanavu