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Kaveriyin Kanavan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mappillai Vanthan

From Kaveriyin Kanavan · 1959

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singers
L. R. Eswari, M. S. Rajeswari
Music director
K. V. Mahadevan
Movie name
Kaveriyin Kanavan
Movie release year
1959
Lyrics added on
24 Dec 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mappillai vandhaan mappillai vandhaan
Maattu vandiyile
Mappillai vandhaan mappillai vandhaan
Maattu vandiyile
Ponnu vandha ponnu vandha
Potti vandiyilae
Ponnu vandha ponnu vandha
Potti vandiyilae
Pullaiya petha amma vandhaa
Motta vandiyilae
Pullaiya petha amma vandhaa
Motta vandiyilae
Ponna petha appa vandhaan
Otta vandiyilae
Ponna petha appa vandhaan
Otta vandiyilae
Mappillai vandhaan mappillai vandhaan
Maattu vandiyile
Female :Ponnu vandha ponnu vandha
Potti vandiyilae
Kakka kadi kadichu kodutha
Kammarkattu muttayi
Sokka vanghi thinnuputtu
Vittaanyaa kottavi
Kakka kadi kadichu kodutha
Kammarkattu muttayi
Sokka vanghi thinnuputtu
Vittaanyaa kottavi
Ottaanj salliya eduthukkittu
Odunaanga maarukattu
Ottaanj salliya eduthukkittu
Odunaanga maarukattu
Oraazhakku arisi vaanghi
Olaiyil than pottukittu
Oraazhakku arisi vaanghi
Olaiyil than pottukittu
Kottaanchoru aakkikittu
Kummaalamthaan pottukittu
Kottaanchoru aakkikittu
Kummaalamthaan pottukittu
Kuzhavi kallu pullaiya onna
Kushiyaaga pethukittu
Kuzhavi kallu pullaiya onna
Kushiyaaga pethukittu
Here comes the bridegroom, here comes the bridegroom,
Riding in a bullock cart!
Here comes the bridegroom, here comes the bridegroom,
Riding in a bullock cart!
Here comes the bride, here comes the bride,
Riding in a covered box-cart!
Here comes the bride, here comes the bride,
Riding in a covered box-cart!
The groom's mother arrived,
In an open, roofless cart!
The groom's mother arrived,
In an open, roofless cart!
The bride's father arrived,
In a battered, rattling cart!
The bride's father arrived,
In a battered, rattling cart!
Here comes the bridegroom, here comes the bridegroom,
Riding in a bullock cart!
Here comes the bride, here comes the bride,
Riding in a covered box-cart!
Taking a shared little bite, she offered
Sweet Kamarkat (jaggery-coconut candy),
Chokka took it, ate it up,
And let out a big yawn!
Taking a shared little bite, she offered
Sweet Kamarkat (jaggery-coconut candy),
Chokka took it, ate it up,
And let out a big yawn!
Gathering pieces of broken pottery,
They ran around playing house,
Gathering pieces of broken pottery,
They ran around playing house,
Buying a tiny measure of rice,
Carrying it wrapped in a palm leaf,
Buying a tiny measure of rice,
Carrying it wrapped in a palm leaf,
Cooking pretend meals in coconut shells,
Having all kinds of joyful fun,
Cooking pretend meals in coconut shells,
Having all kinds of joyful fun,
Dressing a little grinding stone as a baby,
Joyfully pretending to have a child!
Dressing a little grinding stone as a baby,
Joyfully pretending to have a child!
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a cheerful Tamil folk rhyme that depicts a rural wedding procession with humor and nostalgia. It playfully describes the arrival of different family members in various traditional bullock carts—the groom in a regular bullock cart, the bride in a private box-cart, the groom's mother in an open-top cart, and the bride's father in a rickety cart. The later verses transition into a nostalgic portrayal of childhood games where young girls play-act house and marriage—using broken clay shards as money, cooking rice in coconut shells, and pretending a grinding stone is their newborn baby.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Mappillai vandhaan... / Maattu vandiyile...

Matching second consonants across lines, such as 'Ma-pp-illai' and 'Ma-tt-u', 'Po-nn-u' and 'Po-tt-i', or 'Pu-ll-aiya' and 'Mo-tt-a'.

Monaai (Alliteration)

Kakka kadi kadichu kodutha / Kammarkattu muttayi

Repetition of initial consonant sounds within a phrase, e.g., 'Kakka kadi kadichu' and 'Kammarkattu'.

Anaphora / Repetition

Mappillai vandhaan mappillai vandhaan

Iterative repeating of key phrases like 'Mappillai vandhaan' and 'Ponnu vandha' to establish a rhythmic folk rhythm.

Did you know?

Trivia

This playful track from Kaveriyin Kanavan (1959), set to music by K. V. Mahadevan and written by Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass, evokes traditional Tamil children's folk games (like 'Kottaanchoru' cooking play). The vocal pairing of L. R. Eswari and M. S. Rajeswari highlights the earthy, authentic village folk style popular in Tamil cinema of the 1950s.

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