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Anbulla Appa album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Maragatha Vallikku Manakkolam

From Anbulla Appa · 1987

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
K. J. Yesudas
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Anbulla Appa
Movie release year
1987
Lyrics added on
10 Feb 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Maragadha vallikku
Mana kolam
En mangala chelvikku
Malar kolam
Kanmani thaamarai
Kaal kondu nadandhaal
Kangalil yen indha neer kolam
Kolam thiru kolam
Maragadha vallikku
Mana kolam
En mangala chelvikku
Malar kolam
Kanmani thaamarai
Kaal kondu nadandhaal
Kangalil yen indha neer kolam
Kolam thiru kolam
Kaalaiyil kadhambangal
Anindhiruppaal
Maalaiyil malligai mudindhiruppaal
Thingalil saamandhi vaithiruppaal
Velliyil mullaigal sumandhiruppaal
Katti thangam ini mel angae
Enna poovai anivaalo
Katti konda kanavan vandhu
Sonna poovai anivaalo
Dhinam thorum thirunaalo
Maragadha vallikku
Mana kolam
En mangala chelvikku
Malar kolam
Kanmani thaamarai
Kaal kondu nadandhaal
Kangalil yen indha neer kolam
Kolam thiru kolam
Haa.a..aaa…aaa…aa…aaa
Haa….aaa…aaa….aaa….aaa….
Malar endra uravu
Parikkum varai
Magal endra uravu
Kodukkum varai
Uravondru varuvadhil
Maghizhndhu vitten
Uravondru pirivadhil azhudhu vitten
Endhan veettu kandru indru
Etti etti pogindradhu
Kannin oram kanneer vandhu
Etti etti paarkkiradhu
Imaigal adhai maraikkiradhu
Maragadha vallikku
Mana kolam
En mangala chelvikku
Malar kolam
Kanmani thaamarai
Kaal kondu nadandhaal
Kangalil yen indha neer kolam
Kolam thiru kolam
For my precious daughter,
it is a wedding look,
for my blessed girl,
an adornment of flowers.
My darling lotus
has grown feet and walked,
why is there this stream of tears in her eyes?
What a divine, sacred sight!
For my precious daughter,
it is a wedding look,
for my blessed girl,
an adornment of flowers.
My darling lotus
has grown feet and walked,
why is there this stream of tears in her eyes?
What a divine, sacred sight!
In the morning, mixed blossoms
she would wear;
in the evening, she would tie jasmine in her hair.
On Mondays, she would wear chrysanthemums;
on Fridays, she would carry white jasmine.
From now on, in her new home, my pure gold,
what flowers will she wear?
Will she wear the flowers
her wedded husband asks her to wear?
Will every single day be a celebration for her?
For my precious daughter,
it is a wedding look,
for my blessed girl,
an adornment of flowers.
My darling lotus
has grown feet and walked,
why is there this stream of tears in her eyes?
What a divine, sacred sight!
Ah... aa... aaaa... aaaa... aa... aaaa
Ah... aaaa... aaaa... aaaa... aaaa...
The bond with a flower lasts
only until it is plucked.
The bond of a daughter lasts
only until she is given away.
When a new bond arrived,
I was filled with joy;
when a bond departed, I wept.
The little calf of my home today
is walking farther and farther away.
Tears come to the edge of my eyes
and peek through,
while my eyelids try to hide them.
For my precious daughter,
it is a wedding look,
for my blessed girl,
an adornment of flowers.
My darling lotus
has grown feet and walked,
why is there this stream of tears in her eyes?
What a divine, sacred sight!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
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Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Maragadha vallikku from Anbulla Appa (1987) is a poignant father-daughter wedding song. The father lovingly reflects on raising his daughter, remembering how she used to adorn herself with flowers each day of the week. As she gets married, he affectionately wonders about her future in her husband's home, wishing her lifelong happiness while coping with the deep pain of parting.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Maragadha vallikku

The daughter is metaphorically referred to as an 'emerald vine' (Maragadha valli) and 'pure gold' (Katti thangam), illustrating her irreplaceable worth to her father.

Wordplay / Polysemy (Kolam)

Kangalil yen indha neer kolam

The word 'Kolam' is masterfully varied from 'Mana kolam' (wedding attire) and 'Malar kolam' (flower decor) to 'Neer kolam' (pool of tears) and 'Thiru kolam' (sacred appearance).

Alliteration (Monaai)

Kanmani thaamarai / Kaal kondu nadandhaal

Repetition of the 'Ka' sound in 'Kanmani' and 'Kaal' creates a rhythmic beat.

Parallelism / Analogy

Malar endra uravu / Parikkum varai

Compares a flower being plucked from a plant to a daughter being given away in marriage, highlighting the bittersweet emotional transition.

Did you know?

Trivia

Anbulla Appa (1987) features Sivaji Ganesan and Nadhiya in a story centered around an affectionate father-daughter bond. The music was composed by Shankar-Ganesh with lyrics written by Vairamuthu, creating one of the classic wedding send-off (Kanyadaan) songs in Tamil cinema.

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