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Sindhu Nathi Poo album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mathalam Kottuthadi

From Sindhu Nathi Poo · 1994

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Swarnalatha, Loose Mohan
Music director
Soundaryan
Movie name
Sindhu Nathi Poo
Movie release year
1994
Lyrics added on
27 Aug 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ponndugalaa ponndugalaa
Pothikittu kedanga
Pasupathi odi varaan
Bathiramaa irunga
Pombalainna ivanukku buthikkulla kirukku
Kaiya kaala thottu veippan kaalam kettu kedakku
Ushaaru ushaaru ushaaru awww
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku
Kattu thariyaa adhu yedhu namakku
Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku
Kattu thariyaa adhu yedhu namakku
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Chinna maanga athu thirandhirukku
Thirudi thinnaa adhil rusi irukku
Aama aamaa amaaamaaaa
Ada aamaa aama aamaa maaa
Pattu poochchi pala ragam irukku
Pudichchuputtaa thani sugamirukku
Aama aamaa amaaamaaaa
Ada aamaa aama aamaa maaa
Kammaayo neranjirukku
Kaakkaa neechchal adippoma
Erumayellaam padagaaga
Ethir karaikku povoma
Kizhakka pora rayileri
keezha karayil kudhippoma
Male :Kezhadu katta sevappu kodi
Kaata vandha odhaippoma
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Poovarasa ilayinilae peepee senju
Pudhu raagam onnu padikkattumaa
Pee pee pee pii pii pee ee pii pii
Aiyanaaru vella kudhirayilae
Aiyaavum konjam yerattuma
Female :Kudhira vaala pudichchukittu
Un kooda naanum varalaama
Velaattu paal peechchi
Kannukulla vidalaama
Pudhupatti rottoram
Puliyanga adippoma
Indha vayasu maaraama
Irukkum varaikkum iruppoma
Male :Pottu thavidu paruththi kotta
Sittaa vaanil parappoma
Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Male :Maththalam kottudhadi manasu
Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu
Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku
Kattu thariyaa adhu yedhu namakku
Male :Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku
Kattu thariyaa adhu yedhu namakku
Hey women, hey girls,
Wrap yourselves up and stay safe inside!
Pasupathi is running this way,
So watch out and stay safe!
When it comes to women, he loses his mind,
He'll try to touch your hands and legs—the world has gone bad!
Watch out! Watch out! Watch out! Oww!
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
Why would a wild flower ever need a lock?
Tied down to a tether? What does that have to do with us?
Why would a wild flower ever need a lock?
Tied down to a tether? What does that have to do with us?
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
The tender green mango hangs out in the open,
And it tastes so sweet when stolen!
Yes, yes, oh yes!
Ah yes, yes, yes!
There are so many kinds of butterflies,
And catching them brings such a special thrill!
Yes, yes, oh yes!
Ah yes, yes, yes!
The village lake is brimming with water,
Shall we jump in and dog-paddle across?
Using the water buffaloes as our boats,
Shall we cross over to the other bank?
Shall we hop on the eastbound train,
And jump off right by the shore?
Male: If an old grouch comes to wave a red flag,
Shall we kick him out of our way?
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
Making a whistle from a portia leaf,
Shall I play a brand-new tune?
Pee, pee, pee, pee, pee, pee, pee, pee!
On the white horse of Ayyanar (village guardian deity),
Can this fellow climb up for a ride?
Female: Holding onto the horse's tail,
Can I come along with you too?
Shall we squirt fresh goat's milk
Straight into our eyes?
Along the side of Puthupatti road,
Shall we throw stones to knock down tamarind?
Without this youth ever fading away,
Shall we stay like this as long as we live?
Male: Playing childhood games of bran and cottonseed,
Shall we fly like sparrows across the sky?
My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
Male: My heart is beating like a drum,
This is the age that blossoms with the scent of jasmine.
Why would a wild flower ever need a lock?
Tied down to a tether? What does that have to do with us?
Male: Why would a wild flower ever need a lock?
Tied down to a tether? What does that have to do with us?
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Maththalam Kottudhadi Manasu from the movie Sindhu Nathi Poo (1994) is a vibrant rural Tamil folk song celebrating youthful exuberance, freedom, and innocent romance. Set against a idyllic village backdrop, the lyrics depict young lovers expressing their desire to live life unfettered by traditional constraints or societal rules. Through playful banter, they reject rigid customs and embrace the carefree joy of youth. Vairamuthu utilizes rich, sensory imagery of village childhood and youth—such as stealing tender mangoes, playing leaf whistles, swimming across full ponds on buffaloes, and catching butterflies—to portray youth as an uncontrollable force of natural beauty that cannot be locked up or tamed.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku

Compares the wild, untamed nature of youth to a wild flower ('Kaattu poo') that cannot be locked up.

Olfactory & Auditory Imagery

Maththalam kottudhadi manasu / Idhu malliyapoo manakkura vayasu

Uses sensory details combining the beating sound of a drum ('Maththalam') with the fragrance of jasmine ('Malliyapoo') to describe youth.

Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Kaattu poovukku oru pootu edhukku / Kattu thariyaa adhu yedhu namakku

Consonant agreement in the second letter ('t-tu' sound in Kaattu and Kattu) standard in Tamil prosody.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is from the 1994 Tamil film Sindhu Nathi Poo, directed by O. Ramdas and starring Prabhu and Rajashree. The soundtrack of the film was composed by Soundaryan, known for his authentic Tamil folk melodies in the 1990s.

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