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Roja Kootam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mottugale Mottugale

From Roja Kootam · 2002

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singers
Hariharan, Sadhana Sargam
Music director
Bharathwaj
Movie name
Roja Kootam
Movie release year
2002
Lyrics added on
4 Jan 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Lalala lala … lalala lala … lalala … lalalalalala
Lalala lala … lalala lala … lalala … lalalalalalala
Mottugalae mottugalae
Moochu vidaa mottugalae
Kanmaniyaai thoongugiraal
Kaalaiyil malarungal
Pon arumbugal malargayilae
Menn melliya saptham varum
En kaadhali thuyil kalaindhaal
En idhayam thaangaadhu
Mottugalae mottugalae
Moochu vidaa mottugalae
Kaadhalan thaan thoongugiraan
Kaalaiyil malarungal
Pon arumbugal malargayilae
Menn melliya saptham varum
En kaadhalan thuyil kalaindhaal
En idhayam thaangaadhu
Nee oru poo koduthaal adhai maarbukkul soodugiren
Vaadiya pookkalaiyum bank locker-il semikkiren
Unveettu thottam kandu iravil vandhu serven
Rojakkalai vittu vittu mutkal thirudi poven
Nee aagattum endru sollividu
Un sattayil poovaai pooppen
Mottugalae mottugalae
Moochu vidaa mottugalae
Kanmaniyaai thoongugiraal
Kaalaiyil malarungal
Pon arumbugal malargayilae
Menn melliya saptham varum
En kaadhali thuyil kalaindhaal
En idhayam thaangaadhu
Kaadhali moochu vidum kaatrayum segarippen
Kaadhali micham vaikkum thaeneer theertham enben
Kadarkarai manalil namadhu pergal ezhudhi paarppen
Alai vandhu alli sella kadalai kolla paarppen
Un nettriyil vervai kandavudan naan
Veyilai vetta paarppen… paarppen
Mottugalae mottugalae
Moochu vidaa mottugalae
Kaadhalan thaan thoongugiraan
Kaalaiyil malarungal
Pon arumbugal malargayilae
Menn melliya saptham varum
En kaadhalan thuyil kalaindhaal
En idhayam thaangaadhu….
La la la la... La la la la... La la la... La la la la la la
La la la la... La la la la... La la la... La la la la la la la
O flower buds, flower buds,
Little buds holding your breath,
My darling is sleeping peacefully,
Bloom only in the morning.
When golden buds blossom,
A soft, gentle sound is heard.
If my beloved's sleep is disturbed,
My heart cannot bear it.
O flower buds, flower buds,
Little buds holding your breath,
My lover is fast asleep,
Bloom only in the morning.
When golden buds blossom,
A soft, gentle sound is heard.
If my lover's sleep is disturbed,
My heart cannot bear it.
If you give me a flower, I will keep it close to my heart.
I even save withered flowers in a bank locker.
Drawn by your garden, I will arrive at night,
Leaving the roses behind, I will steal only the thorns.
Just say yes to me,
And I will bloom as a flower on your shirt.
O flower buds, flower buds,
Little buds holding your breath,
My darling is sleeping peacefully,
Bloom only in the morning.
When golden buds blossom,
A soft, gentle sound is heard.
If my beloved's sleep is disturbed,
My heart cannot bear it.
I will even collect the breath my love exhales.
The tea she leaves unfinished, I will treat as holy water.
I will write our names on the beach sand,
If a wave washes them away, I will want to fight the sea.
The moment I see sweat on your forehead,
I will want to strike down the burning sun... strike it down.
O flower buds, flower buds,
Little buds holding your breath,
My lover is fast asleep,
Bloom only in the morning.
When golden buds blossom,
A soft, gentle sound is heard.
If my lover's sleep is disturbed,
My heart cannot bear it...
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Mottugalae Mottugalae' is an exquisitely tender romantic duet from the 2002 Tamil movie 'Roja Kootam'. The song features two lovers expressing the depth and hyper-sensitivity of their affection. They gently address the sleeping flower buds in the garden, pleading with them to hold their breath and refrain from blooming until morning, fearing that even the faint sound of a flower opening might wake their sleeping partner. The lyrics are filled with sweet, whimsical exaggerations of love—such as storing wilted flowers in a bank locker, collecting the breath of the lover, regarding leftover tea as holy water, and wanting to fight the sun to protect the beloved from sweating. Through these imaginative metaphors, the song paints a picture of pure, selfless, and innocent devotion where even the quietest disturbance to the partner's peace is unbearable.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Apostrophe / Personification

“Mottugalae mottugalae / Moochu vidaa mottugalae”

Addressing flower buds as living beings that can consciously hold their breath and delay blooming so as not to wake the sleeping lover.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi Ani)

“Vaadiya pookkalaiyum bank locker-il semikkiren”

Exaggerating romantic devotion by claiming to store withered flowers in a bank locker and wishing to fight or cut down the sun's heat.

Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

“Mottugalae mottugalae / Moochu vidaa mottugalae”

Repetition of the initial consonant sound 'M' across consecutive lines for rhythmic harmony.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Bharadwaj with lyrics by Pazhani Bharathi, 'Mottugalae Mottugalae' was sung by Hariharan and Sadhana Sargam. The song became an instant chartbuster upon release in 2002 and remains one of the most iconic romantic melodies of early 2000s Tamil cinema.

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