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Veguli Penn album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Mullukku Roja Song

From Veguli Penn · 1971

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
V. Kumar
Movie name
Veguli Penn
Movie release year
1971
Lyrics added on
29 Oct 2024

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
Pillaikku annai ennavo
En kannaa
Penmaikku thaaimai ennavo
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
Pillaikku annai ennavo
En kannaa
Penmaikku thaaimai ennavo
Kannanin annai yasothaithaanae
Kanneer yaenadi devagi maanae
Kannanin annai yasothaithaanae
Kanneer yaenadi devagi maanae
Engirunthaalum manakkum mullai
Ennuyir kannan unakkum pillai
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
: Pillaikku annai ennavo
En kannaa
Penmaikku thaaimai ennavo
Pillaiyin meethu kannpada vendaam
Pettraval ullam punpada vendaam
Ullangal veru ulagam veru
Ullangal veru ulagam veru
Unakkena vaazhven aandukal nooru
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
Pillaikku annai ennavo
En kannaa
Penmaikku thaaimai ennavo….
Vanna tamizhai padippathu pole
Vaanaththu nilavai paarppathu polae
: Kanmani mugaththai paaradi kannae
Kanmani mugaththai paaradi kannae
Kadhaigal irunthaal pesadi pinnae
Kadhaigal irunthaal pesadi pinnae
Mullukku roja sontham
Muththukku sippi sontham
Pillaikku annai ennavo
En kannaa
Penmaikku thaaimai ennavo….
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
So is a mother to her child,
My darling,
And so is motherhood to a woman.
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
So is a mother to her child,
My darling,
And so is motherhood to a woman.
Yashoda was Krishna's mother, was she not?
Why shed tears then, my gentle Devaki?
Yashoda was Krishna's mother, was she not?
Why shed tears then, my gentle Devaki?
Wherever it blooms, jasmine spreads its fragrance,
My beloved child is your baby too.
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
So is a mother to her child,
My darling,
And so is motherhood to a woman.
May no evil eye fall upon the child,
May the mother's heart never be hurt.
What the heart feels is different from what the world sees,
What the heart feels is different from what the world sees,
I will live a hundred years for your sake.
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
So is a mother to her child,
My darling,
And so is motherhood to a woman.
Like reading the beauty of Tamil,
Like gazing at the moon in the sky,
Look at the face of our precious darling, my dear,
Look at the face of our precious darling, my dear,
If you have things to say, tell me later,
If you have things to say, tell me later.
The rose belongs to the thorn,
The pearl belongs to the shell.
So is a mother to her child,
My darling,
And so is motherhood to a woman.
Female
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This poignant lullaby from 'Veguli Penn' explores the deep emotions of maternal love, sacrifice, and the bond between a child, a foster mother, and a biological mother. Kannadasan draws a parallel to Hindu mythology where Krishna was born to Devaki but raised by Yashoda, emphasizing that maternal affection transcends biological bonds. Natural allegories like a rose protected by its thorn and a pearl nurtured inside a shell illustrate how motherhood protects and nurtures life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani (Simile)

“Mullukku roja sontham / Muththukku sippi sontham”

Comparing maternal protection to thorns guarding a rose and a shell sheltering a pearl.

Mythological Allusion

“Kannanin annai yasothaithaanae / Kanneer yaenadi devagi maanae”

Referencing Devaki and Yashoda to validate the bond between adoptive/foster mothering and biological birth.

Edugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Pillaiyin meethu kannpada vendaam / Pettraval ullam punpada vendaam”

Rhyming of second letters in adjacent lines ('ll' in Mullukku / Muththukku, 'll' in Pillaiyin / Pettraval).

Did you know?

Trivia

'Veguli Penn' (1971) featured music composed by V. Kumar, who was known for his melodious compositions in the late 1960s and 70s. Lyricist Kannadasan's use of Devaki-Yashoda metaphors became a quintessential benchmark in Tamil cinema for songs exploring adoption and maternal sacrifice.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

Chinna Arumbu Female1961
PangaligalMotherhoodDevotion
Swarname Sorkkame1989
Sakalakala SambandhiMotherhoodDevotion
Vanna Nilavey Female1988
Paadatha ThenikkalMotherhoodNature
Hare Gopala Srihari Madhava1978
Athaivida RagasiyamDevotionDevotional
Mullai Poovena1982
ThyagiDevotionTender
En Vazhvinil Anbenum1952
Kalyani (1952)MotherhoodDevotion

From the same album

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