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Lyrics & meaning

Pachai Maram Ondru (Happy)

From Ramu · 1966

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
Ramu1966

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
{Pachai maram ondruOne green tree,
Ichai kili renduTwo affectionate parrots,
Paattu solli thoonga seivenI will sing a song to put you to sleep,
Aariraarooo…} (2)Aariraarooo...
Female
{Alli thantha annaiMother who gave abundantly,
Solli thantha thanthaiFather who taught wisdom,
Ullam konda pillai neeyallavo…} (2)Aren't you the child who won our hearts?
Female
Katti thangam endruCalling you pure solid gold,
Kannam thottu konduTouching your cheeks tenderly,
Aasai muththam thanthenI gave a loving kiss,
Aariraarooo…Aariraarooo...
Female
Pachai maram ondruOne green tree,
Ichai kili renduTwo affectionate parrots,
Paattu solli thoonga seivenI will sing a song to put you to sleep,
Aariraarooo…Aariraarooo...
Female
{Pettai kili konjumThe mother parrot caresses,
Pillai kili paadumThe child parrot sings,
Thanthai kili angae thedi varum} (2)The father parrot comes searching there,
Female
{Imbam endra podhumWhether in times of joy,
Thunbam vandha podhumOr when sorrow comes,
Endrum enghal sondham maarathu…} (2)Our familial bond will never change...
Female
Pachai maram ondruOne green tree,
Ichai kili renduTwo affectionate parrots,
Paattu solli thoonga seivenI will sing a song to put you to sleep,
Aariraarooo…Aariraarooo...
Female
Paattu solli thoonga seivenI will sing a song to put you to sleep,
Aariraarooo…Aariraarooo...
Paattu solli thoonga seivenI will sing a song to put you to sleep,
Aariraarooo…Aariraarooo...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Pachai Maram Ondru is an iconic Tamil lullaby from the 1966 film Ramu, written by the legendary lyricist Kannadasan. The lyrics use gentle nature imagery—a vibrant green tree harboring a family of parrots—to symbolize a loving home and the unbreakable emotional connection between parents and their child. The song conveys deep parental tenderness, promising unconditional love and protection through both happy and challenging times.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvameyam)

Pachai maram ondru / Ichai kili rendu

The family household is metaphorically depicted as a lush green tree ('Pachai maram') where parents and child exist as loving parrots ('Ichai kili').

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Alli thantha annai / Solli thantha thanthai

The second letter 'lli' matches in 'Alli' and 'Solli', creating melodic rhythm typical of traditional Tamil lullabies.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme) and Antonymic Contrast

Imbam endra podhum / Thunbam vandha podhum

The lines pair opposing emotions 'Imbam' (joy) and 'Thunbam' (sorrow) while ending with the matching refrain 'podhum' to emphasize constancy in all circumstances.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film Ramu (1966) features music composed by K. V. Mahadevan, with playback singing by P. Susheela and T. M. Soundararajan. The movie was a major commercial success and won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Tamil.

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