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Lyrics & meaning

Rathirikku Mappilla Kathirukkaan

From Ninaivugal · 1984

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Vani Jairam, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Ninaivugal1984

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the grove.
Un mugaththa paakkala malliya poo pookkalaWithout seeing your face, the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Chorus
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the grove.
Un mugaththa paakkala malliya poo pookkalaWithout seeing your face, the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Male
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the groom's grove.
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the grove.
Un mugaththa paakkala malliya poo pookkalaWithout seeing your face, the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Female
Aasai malar pooththirukku neram vanthaachchuThe flower of desire has bloomed, the right time has arrived.
Nalla seathi vanthaachchuGood news has arrived.
Kadhalukku pedhamilla paadhai meethu yaarumilla anjaathaeLove sees no distinction, there is no one on this path, do not fear.
Female
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the grove.
Un mugaththa paakkala malliya poo pookkalaWithout seeing your face, the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Male
Kenikkullae thannae illae vaanam paakkuthaeThere is no water inside the well, it gazes up at the sky.
Aadi vellam kooda vanthaa naanam paakkuthaeWhen the flood of the month of Aadi arrives, it observes modesty.
Female :Sooriyappoo thaamaraiya enna ketkkuthoWhat is the sunflower asking the lotus flower?
Yaarumillaa velaiyilae pinna paakkuthoWhen no one is around, is it looking back?
Male
Kenikkullae thannae illae vaanam paakkuthaeThere is no water inside the well, it gazes up at the sky.
Aadi vellam kooda vanthaa naanam paakkuthaeWhen the flood of the month of Aadi arrives, it observes modesty.
Female :Sooriyappoo thaamaraiya enna ketkkuthoWhat is the sunflower asking the lotus flower?
Yaarumillaa velaiyilae pinna paakkuthoWhen no one is around, is it looking back?
Male
Thegamalar kaaththirukku vandu vanthaachchuThe flower of the body is waiting, the honeybee has arrived.
Poochchendu ennaachchuWhat happened to the bouquet of flowers?
Roshamulla vaasa mulla nesamaagaWill the proud, fragrant jasmine truly...
Nenjil vanthae konjaatho...come to the heart and caress lovingly?
Female
Raaththirikku maappillaFor the night, the groom...
Male :AhhaanAhhaan
Female :Kaaththirukkaan thoppula...is waiting in the grove.
Male :AhhaanAhhaan
Female :En mugaththa paakkalaWithout seeing my face...
Male :AhhaanAhhaan
Female :Malliya poo pookkala...the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Female
Aavanikku aippasi mel kobamaagumaaWill the month of Aavani get angry with Aippasi?
Aadi kattum kaaththinikkae naanam pogumaaWill the gale wind of Aadi lose its shyness?
Male :Thamaraiya vandu vanthu sandai podalaThe bee didn't come to start a fight with the lotus flower.
Aasa kondu pesa vanthaa kadhu ketkalaWhen it came to speak out of love, didn't you hear it?
Female
Aavanikku aippasi mel kobamaagumaaWill the month of Aavani get angry with Aippasi?
Aadi kattum kaaththinikkae naanam pogumaaWill the gale wind of Aadi lose its shyness?
Male :Thamaraiya vandu vanthu sandai podalaThe bee didn't come to start a fight with the lotus flower.
Aasa kondu pesa vanthaa kadhu ketkalaWhen it came to speak out of love, didn't you hear it?
Female
Kollaiyilae poopparikka maalai vanthaachchuEvening has arrived to pluck flowers in the backyard.
Oru velai vanthaachchuAn auspicious moment has arrived.
Thaethi vachchu naal kurikka thedi vanthuComing in search to fix a date and mark the calendar...
Medai katti kollaatho...won't it set up a stage and embrace?
Male
Adadadattaa raaththirikku maappillaOh dear, for the night, the groom...
Female :HaanHaan
Male :Kaaththirukkaan thoppula...is waiting in the grove.
Female :HaanHaan
Male :En mugaththa pakkalaWithout seeing my face...
Female :HaanHaan
Male :Malliyappoo pookkala...the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.
Female
Aasai malar pooththirukku neram vanthaachchuThe flower of desire has bloomed, the right time has arrived.
Male :AhhaanAhhaan
Female :Nalla seathi vanthaachchuGood news has arrived.
Male :AhhaanAhhaan
Female :Kadhalukku pedhamilla paadhai meethu yaarumilla anjaathaeLove sees no distinction, there is no one on this path, do not fear.
Male
Raaththirikku maappilla kaaththirukkaan thoppulaFor the night, the groom is waiting in the grove.
Female :En mugaththa paakkala malliya poo pookkalaWithout seeing my face, the jasmine flower hasn't bloomed.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Raaththirikku maappilla' is a playful and romantic duet from the 1984 film 'Ninaivugal', featuring music by Shankar Ganesh and lyrics by Vaali. The song revolves around a romantic banter between two lovers anticipating their union. Through rich metaphors drawn from nature—such as lotus flowers, honeybees, monsoon floods, and Tamil calendar months—the song captures the bashfulness, impatience, and deep affection shared between the groom waiting in the grove and his bride.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Thegamalar kaaththirukku vandu vanthaachchu

Describing bodily desire and beauty through botanical imagery like 'Thegamalar' (body-flower) and 'Vandu' (honeybee representing the lover).

Moni (Etukai - Second Letter Rhyming)

Aavanikku aippasi mel kobamaagumaa / Aadi kattum kaaththinikkae naanam pogumaa

Tamil poetic rhyming where the second letter matches across lines, seen in 'Aavanikku' and 'Aadi'.

Personification

Aadi kattum kaaththinikkae naanam pogumaa

Attributing human traits like shyness ('naanam') and anger ('kobam') to natural elements such as Tamil months (Aavani, Aippasi) and winds (Aadi kaatru).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is composed by the veteran duo Shankar-Ganesh and features the versatile vocals of S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Vani Jairam. Lyricist Vaali cleverly weaves traditional Tamil rural idioms and references to the Tamil calendar (Aadi, Aavani, Aippasi) into a lighthearted modern film melody.

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