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Mudhalvan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Ulundhu Vithakkaiyilae

From Mudhalvan · 1999

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Srinivas, Swarnalatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Mudhalvan
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
6 Jun 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{Hey lae lae hey hey hey
Hey hey hey lae hey lae hey} (2)
{Ulundhu vedhakkayilae
Suththi oodha kaathu adikkayilae
Naan appanukku kanji kondu
Aathumedu thaandi ponen
Kanda nalla nalla sagunathil
Nenjukkuzhi poothu ponen} (2)
Vekkappadappil kavuli kaththa
Valadhu pakkam garudan koththa
Theruvoram nerakudam paarkkavum
Manichaththam ketkavum aanadhae
Oru pookkaari yedhukka vara
Pasum paalmaadu kadakkiradhae
Ini yennaaghumo yedhaaghumo
Indha sirukki vazhiyil
Deivam pugundhu varam tharumo
Ulundhu vedhakkayilae
Suththi oodha kaathu adikkayilae
Naan appanukku kanji kondu
Aathumedu thaandi ponen
Kanda nalla nalla sagunathil
Nenjukkuzhi poothu ponen
{Anichcha malar azhagae
Achchu achchu vella pechazhagae
En kannukkulla koodu katti
Kaadhukkulla koovum kuyilae
Nee ettiyetti pogayila
Vittuvittu pogum uyirae} (2)
Oru thadava izhuththu anachabadi
Uyir moocha niruthu kanmaniyae
Female : Un mudhugu tholachi veliyera
Innum konjam irukku yennavanae
Mazhai adikkum siru pechu
Veyil adikkum maru paarva
Odambu mannil pudhaiyira varaiyil
Udan vara koodumo….
Usur yennoda irukkaiyila
Nee mannodu povadhengae
Ada unsevanae naan illaiyaa
Kolla vandha maranam kooda kolambum aiyaa…..
Kurukku chiruthavalae
Enna kungumathil karachavalae
Nenjil manja thechi kulikkayil
Enna konjam poosu thaayae
Kolusukku maniyaaga
Enna konjam maathu thaayae
Oru kannil neer kasiya
Udhattu vazhi usir kasiya
Onnaala sila murai irakkavum
Sila murai pirakkavum aanadhae
Ada aaththoda vizhundha yela
Andha aaththoda povadhu pol
Nenju onnodudhaan pinnodudhae
Ada kaalam marandhu
Kaattu maramum pookkiradhae
Kurukku chiruthavalae
Enna kungumathil karachavalae
Nenjil manja thechi kulikkayil
Enna konjam
Female :Poosuvaiiyaa…
Kolusukku maniyaaga
Enna konjam
Female :Maathuvaiiyaa…
Oh oh oh oh
Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Oh oh oh oh
Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Oh oh oh oh
Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Oh oh oh oh
Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm
Hey le le hey hey hey
Hey hey hey le hey le hey
As the black gram was being sown,
And the chilly wind blew all around,
Carrying porridge for my father,
I walked across the riverbank.
Seeing all the wonderful good omens,
My heart blossomed with joy.
From the haystack, a lizard chirped,
To the right, a sacred kite swooped down,
I saw a full water pot by the roadside,
And heard the chime of temple bells.
A flower seller came walking towards me,
And a milking cow crossed my path...
What will happen now, what lies ahead?
In this young village girl's path,
Will God appear and grant a blessing?
As the black gram was being sown,
And the chilly wind blew all around,
Carrying porridge for my father,
I walked across the riverbank.
Seeing all the wonderful good omens,
My heart blossomed with joy.
Beauty like the delicate Anicham flower,
Sweet girl whose words taste like molded jaggery,
You built a nest inside my eyes,
And sing like a cuckoo in my ears...
Whenever you walk farther away,
My life breath slowly slips away.
Pull me close into an embrace just once,
And take my breath away, my darling!
Female: To pierce through your back and come out,
There is still some strength left in me, my love!
One soft word falls like gentle rain,
Another look strikes like blazing sunshine...
Until this body is buried in the earth,
Will you walk beside me...?
While your life is safe with mine,
How could you ever return to dust?
Aren't I here to stand by your side?
Even death that comes to take you will be confused, my love...
Girl with the slender waist,
You who dissolved me into your red tilak,
When you rub turmeric on your skin to bathe,
Smear a little bit of me too, my dear!
As a little bell for your anklet,
Turn a little piece of me, my dear!
With tears welling in one eye,
And life slipping through my lips,
Because of you, I have died a few times,
And have been born a few times over.
Like a leaf that fell into the river
And floats along with the river's flow,
My heart follows right behind you!
Look, forgetting the season,
Even the wild forest tree has burst into bloom!
Girl with the slender waist,
You who dissolved me into your red tilak,
When you rub turmeric on your skin to bathe,
Smear a little of me...
Female: I will smear you on me, my love...
As a little bell for the anklet,
Turn a part of me...
Female: I will turn you into one, my love...
Oh oh oh oh
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Oh oh oh oh
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Oh oh oh oh
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Oh oh oh oh
Mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm mmm
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Kurukku Chiruthavalae / Ulundhu Vedhakkayilae' from the 1999 Tamil film Mudhalvan is a masterfully crafted romantic song composed by A.R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu. The song opens with rural everyday life rich in traditional omens (sagunangal)—a chirping lizard, a garuda bird flying on the right, a filled water pot, a flower seller, and a cow—all signaling auspicious news for the protagonist's heart. As the song progresses, it delves into intense romantic devotion, where the lovers express a desire to merge completely with each other's existence, transcending physical reality and even death.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Metaphorical Surrender)

Kurukku chiruthavalae / Enna kungumathil karachavalae

The protagonist describes himself as being dissolved in vermilion (kumkum) and applied as turmeric, symbolizing complete loss of ego into the beloved.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

Kolla vandha maranam kooda kolambum aiyaa

An exaggerated expression of devotion stating that even Death coming to take life would be bewildered by the intensity of their love.

Simile (Uvamaani)

Ada aaththoda vizhundha yela / Andha aaththoda povadhu pol

Compares the movement of the heart following the beloved to a leaf helplessly carried along by a flowing river.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by A.R. Rahman for director Shankar's blockbuster 'Mudhalvan' (1999), the song features iconic vocals by Hariharan and Mahalakshmi Iyer. Lyricist Vairamuthu uniquely incorporated traditional Tamil beliefs regarding 'sagunangal' (good omens) in the opening stanza.

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