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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Aambala Singame

From Sabash Thambi · 1967

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. C. Krishnan, L. R. Eswari
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Details
Sabash Thambi1967

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Chorus :Diyoo diyoo diyoo diyoo aiyaadiyooChorus: Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear me!
Female :Aambala singame vaangaFemale: Come, male lion!
Aadudhan rajave neengaYou are the king of goats!
Aambala singame vaangaCome, male lion!
Aadudhan rajave neengaYou are the king of goats!
Vaalakumaringha naangaWe are young unmarried maidens,
Unga vaala madakikittu ponghaTuck your tail in and be off!
Chorus :Vaalakumaringha naangaChorus: We are young unmarried maidens,
Unga vaala madakikittu ponghaTuck your tail in and be off!
Female
Aambala singame vaangaCome, male lion!
Aadudhan rajave neengaYou are the king of goats!
Chorus :Vaalakumaringha naangaChorus: We are young unmarried maidens,
Unga vaala madakikittu ponghaTuck your tail in and be off!
Female
Maratha vittu iranghi vandhaOh Lord Cupid who descended from the tree,
ManmadharajavaeKing of Love...
Humming :Hoo oo oooHumming: Hoo oo ooo...
Female :Maratha vittu iranghi vandhaFemale: Oh Lord Cupid who descended from the tree,
ManmadharajavaeKing of Love...
Unga mugathukkennaWhy does your face look like
Norunghi pona pithala koojavaeA crushed brass pitcher?
Aathangaraiyilae kaathadikkaiyilaeWhen the breeze blows on the riverbank,
Paathu nadakkanum neengaYou must walk carefully!
Aathangaraiyilae kaathadikkaiyilaeWhen the breeze blows on the riverbank,
Paathu nadakkanum neengaYou must walk carefully!
Illa parandhu poyiduvinghaOtherwise, you will blow away!
Chorus
Humming …………….Humming...
Female
Thappu kanakkaaga thuppu thulakkuraInvestigating clues based on wrong math,
Aambala singame vaangaCome, male lion!
Andha jamesbonda neengaAre you that James Bond?
Thappu kanakkaaga thuppu thulakkuraInvestigating clues based on wrong math,
Aambala singame vaangaCome, male lion!
Andha jamesbonda neengaAre you that James Bond?
Mandhi pirandhadhan pindhi pirandhavarBorn right after the monkey was born,
Sindhi sirippadhu yenghaWhy are you grinning like that?
Mandhi pirandhadhan pindhi pirandhavarBorn right after the monkey was born,
Sindhi sirippadhu yenghaWhy are you grinning like that?
Konjam sindhikka vendum neengaYou ought to think a little bit!
Chorus
Humming …………….Humming...
Female
Aambala singame vaangaCome, male lion!
Aadudhan rajave neengaYou are the king of goats!
Vaalakumaringha naangaWe are young unmarried maidens,
Unga vaala madakikittu ponghaTuck your tail in and be off!
Chorus :Vaalakumaringha naangaChorus: We are young unmarried maidens,
Unga vaala madakikittu ponghaTuck your tail in and be off!
Male
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Diyoo diyoo diyoo diyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear me!
Male
Pombala thangamae vaangaWelcome, female golden one!
Vambhukku vandhadhu yenghaWhy did you come seeking a fight?
Pombala thangamae vaangaWelcome, female golden one!
Vambhukku vandhadhu yenghaWhy did you come seeking a fight?
Kumbhala kooti neenghaGathering a crowd like this,
Enna aazham paakkuringhaAre you trying to test my depth?
Kumbhala kooti neenghaGathering a crowd like this,
Enna aazham paakkuringhaAre you trying to test my depth?
Male
Tharaiyai vittu kulathil vandhaOh red rose who came from the land into the pond,
Kunguma rojavaeSaffron rose!
Unga muzhiya paathu nadunghi ponaanLooking at your glare, he trembled,
Mamudha rajavaeThat King Manmadha!
Tharaiyai vittu kulathil vandhaOh red rose who came from the land into the pond,
Kunguma rojavaeSaffron rose!
Unga muzhiya paathu nadunghi ponaanLooking at your glare, he trembled,
Mamudha rajavaeThat King Manmadha!
Male
Dosai karaikkira maavaiTaking the batter meant for dosa,
Eduthuthaan unghaYou smear it on yourself
Aasaikku poosikkiringhaJust for your desire!
Ungha azhagu kettadhu ponghaOh my, your beauty is ruined!
Kokarakoo kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooCock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo!
Kokarakoo adi kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooCock-a-doodle-doo, hey cock-a-doodle-doo!
Male
Kettikaara paiya thatti adakkaamaWithout keeping clever boys in check,
Suttithanama neenghaWith all your mischievousness,
Vandhu vattamadipapdhu yenghaWhy are you circling around here?
Kettikaara paiya thatti adakkaamaWithout keeping clever boys in check,
Suttithanama neenghaWith all your mischievousness,
Vandhu vattamadipapdhu yenghaWhy are you circling around here?
Unghalai paarthathum engalukellamAs soon as we saw you,
Pomabala aasaiyae pochuOur desire for women completely vanished!
Unghalai paarthathum engalukellamAs soon as we saw you,
Pomabala aasaiyae pochuOur desire for women completely vanished!
Ungha perumai ennanga aachuWhat happened to your pride?
Chorus
Kokarakoo kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooCock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo!
Kokarakoo kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooCock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo!
Male :Kokarakoo kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooMale: Cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo!
Kokarakoo adi kokara koo kokara kokara kokara kooCock-a-doodle-doo, hey cock-a-doodle-doo!
Male
Pombala thangamae vaangaWelcome, female golden one!
Vambhukku vandhadhu yenghaWhy did you come seeking a fight?
Kumbhala kooti neenghaGathering a crowd like this,
Enna aazham paakkuringhaAre you trying to test my depth?
Male
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Aiyaadiyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear me! Oh dear me!
Diyoo diyoo diyoo diyoo aiyaadiyooOh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear, oh dear me!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful duel song from 'Sabash Thambi' (1967) features a playful banter between male and female leads/groups teasing each other. The female singer sarcastically mocks the male hero by calling him a 'lion of men' who is actually a 'king of goats' and comparing his face to a crushed brass pot and his detective skills to a clumsy James Bond. In response, the male singer teases back, calling the women out for picking fights in groups, making fun of their makeup as if they applied dosa batter, and mocking their charms.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Satire and Irony

Aambala singame vaanga / Aadudhan rajave neenga

Calling the hero 'Aambala singame' (male lion) followed by 'Aadudhan rajave' (king of goats) creates a humorous contrast.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Aambala singame vaanga / Aadudhan rajave neenga

The second letters 'm' in 'Aambala' and 'Aa'/'aa' rhyming sounds create internal harmony.

Onomatopoeia

Kokarakoo kokara koo kokara kokara kokara koo

Use of rooster crowing sounds 'Kokarakoo' to mockingly taunt the opponent.

Hyperbole

Aathangaraiyilae kaathadikkaiyilae / Paathu nadakkanum neenga / Illa parandhu poyiduvingha

Exaggeration that the man is so frail he might fly away in a riverbank breeze.

Did you know?

Trivia

Music for 'Sabash Thambi' was composed by veteran S. M. Subbaiah Naidu with lyrics penned by Vaali. S. C. Krishnan and L. R. Eswari deliver a comic duel full of traditional Tamil folk theatrical energy.

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