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Elan Kandru album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Aathi Adi Aathi

From Elan Kandru · 1985

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, S. P. Shailaja
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Movie name
Elan Kandru
Movie release year
1985
Lyrics added on
1 Dec 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Female :Aa…..
Male :Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Female :Ayyayayo
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara
Female :Aiyyo
Male :Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara
Ennadiyammaa muzhikkira onum puriyalaiyaa
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Male :Hae hae hae
Female :Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Female :Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara
Male :Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara haei haei
Aaththi adi aaththi muzhiya paaradi
Naan potta vidukathaikku padhila kooradi
Pattanaththula kuttingalukku vaayi neelamthaan
Aaththi adi aaththi muzhiya paaradi
Male :Naan potta vidukathaikku padhila kooradi….
Hae hae hehhae
……………..
Male :Hae hae
Chorus :……………..
Male :Aha haan
Chorus :……………..
Male :Haei
Chorus :……………..
Male :Kurr
Chorus :……………..
Maadu kannu maeikaiyilae
Maappillaikku thimir edharkku
Chorus :Maadu kannu maeikaiyilae
Maappillaikku thimir edharkku
Mangaiyara paarththaa aaththaa
Mayangurathu vaeraedhukku
Jaadaiyilae yaedho solli
Vaera vazhi porathukku
Paruva kodiyae….ae….ae….ae….ae…ae..ae
Orasikittu ninnaak kooda
Sabalapada naanillai
Female :Sarasa kalaiya arinjavanadi
Thappaana paarvai paarkka velanillai
Aaththi adi aaththi muzhiya paaradi
Female :Haei
Male :Naan potta vidukathaikku padhila kooradi
Yaei yaei emmaa emmaa….
Velanja kani vaeli vittu
Velipuraththil irunthuthunnaa
Velanja kani vaeli vittu
Velipuraththil irunthuthunna
Parichchu thinna yaengum ulagam
Adhula varum dhinam kalagam
Male :Paruva manam thaviyaa thavikkum
Paramanukku aasai varum
Arivu kalanjiyamae….ae…ae….aehae ae
Avasaraththil porantha pulla
alaiyuthadi oorukullaae
Avala nenachchu orala idikka
Ammaadi veeram vegam ennaththukku
Aaththi adi aaththi muzhiya paaradi
Naan potta vidukathaikku padhila kooradi
Hae haei….
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Male :Aha ahhaan
Chorus :Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Male :Haei haei haei
Aaththipaththira koththaramal laaththara kallaeththara
Nooththipaththira koththara valapoththara masaal yaethara
Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara
Male and Chorus :Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Woman: Ah...
Man: Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Woman: Oh no, no!
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up!
Woman: Oh dear!
Man: Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up!
Why are you staring blankly, girl? Don't you understand a thing?
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Man: Hey, hey, hey!
Woman: Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Woman: Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up!
Man: Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up, hey, hey!
Oh my goodness, girl, just look at how she stares!
Now tell me the answer to the riddle I posed!
City girls sure have sharp tongues!
Oh my goodness, girl, just look at how she stares!
Man: Tell me the answer to the riddle I posed...
Hey hey, heh-heh!
...
Man: Hey, hey!
Chorus: ...
Man: Aha haan!
Chorus: ...
Man: Hey!
Chorus: ...
Man: Kurra!
Chorus: ...
When the cows and calves are out grazing,
Why is the young fellow acting so proud?
Chorus: When the cows and calves are out grazing,
Why is the young fellow acting so proud?
Oh mother, whenever he looks at a girl,
Why else does he swoon and lose his senses?
Making secret signs with subtle hints,
Just looking for an excuse to go off track!
Oh tender, youthful vine of a girl...
Even if you stand brushing against me,
I am not one to fall for cheap temptation!
Woman: I know the gentle art of romance, girl;
This Velan isn't someone who casts indecent looks!
Oh my goodness, girl, just look at how she stares!
Woman: Hey!
Man: Tell me the answer to the riddle I posed!
Hey hey, oh dear, oh dear...
If a ripe fruit hangs out
Outside the garden fence,
If a ripe fruit hangs out
Outside the garden fence,
The whole world will crave to pluck and eat it,
And that will only cause trouble every single day!
Man: A youthful heart aches with deep longing,
Even Lord Shiva himself would feel desire!
Oh, treasure house of wisdom...
A child born in too much of a rush
Wanders restlessly around the whole village!
Thinking of her while pounding the mortar,
Oh girl, why show off all this fiery haste and pride?
Oh my goodness, girl, just look at how she stares!
Tell me the answer to the riddle I posed!
Hey, hey...
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Man: Aha, ah-haan!
Chorus: Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Man: Hey, hey, hey!
Plucking the leaves, lying upside down, lifting the stone,
Plucking a hundred leaves, covering the gap, grinding the spices,
Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up!
Man and Chorus: Stumbling and tumbling, covering it all up!
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Chorus
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful folk song from the 1985 film 'Elan Kandru' features a lively exchange of riddles, banter, and teasing between a village hero and a young woman. The lyricist Gangai Amaran uses energetic folk rhythms, rhythmic scatting ('Thaththakkaa puththakkaa'), and fast-paced riming phrases to set up a cheerful competitive duet. The male lead teases the city-educated girl about her empty pride and challenges her with playful riddles, while the female lead responds by defending the hero's romantic discipline. Through metaphors of ripe fruit hanging beyond fences and youthfulness, the song humorously explores youthful attraction, village culture, and lighthearted flirtation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Aaththipaththira koththaramal... / Nooththipaththira koththara...

The second consonant 'th' (த்) matches across alternating beat phrases like 'Aaththipaththira' and 'Nooththipaththira'.

Monaai (Alliteration / First-letter Rhyme)

Velanja kani vaeli vittu / Velipuraththil irunthuthunnaa

Repetition of the initial letter 'Va' across 'Velanja', 'Vaeli', and 'Velipuraththil'.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Velanja kani vaeli vittu / Velipuraththil irunthuthunnaa

Comparing a young woman's exposed beauty to a ripe fruit hanging past a fence ('Velanja kani vaeli vittu').

Onomatopoeia (Sandham / Rhythm Words)

Thaththakkaa puththakkaa poththara

Use of folk rhythmic beat syllables like 'Thaththakkaa puththakkaa' to mimic percussive rhythms.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Elan Kandru' (1985) is an obscure Tamil rural film featuring music and lyrics by Gangai Amaran, who frequently incorporated traditional Tamil village folk riddles and rhythmic tongue-twisters into his compositions.

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