Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ada Manmathan Ratchikkanum

From Oru Thalai Ragam · 1980

Lyricist
T. Rajendar
Singer
Jolly Abraham
Music director
T. Rajendar
Details
Oru Thalai Ragam1980

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Meena reena seetha geetha radha vedhaMeena, Reena, Seetha, Geetha, Radha, Vedha...
Ada namma paarvathi varaadaaHey, look, our Parvathi is coming!
Adadaa adadaa paaththukkodaaOh my, oh my, just look at her!
Male
Saeivolae kaamanthakaaraa thutchaaHey you lustful, wretched troublemaker!
Roadla pengalae nadamaada mudiyalailaaWomen cannot even walk on the roads peacefully!
Unga kann pattaalae karpam undaagidum pola irukkaeIt feels as though even your glance could make someone pregnant!
Unda sathaiyellaam thuru pidikka porathudaaAll the flesh you've built up is going to rust away!
Neenga ellaam nalla iruppaelaaWill you all ever live well?
Ungala ellaam antha eswaran thaandaa ratchikkanumThat Lord Shiva alone must protect you all!
Male
Enna sonnael eswaran ratchikkanumaaWhat did you say? Lord Shiva must protect us?
Engal antha manmathan ratchiththaalae pothumaeIt is enough if that Lord Manmatha (god of love) protects us!
Male
Ada manmathan ratchikanumAh, Manmatha must protect...
Intha mangaiyar kaalaigalae...these young women-chasing studs!
Mangaiyai mayakkum manthira poojaiA magical worship that mesmerizes young women...
Ennenna solladaaWhat all can I say, my friend!
Ilam pengalai velladaaWin over the young girls!
Male
Ada manmathan ratchikanumAh, Manmatha must protect...
Intha mangaiyar kaalaigalae...these young women-chasing studs!
Mangaiyai mayakkum manthira poojaiA magical worship that mesmerizes young women...
Ennenna solladaaWhat all can I say, my friend!
Ilam pengalai velladaaWin over the young girls!
Male
Maadi veettu lalitha mayangi ninnaa azhgaaLalitha from the upstairs house stood mesmerized beautifully,
Kodi veettu geedhaa kulungigittae sirichchaGeetha from the corner house giggled and laughed,
Kovalan kanda antha kaala madhaviThat ancient Madhavi whom Kovalan saw,
Adi kevalam enbaen unthan munnae maalathiI would say she is inferior before you, Malathi!
Male
Echchil ooravaikkum paadhushaA mouth-watering Badusha sweet,
Yaenga vaikkum en ushaMy Usha who makes me yearn,
Ada nimmiya kandu kummiyadippaenSeeing Nimmi, I'll dance in joy,
Rammiya kandu vimbi vedippaenSeeing Ramya, I'll burst in emotional longing,
Male
Nalinaththai kaattum naliniNalini, who showcases elegance,
Nalungaamal varuvathai kavaniNotice how she approaches without getting ruffled,
Rasanaiyai thoondum rathi neeYou are Rathi, who stimulates appreciation,
Naalthorum varuven pavaniI will come in procession every day,
Naan naalthorum varuven pavaniI will come in procession every day,
Male
Kavithaiyilae vaazhnthu varum kavithaKavitha, who lives inside poetry,
En ragaththilae mayangi vaadi radhaCome swooning into my melody, Radha,
Ada pakkaththu veettu paingiliOh, the green parrot in the house next door,
En sorkkaththai kaattum sundhariSundhari, who shows me my heaven,
Ada pakkaththu veettu paingiliOh, the green parrot in the house next door,
En sorkkaththai kaattum sundhariSundhari, who shows me my heaven,
Male
Premalatha un premai sathaPremalatha, your love is constant,
Premalatha un premai sathaPremalatha, your love is constant,
Urakkam illai sudha irakkam kaattu sheelaaI have no sleep, Sudha; show mercy, Sheela!
Marakkamaattaen leelaaI will never forget you, Leela!
Male
Neelaampari raagam unakkaga neelaaThe Neelambari ragam is for you, Neela,
Ondrum sollamal povaayoWill you walk away without saying anything?
Neelaampari raagam unakkaga neelaaThe Neelambari ragam is for you, Neela,
Ondrum sollamal povaayoWill you walk away without saying anything?
En kalaa ada kalaaMy Kala... oh Kala!
Male
Santhikka thudikkum shanthiShanthi, who yearns to meet,
Ninthikka ninaippaal jeyanthiJeyanthi, who thinks of scolding,
Idaiyinil kidaiththaal vasanthiVasanthi, if found in between,
Naan evalidam povaen mayangiTo whom shall I go, mesmerized?
Male
Naan evalidam povaen mayangiTo whom shall I go, mesmerized?
Naan evalidam povaen mayangiTo whom shall I go, mesmerized?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song opens with an amusing dialogue where local conservative elders chastise college youths for street-side flirting, to which the boys cheekily respond that Cupid (Manmatha) is their ultimate protector. What follows is a high-energy, playful sequence wherein the singer lists various female names using T. Rajendar's trademark rhyming wordplay, highlighting the lighthearted romantic fantasies and crushes of youth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (End Rhyme) and Wordplay

Urakkam illai sudha irakkam kaattu sheelaa / Marakkamaattaen leelaa

T. Rajendar uses repetitive end-rhymes matching girl names with descriptive attributes (e.g., Sudha - Sheela - Leela - Neela).

Metaphor

Echchil ooravaikkum paadhusha / Yaenga vaikkum en usha

Comparing Usha to 'Badusha', a rich Tamil sweet that makes one's mouth water.

Allusion

Kovalan kanda antha kaala madhavi / Adi kevalam enbaen unthan munnae maalathi

Reference to Madhavi and Kovalan from the classical Tamil epic Silappatikaram to hyperbolically elevate Malathi's beauty.

Did you know?

Trivia

Oru Thalai Ragam (1980) marked the brilliant debut of T. Rajendar as a director, composer, and lyricist. The album became a massive musical hit across Tamil Nadu, famous for introducing TR's signature fast-paced, highly rhyming lyric style that incorporated scores of proper names in single songs.

Keep listening

More from Oru Thalai Ragam