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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Adi Ennadi Rakkamma Sad

From Pattikada Pattanama · 1972

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
Pattikada Pattanama1972

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Adi ennadi raakkammaaHey, Raakkamma, my dear,
Ennenna ninaippuwhat thoughts are in your mind?
En nenju kulungudhadiMy heart trembles within me.
Siru kannaadi mookkuthiThe small glass nose-ring,
Maanikka sivappuruby red in hue,
Kanneril nanaiyudhadiis getting drenched in tears!
Male
Kalyaana maelangal maniyosaiWedding drums and chime of temple bells
En kavalaikku thaalamadigive rhythm to my worries.
Sollaadha ennangal pala kodiMillions of unspoken thoughts
En thunbathil dheebamadilight up the lamp in my sorrow.
Male
Ponnaaga naan ninaithaThe house made of mud that I thought was gold
Manm veedu karaindhudissolved completely,
Thanneeril kalandhadhadiand mixed into the water!
En pattam en thittam en sattamMy titles, my plans, my laws,
Adi raakkammaa kattraaga parandhadhadiOh Raakkamma, flew away like the wind!
Kattraaga parandhadhadiFlew away like the wind!
Male
Ellorkkum oorgolam irandu tharamFor everyone, life's procession happens twice,
Adhil oru kattam mudindhadhadiand one stage of it has now come to an end!
Thaayaarkku pinnaalae samsaaramFamily life comes after mother's love,
Adhu thadam konjam purandadhadibut its track has derailed a little!
Male
Panpaadu kaappadharkkuTo preserve our cultural tradition,
Penn paarthu mudithaenI finalized a bride,
En paadu mayangudhadibut my plight is swooning in confusion!
En veedum en vaazhvum oru koyilMy home and my life are like a temple,
Adi raakkammaa en dheivam sirikkudhadiOh Raakkamma, my deity is smiling!
Male
Adi ennadi raakkammaaHey, Raakkamma, my dear,
Ennenna ninaippuwhat thoughts are in your mind?
En nenju kulungudhadiMy heart trembles within me.
Siru kannaadi mookkuthiThe small glass nose-ring,
Maanikka sivappuruby red in hue,
Kanneril nanaiyudhadiis getting drenched in tears!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This emotional song from 'Pattikada Pattanama' (1972) expresses the protagonist's profound anguish over shattered plans, family conflict, and the irony of life. Addressing Raakkamma, he laments how his grand visions for his home and life dissolved like mud in rain and blew away like dust in the wind, despite his best efforts to uphold cultural traditions and familial respect. Through vivid imagery of wedding drums sounding like rhythm for his grief and tears drowning a red nose-ring, Kannadasan captures the tragic conflict between duty, tradition, and personal heartbreak. Despite the grief, the protagonist maintains a sacred reverence for his family life, viewing his home as a temple where destiny plays its poignant role.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Imagery

Siru kannaadi mookkuthi Maanikka sivappu Kanneril nanaiyudhadi

Paints a vivid visual picture of a ruby red nose ornament being washed away by flowing tears.

Metaphor

Ponnaaga naan ninaitha Manm veedu karaindhu Thanneeril kalandhadhadi

Compares the fragile mud house of dreams to gold that ultimately dissolved in water.

Iyaibu (Internal Rhyme / Rhythm)

En pattam en thittam en sattam

Uses rhyming endings (pattam, thittam, sattam) to build a rhythmic cadence conveying loss of authority.

Metaphor

En veedum en vaazhvum oru koyil

Directly equates home and life to a sacred temple where the deity smiles through irony.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song from Pattikada Pattanama (1972) features music composed by M. S. Viswanathan, vocals by T. M. Soundararajan, and lyrics by Kannadasan. The film stars Sivaji Ganesan and Jayalalithaa, exploring the cultural clash and emotional drama between rural traditional values and modern town lifestyles.

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