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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Adi Pandhalile

From Veera · 1994

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
Mano
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Veera1994

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Adi panthathilae thongugiraHey, hanging on the trellis
Podalangaaiku kalla kattumThis is a town that ties stones to snake gourds
Ooru idhuThis is that town
Yamma yamma ooru idhuOh mother, oh mother, this is that town
Male
Adi thongugiraHey, to all hanging
Kaaikku ellaamGourds and vegetables
Kalla katta mudiyumaadiCan you tie stones to every single one of them?
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Chorus :Potti kada yakka yakkaChorus: Petty shop sister, sister
Male
Adi singaaramaHey, beautifully
Sinukki sinukkiCoquettishly, coquettishly
Oyyarama nadaiya kattumWalking with graceful pride
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Chorus :Potti kada yakka yakkaChorus: Petty shop sister, sister
Male
Un pottikada ullirukkuInside your petty shop, there is
Dubba dubba nelinja dubbaA tin box, a dented tin box
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Chorus :Potti kada yakka yakkaChorus: Petty shop sister, sister
Chorus
Un pottikada ullirukkuInside your petty shop, there is
Dubba dubba nelinja dubbaA tin box, a dented tin box
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male :HaanMale: Haan
Male
Ada pombalainga pogayilaAh, when women walk past
Nizhala paarthuLooking at their shadows
Mallu kattum ooru idhuThis is a town that picks a fight
Yamma yamma ooru idhuOh mother, oh mother, this is that town
Male
Andha nizhalukkellamTo all those shadows
Podava kattiDraping a saree
Aadavaikka mudiyumadiCan you make them dance, girl?
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Chorus :Potti kada yakka yakkaChorus: Petty shop sister, sister
Male
Un pottikada ullirukkuInside your petty shop, there is
Dubba dubba nelinja dubbaA tin box, a dented tin box
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Chorus :Potti kada yakka yakkaChorus: Petty shop sister, sister
Male :HaanMale: Haan
Chorus
Un pottikada ullirukkuInside your petty shop, there is
Dubba dubba nelinja dubbaA tin box, a dented tin box
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male :YekkoMale: Sister
Male
Yekka yekkaSister, sister
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
Adi yekka yekkaHey sister, sister
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
Male
YekkaSister
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
Chorus :YekkovChorus: Sister!
Male :YekkaMale: Sister
JumthalakkaJumthalakka
Chorus :YekkovChorus: Sister!
Male
Ethanaiyo kamba nattuPlanting so many poles
Pandhal ittu kodi valarthaErecting a thatch shelter and growing vines
Evvalavo kaai kedaikkumSo many vegetables will be obtained
ManushanukkuFor a human being
Athu ezhai vayathu pasiyaThat will satisfy a poor child's hunger
Theerkum palan kodukkumAnd yield beneficial fruit
Male
Ethanaiyo kamba nattuPlanting so many poles
Ethanaiyo kodi paranthaSo many flags flying high
Katchi varum kalagam varumPolitical parties and conflicts arise
NaatukkullaeWithin the country
Adha kaanum bothu kalakkamSeeing that, confusion and distress
Varum veetukkullaeEnters inside the household
Male
Ada antha kodi venumaAh, do you want that flag vine?
Intha kodi venumaOr do you want this political flag?
Chorus :Yekka yekkaChorus: Sister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male :Haan un pottikada ullirukkuMale: Haan, inside your petty shop, there is
Valainja dubba nelinja dubbaA bent tin box, a dented tin box
Chorus :Yakka yakkaChorus: Sister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male
Adi panthathilae thongugiraHey, hanging on the trellis
Podalangaaiku kalla kattumThis is a town that ties stones to snake gourds
Ooru idhuThis is that town
Yamma yamma ooru idhuOh mother, oh mother, this is that town
Male
Adi thongugiraHey, to all hanging
Kaaikku ellaamGourds and vegetables
Kalla katta mudiyumaadiCan you tie stones to every single one of them?
Chorus :Yakka yakkaChorus: Sister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male
Adi singaaramaAdi beautifully
Sinukki sinukkiCoquettishly, coquettishly
Oyyarama nadaiya kattumWalking with graceful pride
Chorus :Yakka yakkaChorus: Sister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male
Un pottikada ullirukkuInside your petty shop, there is
Dubba dubba nelinja dubbaA tin box, a dented tin box
Chorus :Yakka yakkaChorus: Sister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakkaPetty shop sister, sister
Male :YekkoMale: Sister
Chorus
Yakka yakkaSister, sister
Potti kada yakka yakka…Petty shop sister, sister...
Yekooo..hoSister..ho

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Potti Kada Yakka from Veera (1994) is a energetic folk track presented as a playful dialogue between the protagonist and a village petty shop woman. The song uses humorous local proverbs to tease the village culture where people excessively meddle in others' business, like tying stones to snake gourds to make them grow straight or picking fights with women's shadows. Beneath its upbeat, rhythmic exterior, the song weaves in sharp social critique. The lyrics cleverly contrast 'kodi' as a vegetable vine (which feeds hungry children) with 'kodi' as a political flag (which incites conflicts and destabilizes homes), encouraging people to focus on constructive living rather than political factionalism.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Pun / Double Entendre (Sumaari / Shleshah)

Ada antha kodi venuma / Intha kodi venuma

The word 'Kodi' is used in two senses: as a garden vine/creeper that produces food, and as a political flag that brings division.

Eukai / Rhyme (Monorhyme)

Adi yekka yekka / Jumthalakka / Jumthalakka

The repeating rhyming structure of 'Yakka yakka' and 'Jumthalakka' creates an addictive folk cadence.

Ethukai (Second-letter Harmony)

Katchi varum kalagam varum / Naatukkullae

In traditional Tamil prosody, the second letter agreement creates melodic flow ('Katchi' / 'Kalagam').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Ilaiyaraaja and written by Panchu Arunachalam, Veera features Rajinikanth in a dual-identity role. This track showcases Panchu Arunachalam's knack for blending lighthearted folk banter with thought-provoking social commentary using simple everyday rural imagery.

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