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Enna Muthalali Sowkkiyama album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Anbai Kurippathu

From Enna Muthalali Sowkkiyama · 1972

Lyricist
Malliyam Rajagopal
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sarala
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Enna Muthalali Sowkkiyama
Movie release year
1972
Lyrics added on
31 Jul 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Anbai kurippathu aa nna
Chorus :Aa nna
Male :Aasaiyin villakkam aavannaa
Chorus :Aavannaa
Anbai kurippathu aa nna
Chorus :Aa nna
Male :Aasaiyin villakkam aavannaa
Chorus :Aavannaa
Ilamaiyil inbam e nna
Chorus :E nna
Male :Eedillaa sugam ee yannaa
Chorus :Ee yannaa
Ilamaiyil inbam e nna
Chorus :E nna
Male :Eedillaa sugam ee yannaa
Chorus :Ee yannaa
Anbai kurippathu aa nna
Aasaiyin villakkam aavannaa
Uyirkkuril enbathu oo nnaa
Chorus :Oo nnaa
Male :Oodalil koodal oovannaa
Chorus :Oovannaa
Uyirkkuril enbathu oo nnaa
Oodalil koodal oovannaa
Ennaiyae tharuvathu yae nnaa
Chorus :Yae nnaa
Male :Yaekkamae yaekkam yae yannaa
Chorus :Yae yannaa
Male :Laa lalalal laa laa laa lalalalalla laa laa
Aikkiyapaduvathu aiyannaa
Chorus :Aiyannaa
Male :Ozhukkaththai unarththum oo nnaa
Chorus :Oo nnaa
Aikkiyapaduvathu aiyannaa
Ozhukkaththai unarththum oo nnaa
Oor mudiveduppathu o vannaa
Chorus :O vannaa
Male :Avdatham noikkena avvannaa
Chorus :Avvannaa
Male :Akkthe kaadhalaa ak nnna
Chorus :Ak nnaa
Hoom mmm mm mm mmm
Aanaa aavannaa
Chorus :E nnaa
Aanaa aavannaa e nnaa
Lalala lalal lalalal lalala laa
Ullaththil laabaththai koottividin
Unmai kadhal kai koodividum
Ullaththil laabaththai koottividin
Unmai kadhal kai koodividum
Kallaththai ennaththil kazhiththuvidin
Karpu neri ondrae michchappadum
Illara vaazhkkaiyai vaguththividin
Iruvarin pangenna purinthuvidum
Illara vaazhkkaiyai vaguththividin
Iruvarin pangenna purinthuvidum
Vellam pol aasaiyai perukkividin
Veliyillittu mukknam thaduththuvidum
Anbai kurippathu aa nna
Aasaiyin villakkam aavannaa
Female :Anbai kurippathu aa nna
Aasaiyin vilakkam
Male :Hmm
Female :Aavanna….
What signifies love is the letter 'A'
Chorus: The letter 'A'
Male: The meaning of desire is 'Aa'
Chorus: The letter 'Aa'
What signifies love is the letter 'A'
Chorus: The letter 'A'
Male: The meaning of desire is 'Aa'
Chorus: The letter 'Aa'
Joy in youth is 'I'
Chorus: The letter 'I'
Male: Incomparable pleasure is 'Ee'
Chorus: The letter 'Ee'
Joy in youth is 'I'
Chorus: The letter 'I'
Male: Incomparable pleasure is 'Ee'
Chorus: The letter 'Ee'
What signifies love is the letter 'A'
The meaning of desire is 'Aa'
The short vowel of life is 'U'
Chorus: The letter 'U'
Male: Making up after a lovers' tiff is 'Oo'
Chorus: The letter 'Oo'
The short vowel of life is 'U'
Making up after a lovers' tiff is 'Oo'
Giving myself completely is 'E'
Chorus: The letter 'E'
Male: Endless yearning is 'Ae'
Chorus: The letter 'Ae'
Male: La lalalal la la la lalalalla la la
Becoming united as one is 'Ai'
Chorus: The letter 'Ai'
Male: Guiding good conduct is 'O'
Chorus: The letter 'O'
Becoming united as one is 'Ai'
Guiding good conduct is 'O'
What the town agrees upon is 'Oh'
Chorus: The letter 'Oh'
Male: Medicine for an illness is 'Au'
Chorus: The letter 'Au'
Male: Asking "Is that love?" is 'Ah'
Chorus: The letter 'Ah'
Hmm mmm mm mm mmm
A, Aa
Chorus: The letter 'I'
A, Aa, and I
Lalala lalal lalalal lalala la
If you add up the gains in your heart,
true love will surely come together.
If you add up the gains in your heart,
true love will surely come together.
If you subtract deceit from your thoughts,
pure virtue alone will remain.
If you divide the duties of family life,
each one's share will be understood.
If you divide the duties of family life,
each one's share will be understood.
If you multiply desire like a flood,
showing it openly will check it in an instant.
What signifies love is the letter 'A'
The meaning of desire is 'Aa'
Female: What signifies love is the letter 'A'
The meaning of desire is...
Male: Mmm...
Female: 'Aa'...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song uniquely uses the Tamil alphabet vowels (Uyir Ezhuthukkal) from 'Aa' to 'Ak' as a poetic framework to explain human emotions, virtue, and love. Each Tamil letter is mapped to a key life concept such as affection, desire, youthful happiness, moral discipline, and commitment.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monal / Kanaiththodai (Alphabetical Alliteration)

Anbai kurippathu aa nna / Aasaiyin villakkam aavannaa

The lyrics systematically structure each line around Tamil vowels (A, Aa, I, Ee, U, Oo, E, Ae, Ai, O, Oo, Au, Ak) to align philosophical meanings with phonetics.

Mathematical Metaphor (Ganaita Uruvagaim)

Ullaththil laabaththai koottividin / Kallaththai ennaththil kazhiththuvidin

The second half uses basic arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, division, multiplication) as metaphors for emotional, ethical, and marital management.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Illara vaazhkkaiyai vaguththividin / Iruvarin pangenna purinthuvidum

Couplets feature rhyming endings like 'koottividin', 'kazhiththuvidin', 'vaguththividin', and 'perukkividin'.

Did you know?

Trivia

This playful educational song format uses the traditional Tamil Uyir Ezhuthukkal (vowels) sequence to impart moral values and romantic wisdom, composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Malliyam Rajagopal.

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