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Lyrics & meaning

Appappa Thithikkum

From Japanil Kalyanaraman · 1985

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Japanil Kalyanaraman1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
……………………….....
Male
Appapaa thithikkumOh my, how sweet it is!
Undhan muthamYour kiss,
Pon muthamA golden kiss!
Motchangal sithikkumLiberation will be attained,
Ingu nithamHere every day,
Yen vetkamWhy my shyness?
Male
Anandham kedaikattumLet joy be attained,
Perinbam perukkattumLet supreme bliss multiply!
Ilamaikku selavu irukattum haLet youth be spent, ha!
Inimaikku varavu nadakattumLet sweetness yield income!
Hey ilamaikku selavu irukattum haHey, let youth be spent, ha!
Inimaikku varavu nadakattumLet sweetness yield income!
Male
Appapaa thithikkumOh my, how sweet it is!
Undhan muthamYour kiss,
Pon muthamA golden kiss!
Motchangal sithikkumLiberation will be attained,
Ingu nithamHere every day,
Yen vetkamWhy my shyness?
Male
{Indhira ulagamum{The world of Indra,
Chandhira ulagamumAnd the world of the Moon,
Idhu dhaan hey ithu dhaanIs right here, hey right here!
Manmadha nilavugalThe moons of Cupid,
Sammadham tharuvadhumGranting their consent,
Sugam dhaan haa sugam dhaan} (2)Is pleasure indeed, haa pleasure indeed!} (2)
Male
Menagai enn naatiyamSeeing my dance, Menaka,
Paarthadhal maraindhaal hahaaDisappeared in envy, hahaa!
Oorvasi sila naatkalaiUrvashi for a few days,
Enn tholgalil irundhaalRested upon my shoulders!
Iravuku yedhu varaimurai heyWhat boundaries exist for the night, hey?
Ilamaiku vendaam vidumuraiYouth needs no vacation!
Male
Appapaa thithikkumOh my, how sweet it is!
Undhan muthamYour kiss,
Pon muthamA golden kiss!
Motchangal sithikkumLiberation will be attained,
Ingu nithamHere every day,
Yen vetkamWhy my shyness?
Male
Anandham kedaikattumLet joy be attained,
Perinbam perukkattumLet supreme bliss multiply!
Ilamaikku selavu irukattum haLet youth be spent, ha!
Inimaikku varavu nadakattumLet sweetness yield income!
Ilamaikku selavu irukattum heyLet youth be spent, hey!
Inimaikku varavu nadakattum haaaLet sweetness yield income, haaa!
Male
……………………………....
Male
Hey hey hey hey heyHey hey hey hey hey
{Vaalibam irupadhum{Having youth,
Vaazkaiyai rasipathumAnd relishing life,
Sila naal hey sila naalLasts only a few days, hey a few days!
Athargal poosiyaSages smeared in holy ash,
Sithargal maraipathuHiding from it,
Ethanaal ha ethanaal } (2)Why do they do so, ha why?} (2)
Male
Kaadhaloo idhamanadhuLove indeed is pleasant,
Kaamanae varughaWelcome, O Lord Cupid!
Tha tha thaga thaTha tha thaga tha
Vaazhkaiyo sugamanadhuLife indeed is joyful,
Vaalibam varughaWelcome, O youthfulness!
Ilamaiyin pandhi nadakatum heyLet the feast of youth begin, hey!
Enakkoru pangu kidaikkatum haaLet me get a share of it, haa!
Male
Appapaa thithikkumOh my, how sweet it is!
Undhan muthamYour kiss,
Pon muthamA golden kiss!
Motchangal sithikkumLiberation will be attained,
Ingu nithamHere every day,
Yen vetkamWhy my shyness?
Male
Anandham kedaikattumLet joy be attained,
Perinbam perukkattumLet supreme bliss multiply!
Ilamaikku selavu irukattum haLet youth be spent, ha!
Inimaikku varavu nadakattumLet sweetness yield income!
Hey ilamaikku selavu irukattumHey, let youth be spent,
Inimaikku varavu nadakattumLet sweetness yield income!
Male
Appapaa thithikkumOh my, how sweet it is!
Undhan muthamYour kiss,
Pon mutham haaA golden kiss, haa!
Motchangal sithikkumLiberation will be attained,
Ingu nithamHere every day,
Yen vetkam …..Why my shyness? ...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Appapaa Thithikkum' is a playful, romantic dance song from the 1985 film 'Japanil Kalyanaraman', written by lyricist Vairamuthu and composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja. The lyrics celebrate the intense sweetness of passion, comparing a lover's golden kiss to spiritual liberation (Moksha) and framing the joy of romantic love as the ultimate heavenly experience on Earth. Using hyperbolic imagery, the song boasts that even celestial maidens like Menaka and Urvashi pale in comparison to the protagonist's charm. Vairamuthu ingeniously uses a financial metaphor—treating youth as an expenditure ('selavu') that brings a rich return in sweetness ('varavu')—encouraging lovers to fully indulge in the short-lived feast of youth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Financial Metaphor (Selavu & Varavu)

Ilamaikku selavu irukattum... Inimaikku varavu nadakattum

Compares youth to financial accounting where spending youth ('Ilamaikku selavu') brings income of sweetness ('Inimaikku varavu').

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Indhira ulagamum / Chandhira ulagamum

Matching opening consonant sounds across consecutive lines (Indhira / Chandhira, Kaadhaloo / Kaamanae).

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Appapaa thithikkum / Motchangal sithikkum

Matching second consonants across lines (thithikkum / sithikkum, Menagai / Oorvasi).

Hyperbole (Ushnavina/Athisayokthi)

Menagai enn naatiyam paarthadhal maraindhaal

Exaggerating beauty by claiming heavenly dancers Menaka and Urvashi were humbled and overshadowed.

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Trivia

'Japanil Kalyanaraman' (1985), directed by S. P. Muthuraman and starring Kamal Haasan and Radha, was the sequel to the 1979 blockbuster 'Kalyanaraman' and was famous for being one of the earliest Tamil films shot extensively on location in Japan. The song features Ilaiyaraaja's vibrant fusion beats and Vairamuthu's witty lyricism.

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