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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Athai Magan Muthazhagan

From Sainthadamma Sainthadu · 1977

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Sainthadamma Sainthadu
Movie release year
1977
Lyrics added on
19 Nov 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
Aathoram andhi karukalil
Avan aataiyum ottivandhaan
Meow…paarthaandi oru ponaiya
Adi aaththa odiputtaan
Avan soorapulithaan veerathilae
Paththu peru irundha pakkathilae
Avan thathakku thathathaan kattabomman
Aththaimagan
Aththaimagam muthazhagan
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
Thoongaama nadurathiriyil
Avan thoondilil meen pudichaan
Vidinjaakkaa avan koodaiyilae
Pala thavakkala kidanthathumaa
Ada kendai keluthi muttaiidum
Adhu thavakalaiaaga veliyae varum
Idhu teriyaadha puriyaadha appaavi thaan
Aththaimagan
{Aththaimagan muthazhagan
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan} (2)
My aunt's handsome son,
A handsome lad with a budding mustache,
My aunt's handsome son,
A handsome lad with a budding mustache,
He came, Mother, to see a prospective bride,
So that I could garland him!
My aunt's handsome son,
A handsome lad with a budding mustache,
He came, Mother, to see a prospective bride,
So that I could garland him!
By the riverbank at dusk,
He was herding his goats along.
Meow... he spotted a cat,
And oh goodness, he ran away in fear!
He is a fierce tiger in courage,
As long as ten people stand by his side!
Otherwise, he is just a stumbling Kattabomman (legendary brave king)!
This aunt's son of mine!
My aunt's handsome son,
A handsome lad with a budding mustache,
He came, Mother, to see a prospective bride,
So that I could garland him!
Staying awake in the dead of night,
He went fishing with a hook and line.
When morning came, inside his basket,
There were so many frogs lying there, Mother!
He thought, "Carp and catfish lay eggs,
And they hatch out as frogs!"
Such an innocent who knows nothing at all,
This aunt's son of mine!
{My aunt's handsome son,
A handsome lad with a budding mustache,
He came, Mother, to see a prospective bride,
So that I could garland him!} (2)
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful Tamil song expresses a heroine's affectionate teasing of her maternal cousin (aththaimagan) who has arrived to see her for a marriage proposal. Though he carries himself with pride and sports an attractive mustache, she lovingly pokes fun at his cowardice and gullibility—recalling how he ran away in fear from a cat while herding goats and how he mistook frogs for fish during a late-night fishing trip.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

“Aththaimagan muthazhagan / Arumbu meesai kattazhagan”

Repetition of the starting sound 'A' across consecutive lines (Aththaimagan / Arumbu).

Sarcasm / Satire (Nindha Stuthi)

“Avan soorapulithaan veerathilae”

Playfully comparing the hero to a fierce tiger (soorapuli) and a brave leader (Kattabomman) while highlighting his cowardice of being scared by a cat.

Onomatopoeia

“Meow…paarthaandi oru ponaiya”

Use of animal sound 'Meow' to dramatize the feline encounter.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the legendary lyricist Vaali, this track uses traditional Tamil village banter and humor centered around cousin marriages (murai maman), a popular thematic motif in rural Tamil cinema.

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From the same album

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