Athai Magan Muthazhagan
From Sainthadamma Sainthadu · 1977
- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Details
- Sainthadamma Sainthadu1977
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Female | |
| Aththaimagan muthazhagan | My cousin, handsome beyond compare |
| Arumbu meesai kattazhagan | A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache |
| Aththaimagan muthazhagan | My cousin, handsome beyond compare |
| Arumbu meesai kattazhagan | A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache |
| Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan | He came, oh mother, to see a bride |
| Poomaalaiya naan podathaan | For me to place a flower garland on him |
| Female | |
| Aththaimagan muthazhagan | My cousin, handsome beyond compare |
| Arumbu meesai kattazhagan | A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache |
| Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan | He came, oh mother, to see a bride |
| Poomaalaiya naan podathaan | For me to place a flower garland on him |
| Female | |
| Aathoram andhi karukalil | By the riverbank in the twilight dusk |
| Avan aataiyum ottivandhaan | He came along driving his goats |
| Meow…paarthaandi oru ponaiya | Meow... he saw a cat |
| Adi aaththa odiputtaan | Oh dear mother, he panicked and ran away! |
| Female | |
| Avan soorapulithaan veerathilae | He is a brave tiger in courage |
| Paththu peru irundha pakkathilae | Only when there are ten people beside him |
| Avan thathakku thathathaan kattabomman | He stumbles like a brave Kattabomman |
| Female | |
| Aththaimagan | My cousin |
| Aththaimagam muthazhagan | My cousin, handsome beyond compare |
| Arumbu meesai kattazhagan | A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache |
| Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan | He came, oh mother, to see a bride |
| Poomaalaiya naan podathaan | For me to place a flower garland on him |
| Female | |
| Thoongaama nadurathiriyil | Sleepless in the middle of the night |
| Avan thoondilil meen pudichaan | He caught fish with his fishing rod |
| Vidinjaakkaa avan koodaiyilae | When dawn broke, inside his basket |
| Pala thavakkala kidanthathumaa | Many frogs were lying around! |
| Female | |
| Ada kendai keluthi muttaiidum | Oh, carp and catfish lay eggs |
| Adhu thavakalaiaaga veliyae varum | And they hatch out as frogs |
| Idhu teriyaadha puriyaadha appaavi thaan | He is an innocent soul who neither knows nor understands this |
| Female | |
| Aththaimagan | My cousin |
| {Aththaimagan muthazhagan | {My cousin, handsome beyond compare |
| Arumbu meesai kattazhagan | A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache |
| Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan | He came, oh mother, to see a bride |
| Poomaalaiya naan podathaan} (2) | For me to place a flower garland on him} (2) |
அத்தைமகன் முத்தழகன்.....
அரும்புமீசை கட்டழகன்
அத்தமகன் முத்தழகன்.....
அரும்புமீசை கட்டழகன்
வந்தானம்மா ஒரு பெண் பார்க்கத்தான்
பூமாலைய நான் போடத்தான்
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
For me to place a flower garland on him
அத்தைமகன் முத்தழகன்.....
அரும்புமீசை கட்டழகன்
வந்தானம்மா ஒரு பெண் பார்க்கத்தான்
பூமாலைய நான் போடத்தான்
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
For me to place a flower garland on him
ஆத்தோரம் அந்திக்கருக்கலில்
அவன் ஆசையாய் ஓடிவந்தான்
ம்யாவ்
பார்த்தாண்டி ஒரு பூனையை
அடி ஆத்தா ஓடிப்புட்டான்
By the riverbank in the twilight dusk
He came along driving his goats
Meow... he saw a cat
Oh dear mother, he panicked and ran away!
அவன் சூரப்புலிதான் வீரத்திலே
பத்துபேரு இருந்தா பக்கத்திலே
அவன் தாத்தாக்குத் தாத்தாதான்
கட்ட பொம்மன்
He is a brave tiger in courage
Only when there are ten people beside him
He stumbles like a brave Kattabomman
அத்தைமகன் முத்தழகன்.....
அரும்புமீசை கட்டழகன்
வந்தானம்மா ஒரு பெண் பார்க்கத்தான்
பூமாலைய நான் போடத்தான்
My cousin
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
For me to place a flower garland on him
தூங்காம நடு ராத்திரியில்
அவன் தூண்டிலில் மீன் பிடிச்சான்
விடிஞ்சாக்க அவன் கூடையில
பல தவக்கள கிடந்ததுவாம்
Sleepless in the middle of the night
He caught fish with his fishing rod
When dawn broke, inside his basket
Many frogs were lying around!
அட கெண்டை கெளுத்தி
முட்டையிடும்
அது தவக்களையாக
வெளியே வரும் இது
தெரியாத புரியாத அப்பாவிதான்
Oh, carp and catfish lay eggs
And they hatch out as frogs
He is an innocent soul who neither knows nor understands this
{அத்தைமகன் முத்தழகன்.....
அரும்புமீசை கட்டழகன்
வந்தானம்மா ஒரு பெண் பார்க்கத்தான்
பூமாலைய நான் போடத்தான்} (2)
My cousin
{My cousin, handsome beyond compare
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
For me to place a flower garland on him} (2)
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
For me to place a flower garland on him
Aththaimagan muthazhagan
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
For me to place a flower garland on him
Aathoram andhi karukalil
By the riverbank in the twilight dusk
Avan aataiyum ottivandhaan
He came along driving his goats
Meow…paarthaandi oru ponaiya
Meow... he saw a cat
Adi aaththa odiputtaan
Oh dear mother, he panicked and ran away!
Avan soorapulithaan veerathilae
He is a brave tiger in courage
Paththu peru irundha pakkathilae
Only when there are ten people beside him
Avan thathakku thathathaan kattabomman
He stumbles like a brave Kattabomman
Aththaimagan
My cousin
Aththaimagam muthazhagan
My cousin, handsome beyond compare
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan
For me to place a flower garland on him
Thoongaama nadurathiriyil
Sleepless in the middle of the night
Avan thoondilil meen pudichaan
He caught fish with his fishing rod
Vidinjaakkaa avan koodaiyilae
When dawn broke, inside his basket
Pala thavakkala kidanthathumaa
Many frogs were lying around!
Ada kendai keluthi muttaiidum
Oh, carp and catfish lay eggs
Adhu thavakalaiaaga veliyae varum
And they hatch out as frogs
Idhu teriyaadha puriyaadha appaavi thaan
He is an innocent soul who neither knows nor understands this
Aththaimagan
My cousin
{Aththaimagan muthazhagan
{My cousin, handsome beyond compare
Arumbu meesai kattazhagan
A well-built handsome man with a sprouting mustache
Vandhaan amma oru penn paarkkathaan
He came, oh mother, to see a bride
Poomaalaiya naan podathaan} (2)
For me to place a flower garland on him} (2)
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
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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