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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Athiri Pathiri

From Ayya · 2005

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Janani Bharadwaj
Music director
Bharathwaj
Details
Ayya2005

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Kuwwaak…kuwaakKuwwaak…kuwaak
Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Kuwwaak…kuwaakKuwwaak…kuwaak
Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Poraah poraahShe is going, she is going
Selvi ippo thirumathiMiss (unmarried girl) is now becoming Mrs.
Aagha poraahShe is going to become
Female
Athiri pathiriRestless and bustling
KatheerikkaLike an eggplant (playful folk phrase)
En aththaan nenjilIn my beloved cousin's heart
Idam irrukkaIs there a space?
Female
En padippaMy education...
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :Nan tholachenI lost
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :En manasaMy heart
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :Naan tholachenI lost
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female
Kanakku bookka thorandhaWhen I open the mathematics book
Un kaadhal mugham thonumYour loving face appears
Compass pola thaanaeJust like a compass
En kannu unna suththumMy eyes revolve around you
Female
En maamaa magan neengaYou are my maternal uncle's son
En aththaan mura thaangaYou hold the rightful claim to be my groom
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiChorus :EppoDum dum pipes, Chorus: When?
Female
Athiri pathiriRestless and bustling
KatheerikkaLike an eggplant
En aththaan nenjilIn my beloved cousin's heart
Idam irrukkaIs there a space?
Chorus
Oh..ho..ho.ho…oooOh..ho..ho.ho…ooo
Female
Paritchai ezhudhum neramWhen it is time to write the examination
Un sirippu thaanaeIt is only your smile
Chorus :NenachaalaeChorus: Whenever I think of
Female
Pillaiyaar suzhiya nenachiThinking of drawing Lord Ganesha's sacred symbol
Un pera thaanaeIt is only your name
Chorus :VaranchaalaeChorus: That I end up drawing
Female
Sri raamajayam ennakku ennakkuLike chanting 'Sri Ramajayam' for luck
Un perdhaan perdhaan inimelaeYour name alone will be my holy chant from now on
Kilipillaiyaai dhinamum dhinamumLike a trained parrot, every single day
Adhai solven solven thannaalaeI will keep repeating it automatically on my own
Female
Thirukuralaai thirukuralaaiLike the sacred Thirukkural verses
Undhan kuraldhaanIs your sweet voice
Chorus :Unakku unakkuChorus: For you, for you
Female :Thalainagaram thalai nagaramThe capital city itself
undhan therudhaanIs your street
Chorus :Unakku unakkuChorus: For you, for you
Uyirae uyirae…..My life, my life...
Female
En maamaa magan neengaYou are my maternal uncle's son
En aththaan mura thaangaYou hold the rightful claim to be my groom
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiChorus :EppoDum dum pipes, Chorus: When?
Female
Athiri pathiriRestless and bustling
KatheerikkaLike an eggplant
En aththaan nenjilIn my beloved cousin's heart
Idam irrukkaIs there a space?
Chorus
Haan haaaHaan haaa
Haan haaaHaan haaa
Haan haaaHaan haaa
Haa haa haa….Haa haa haa….
Female
Orunaal orunaal orunaalOne day, one day, one day
Oru kaadhal bhoothamA ghost of love
Chorus :PudichiruchuChorus: Caught hold of me
Female
Marunaal marunaal marunaalThe next day, the next day, the next day
Adhu unper solliUttering your name
Chorus :KadichiruchuChorus: It bit me
Female
Udhadugalai unavaai unavaaiAsking for lips as its food
Adhu ketkum ketkum dhinamdhorumIt demands every single day
Ooru sanam urangiya pinnaeAfter all the village folks go to sleep
Adhu muzhichi medhakkum kadhavoramIt wakes up and floats by the doorway
Female
Kulasaami thiruneeruSacred ash of the family deity
Vechchu paarthenI applied and checked
Chorus :Palanae illaChorus: It was of no use
Female :Kuththaalam kovililAt the Kuttalam temple
Thaali kattaTo tie the wedding thread
Chorus :Solludhu mellaChorus: It softly tells me
Uyirae uyiraeMy life, my life
Female
En maamaa magan neengaYou are my maternal uncle's son
En aththaan mura thaangaYou hold the rightful claim to be my groom
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiChorus :EppoDum dum pipes, Chorus: When?
Female
Athiri pathiriRestless and bustling
KatheerikkaLike an eggplant
En aththaan nenjilIn my beloved cousin's heart
Idam irrukkaIs there a space?
Female
En padippaMy education...
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :Nan tholachenI lost
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :En manasaMy heart
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female :Naan tholachenI lost
Chorus :Ohoo…ohoooOhoo…ohooo
Female
Kanakku bookka thorandhaWhen I open the mathematics book
Un kaadhal mugham thonumYour loving face appears
Compass pola thaanaeJust like a compass
En kannu unna suththumMy eyes revolve around you
Female
En maamaa magan neengaYou are my maternal uncle's son
En aththaan mura thaangaYou hold the rightful claim to be my groom
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiChorus :EppoDum dum pipes, Chorus: When?
Female
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo eppoDum dum pipes, Chorus: When? When?
Hey dum dum pipiHey, wedding pipes playing dum-dum
Dumdum pipiDum dum pipes
Chorus :Eppo eppo eppo eppoChorus: When? When? When? When?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful song 'Athiri Pathiri' (often known as 'Aththaan Nenjil') from the film 'Ayya' (2005) is an energetic track sung from the perspective of a young woman (portrayed by Nayanthara in her Tamil debut) teasing her cross-cousin ('Aththaan') and expressing her deep love for him. She sings about how her focus on studies has completely dissolved because his face pops up whenever she opens her school books, and her eyes spin around him like a geometric compass needle. Throughout the track, she humorously details her 'love sickness'—describing love as a ghost that has possessed her and cannot be cured even by the sacred ash of her family deity. The song builds up her anticipation for their impending marriage, eagerly asking when the wedding music ('dum dum pipi') will play for them.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Compass pola thaanae

Compares her spinning eyes to a drawing compass ('Compass pola thaanae en kannu unna suththum') and compares his voice to the holy couplets of Thirukkural ('Thirukuralaai undhan kuraldhaan').

Metaphor (Uruvagaim)

Oru kaadhal bhootham pudichiruchu

Metaphorically describes love as a ghost or spirit ('Kaadhal bhootham') that possesses her.

Anaphora & Rhyme (Edhugai / Monai)

Athiri pathiri

Use of repetitive folk rhyming phrases ('Athiri pathiri katheerikka') and playful rhythmic echoes ('Dum dum pipi').

Did you know?

Trivia

This song features Nayanthara in her Tamil cinema debut opposite Sarathkumar in the 2005 hit film 'Ayya', directed by Hari with music composed by Bharadwaj. Sung enthusiastically by Anuradha Sriram, the track became a popular folk-pop dance number across Tamil Nadu.

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