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Isaimozhi
Ayya album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Athiri Pathiri

From Ayya · 2005

Lyricist
Pa. Vijay
Singer
Janani Bharadwaj
Music director
Bharathwaj
Movie name
Ayya
Movie release year
2005
Lyrics added on
20 Jun 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ohoo…ohooo
Kuwwaak…kuwaak
Ohoo…ohooo
Kuwwaak…kuwaak
Ohoo…ohooo
Poraah poraah
Selvi ippo thirumathi
Aagha poraah
Athiri pathiri
Katheerikka
En aththaan nenjil
Idam irrukka
En padippa
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :Nan tholachen
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :En manasa
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :Naan tholachen
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Kanakku bookka thorandha
Un kaadhal mugham thonum
Compass pola thaanae
En kannu unna suththum
En maamaa magan neenga
En aththaan mura thaanga
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo
Athiri pathiri
Katheerikka
En aththaan nenjil
Idam irrukka
Oh..ho..ho.ho…ooo
Paritchai ezhudhum neram
Un sirippu thaanae
Chorus :Nenachaalae
Pillaiyaar suzhiya nenachi
Un pera thaanae
Chorus :Varanchaalae
Sri raamajayam ennakku ennakku
Un perdhaan perdhaan inimelae
Kilipillaiyaai dhinamum dhinamum
Adhai solven solven thannaalae
Thirukuralaai thirukuralaai
Undhan kuraldhaan
Chorus :Unakku unakku
Female :Thalainagaram thalai nagaram
undhan therudhaan
Chorus :Unakku unakku
Uyirae uyirae…..
En maamaa magan neenga
En aththaan mura thaanga
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo
Athiri pathiri
Katheerikka
En aththaan nenjil
Idam irrukka
Haan haaa
Haan haaa
Haan haaa
Haa haa haa….
Orunaal orunaal orunaal
Oru kaadhal bhootham
Chorus :Pudichiruchu
Marunaal marunaal marunaal
Adhu unper solli
Chorus :Kadichiruchu
Udhadugalai unavaai unavaai
Adhu ketkum ketkum dhinamdhorum
Ooru sanam urangiya pinnae
Adhu muzhichi medhakkum kadhavoram
Kulasaami thiruneeru
Vechchu paarthen
Chorus :Palanae illa
Female :Kuththaalam kovilil
Thaali katta
Chorus :Solludhu mella
Uyirae uyirae
En maamaa magan neenga
En aththaan mura thaanga
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo
Athiri pathiri
Katheerikka
En aththaan nenjil
Idam irrukka
En padippa
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :Nan tholachen
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :En manasa
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Female :Naan tholachen
Chorus :Ohoo…ohooo
Kanakku bookka thorandha
Un kaadhal mugham thonum
Compass pola thaanae
En kannu unna suththum
En maamaa magan neenga
En aththaan mura thaanga
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipiChorus :Eppo eppo
Hey dum dum pipi
Dumdum pipi
Chorus :Eppo eppo eppo eppo
Oho... oho...
Quack... quack...
Oho... oho...
Quack... quack...
Oho... oho...
She's going, she's going!
The young miss is now
going to become a Mrs.!
Athiri pathiri (playful rhythm),
eggplant!
In my beloved cousin's heart,
is there room for me?
Is it my studies,
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: that I lost?
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: My heart,
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: I lost it!
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Whenever I open my math book,
your loving face appears!
Just like a compass,
my eyes spin around you!
You are my maternal uncle's son,
my rightful match to marry!
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee (wedding pipes and drums),
Dum-dum pee-pee, Chorus: When will the wedding be?
Athiri pathiri,
eggplant!
In my beloved cousin's heart,
is there room for me?
Oh... ho... ho... ho... oh...
While writing my exam,
it was your sweet smile,
Chorus: that she kept remembering!
Thinking of drawing the auspicious Pillayar mark,
it was your name
Chorus: that she wrote down!
For me, my sacred prayer chant
is your name alone from now on!
Like a trained parrot, every single day,
I will keep repeating it on my own!
Like sacred Thirukkural verses,
your voice is sacred
Chorus: to you, to you!
Female: The capital city, the capital city
is your street alone,
Chorus: for you, for you!
My love, my soul...
You are my maternal uncle's son,
my rightful match to marry!
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee,
Dum-dum pee-pee, Chorus: When will the wedding be?
Athiri pathiri,
eggplant!
In my beloved cousin's heart,
is there room for me?
Haan haa...
Haan haa...
Haan haa...
Haa haa haa...
One day, one day, one fine day,
a spirit of love
Chorus: possessed her!
The next day, the next day, the next day,
calling out your name,
Chorus: it bit her!
Demanding lips as its food,
it asks for them every single day!
After the whole town goes to sleep,
it stays awake and hovers by the door!
The family deity's sacred ash,
I applied and tried,
Chorus: but with no effect!
Female: In the temple at Kutralam,
to tie the wedding knot,
Chorus: it softly whispers!
My love, my soul...
You are my maternal uncle's son,
my rightful match to marry!
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee,
Dum-dum pee-pee, Chorus: When will the wedding be?
Athiri pathiri,
eggplant!
In my beloved cousin's heart,
is there room for me?
Is it my studies,
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: that I lost?
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: My heart,
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Female: I lost it!
Chorus: Oho... oho...
Whenever I open my math book,
your loving face appears!
Just like a compass,
my eyes spin around you!
You are my maternal uncle's son,
my rightful match to marry!
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee,
Dum-dum pee-pee, Chorus: When will the wedding be?
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee,
Dum-dum pee-pee, Chorus: When, oh when?
Hey, dum-dum pee-pee,
Dum-dum pee-pee...
Chorus: When, when, when, when?
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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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