Chennai Managaram
From E · 2006
- Lyricist
- Lyricist Not Known
- Singer
- Puliyanthoppu Pazhani
- Music director
- Srikanth Deva
- Details
- E2006
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Chennai maanagaram | Chennai metropolis |
| Oru naal sirappana nagaram | Once upon a time, a magnificent city |
| Male | |
| Chennai maanagaram | Chennai metropolis |
| Oru naal sirappana nagaram | Once upon a time, a magnificent city |
| Male | |
| Naanga koovathila kulichom | We used to bathe in the Cooum river |
| Ada adayarila thuni thuvaichom | Hey, we washed our clothes in the Adyar river |
| Male | |
| Buckingkaamila padagu vittom | We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal |
| Adhu oru kaalam | That was a great era back then |
| Dei… | Hey... |
| Male | |
| Buckingkaamila padagu vittom | We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal |
| Adhu oru kaalam | That was a great era back then |
| Male | |
| Ippo aththanaiyum naari pochae | Now everything has turned foul and stinky |
| Idhu oru kaalam | This is a different era altogether |
| Idhu namma kaalam | This is our present era |
சென்னை மாநகரம்
ஒரு நாள் சிறப்பான நகரம்
Chennai metropolis
Once upon a time, a magnificent city
சென்னை மாநகரம்
ஒரு நாள் சிறப்பான நகரம்
Chennai metropolis
Once upon a time, a magnificent city
நாங்க கூவத்தில
குளிச்சோம் அட
அடையாறில துணி
துவைச்சோம்
We used to bathe in the Cooum river
Hey, we washed our clothes in the Adyar river
பக்கிங்காமில
படகு விட்டோம் அது
ஒரு காலம் டேய்
We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal
That was a great era back then
Hey...
பக்கிங்காமில
படகு விட்டோம் அது
ஒரு காலம்
We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal
That was a great era back then
இப்போ அத்தனையும்
நாறி போச்சே இது ஒரு
காலம் இது நம்ம காலம்
Now everything has turned foul and stinky
This is a different era altogether
This is our present era
Chennai maanagaram
Chennai metropolis
Oru naal sirappana nagaram
Once upon a time, a magnificent city
Chennai maanagaram
Chennai metropolis
Oru naal sirappana nagaram
Once upon a time, a magnificent city
Naanga koovathila kulichom
We used to bathe in the Cooum river
Ada adayarila thuni thuvaichom
Hey, we washed our clothes in the Adyar river
Buckingkaamila padagu vittom
We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal
Adhu oru kaalam
That was a great era back then
Dei…
Hey...
Buckingkaamila padagu vittom
We sailed boats in the Buckingham Canal
Adhu oru kaalam
That was a great era back then
Ippo aththanaiyum naari pochae
Now everything has turned foul and stinky
Idhu oru kaalam
This is a different era altogether
Idhu namma kaalam
This is our present era
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This song presents a satirical yet nostalgic reflection on the environmental transformation of Chennai city. It contrasts the clean, golden past—when citizens could bathe, wash clothes, and sail boats in local water bodies like the Cooum, Adyar, and Buckingham Canal—with the modern era where urbanization has turned these once-vital waterways into polluted, foul-smelling canals.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Contrast (Juxtaposition)
“Adhu oru kaalam ... Ippo aththanaiyum naari pochae”
The lyrics contrast 'Adhu oru kaalam' (That was an era) with 'Idhu oru kaalam' (This is an era now) to highlight the degradation of Chennai's environment over time.
Madras Tamil Dialect (Local Slang)
“Ippo aththanaiyum naari pochae”
Uses authentic local Chennai slang ('naari pochae', 'dei') to establish a colloquial, relatable local voice.
Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)
“Naanga koovathila kulichom / Ada adayarila thuni thuvaichom”
Demonstrates rhythm through local folk song lyric patterns using local place names.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song references the Buckingham Canal, Cooum, and Adyar rivers—three historical waterways of Chennai that were navigable and clean prior to the late 20th century, before industrial pollution and urban sewage severely degraded them.
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