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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Chinna Ponnu Purushan

From Idhu Engal Rajyam · 1985

Lyricist
Pulamaipithan
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Chandrabose
Movie name
Idhu Engal Rajyam
Movie release year
1985
Lyrics added on
9 Feb 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Pattikkaattu ragaththilae
Ittu katti paaduraendaa
Chinna pasangalellaam
Kaiththaalam podungadaa
Chinna ponnu purushan yaaru
Vaaththiyaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Intha neram enna paadam
Solluvaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Thaali kattum mukoorththam paarthaen
Soru pottaanga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Shanthi mukoorththam paakka ponaen
Thoraththi puttaanga
Chorus :Aamaa
Chinna ponnu purushan yaaru
Vaaththiyaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Intha neram enna paadam
Solluvaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa aamaa
Aamaa aamaa aamaa aamaa
Odukaali paatta ketkka
Ponnu vanthuchchu
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Ulla vachchu sonna paadam
Enna aachchuthu
Chorus :Aamaa
: English speach-u paadam doi
Oooi oooi oooi….
English speach-u paadam doi
Ivalukkenga yaerum doi
Vaaththiyaaru paadam angae
Paadhiyilae ninnu pochchu
Chorus :Aroharaa aroharaa
Meedhi eppo solluvaaru
Chorus :Kelungadaa kelungadaa
Chinna ponnu purushan yaaru
Vaaththiyaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Intha neram enna paadam
Solluvaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa aamaa
Aamaa aamaa aamaa aamaa
Thaavaniya vuttuputtu
Podava kattittaa
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Chinna ponnu periya ponnaa
Aagiputtaadaa
Chorus :Aamaa
Vaaththiyaara yaemaaththi vanthuttaadaa rasathi
Pattanaththu vaaththiyaaru
Chorus :Naaraayanaa naaraayanaa
Male :Koratta pottu thoonguvaaru
Chorus :Naaraayanaa naaraayanaa
Male :Vidiyarappo ezhuppi vidu
Chorus :Chinna ponnu chinna ponnu
Chinna ponnu purushan yaaru
Vaaththiyaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Intha neram enna paadam
Solluvaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Thaali kattum mukoorththam paarthaen
Soru pottaanga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Shanthi mukoorththam paakka ponaen
Thoraththi puttaanga
Chorus :Aamaa
Chinna ponnu purushan yaaru
Vaaththiyaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa
Male :Intha neram enna paadam
Solluvaarunga
Chorus :Aamaa aamaa
Aamaa aamaa aamaa aamaa
In a rustic village tune,
I am making up a song and singing, boys!
All you young lads,
clap your hands to the beat!
Who is the young girl's husband?
He is the schoolmaster, sir!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: At this time, what lesson
will he be teaching her, sir?
Chorus: Yes!
I watched the wedding knot being tied,
and they served us a feast!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: I went to peek at their wedding night,
but they chased me away!
Chorus: Yes!
Who is the young girl's husband?
He is the schoolmaster, sir!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: At this time, what lesson
will he be teaching her, sir?
Chorus: Yes, yes!
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
To hear the drifter's song,
the girl came along!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: The lesson taught behind closed doors,
whatever happened to it?
Chorus: Yes!
It was an English-speech lesson, buddy!
Oho, oho, oho...
An English-speech lesson, buddy!
How could she ever grasp it, buddy?
The teacher's lesson right there
came to a halt halfway through!
Chorus: Arohara! Arohara!
When will he teach the rest?
Chorus: Go on and ask him, boys!
Who is the young girl's husband?
He is the schoolmaster, sir!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: At this time, what lesson
will he be teaching her, sir?
Chorus: Yes, yes!
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Giving up her half-sari,
she draped a full sari!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: The little girl has now grown into
a woman, boys!
Chorus: Yes!
Tricking the teacher, the darling girl has arrived!
The city-bred teacher,
Chorus: Narayana! Narayana!
Male: will be fast asleep and snoring!
Chorus: Narayana! Narayana!
Male: Wake him up when dawn breaks,
Chorus: little girl, little girl!
Who is the young girl's husband?
He is the schoolmaster, sir!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: At this time, what lesson
will he be teaching her, sir?
Chorus: Yes!
I watched the wedding knot being tied,
and they served us a feast!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: I went to peek at their wedding night,
but they chased me away!
Chorus: Yes!
Who is the young girl's husband?
He is the schoolmaster, sir!
Chorus: Yes!
Male: At this time, what lesson
will he be teaching her, sir?
Chorus: Yes, yes!
Yes, yes, yes, yes!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a playful and humor-filled folk song set in a village context, featuring a lead singer conversing with a chorus of local villagers. The song playfully teases a young girl who has recently married an educated city schoolmaster. Through comedic call-and-response lyrics, the singer pokes fun at the contrast between the sophisticated urban teacher—who teaches English lessons and snores loudly—and the rustic village culture.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monaipathai (Alliteration / Initial Rhyme)

Pattikkaattu ragaththilae / Ittu katti paaduraendaa

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across lines, such as 'Pattikkaattu' and 'Ittu' or 'Chinna' in consecutive lines.

Folk Colloquial Refrain (Eyalbu / Call-and-Response)

Chorus :Aamaa

Use of rhythmic chorus responses like 'Aamaa' and 'Naaraayanaa' typical of Tamil village folk drama and Oyilattam/Villupattu forms.

Double Entendre / Metaphor (Siledai)

Intha neram enna paadam / Solluvaarunga

Using 'paadam' (lesson) metaphorically to joke about intimate domestic marriage life and formal teaching.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the renowned lyricist Pulamaipithan, this song uses classic Tamil rural dialect (Graamiya Tamizh) mixed with folk performative banter reminiscent of traditional Therukoothu and Villupattu story-telling traditions.

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