- Lyricist
- Kumaradevan
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, K. Jamunarani
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Thenkinnam
- Movie release year
- 1971
- Lyrics added on
- 16 May 2024
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Chinnakutti ponnu nee sillaraiya ennu
Ada chinnakutti ponnu nee sillaraiya ennu
Naan kettukinnae vaaraen nee ketkaamalae porae
Naan kettukinnae vaaraen nee ketkaamalae porae
Ennaiyaa nainaa naan idhae petta maina
Ada ennaiyaa nainaa naan idhae petta maina
Naan odhukkikkinae poraen nee orasikkitae vaarae
Naan odhukkikkinae poraen nee orasikkitae vaarae
Ennaayirukku paiyilae eduththu kodu kaiyilae
Ada ennaayirukku paiyilae eduththu kodu kaiyilae
Paiyilae onnum illaattaa kazhatti kodu kammala
Paiyilae onnum illaattaa kazhatti kodu kammala
Sarkku vanthiduchchi santhosam kaaththirukku
Sarkku vanthiduchchi santhosam kaaththirukku
Udanae kudikkanum olagaththa marakkanum
Udanae kudikkanum olagaththa marakkanum
Adi chinnakutti ponnu nee sillaraiya ennu
Naan kettukinnae vaaraen nee ketkaamalae porae
Kalluppaanai vanthathumae soththu paanai yaenguthu
Kalluppaanai vanthathumae soththu paanai yaenguthu
Kaalamellaam erinja anuppula poonai kedanthu thoonguthu
Kaalamellaam erinja anuppula poonai kedanthu thoonguthu
Kedachatha nee kudikkirae ketta adikkirae
Kedachatha nee kudikkirae ketta adikkirae
Nee oru purushanaa roshamulla manushanaa
Ada nee oru purushanaa roshamulla manushanaa
Devanaagi ponaen
Ippa naan devanaagi ponaen
Aamaam devanaagi ponnaen
Kudikkira pazhakkam vanthatharkku pinnae
Naan adikkadi thanni kudikkira pazhakkam vanthatharkku pinnae
Andraadam antha moondru logamum poe vaaraen kannae
Andraadam antha moondru logamum poe vaaraen kannae
Kudi kedukkira kudiyinaalae
Kozhantha kutty pasiyinaalae
Kodal karugi yaengalaachchuthu en machchaan
Kudumpa perum kettu pochchuthu
En machchaan kudumpa perum kettu pochchuthu…
Maadaaga ozhaichchaalum odaaga thaeinjaalum
Novellaam theerppathu thanni
Odambu novellaam theerppathu thanni
Idhu udhavaathena thadukkaatahe ubathesamum kodukkaathae
Vaiyaatahe vaiyaathae sollittaen
Yaarum seiyyaathadi enna senjuttaen
Ennathaan seiyyala nee edhaiththaan vaikkala
Adagu edhaiththaan vaikkala
Ennai thavira unnai thavira
Irukkira intha oru kozhanthaiya thavira
Enna vaikkala adagu edhaithaan vaikkala
Adaguthaan vacha enna
Aththanaiyum ponaalenna
Aampala naan sampaathippaen
Adi pompala adha ketkka nee yaaradi
Adi pompala adha ketkka nee yaaradi
Kanji thanniya kudichchukitt vaayavayaththa katti
Kastappattu kaasu panaththa mudichchu pottu saerththu
Kadhu kammal mookkuththiyum kai valaiyum pottaen
Adhoda vittaenaa illaiyae
Paavi manasu ketkkala aambala nee podattumunnu
Azhagazhagaa seyinnu thaenkinnaththa ketkattumunnu
Transister pottu rist watch mothiram
List pottaa aayiram iththanai iththanai vaangi thanthaen
Kudippatharkku munnae nee kudiyaa kudippatharkku munnae
Ellaam irunthum naan aandi
Ippa irukkuthaa vootula oru thondi
Adikkadi nee ennai vendi
Vaangiya aththanaiyum ennaachchu neeyae sollendi
Ellaam irunthum naan aandi
Ippa irukkuthaa vootula oru thondi
…………………..
Aththanaiyum aththanaiyum adagu kadaiyilae
Niththirai poguthaiyyaa
Ippa niththirai poguthaiyyaa
Adha adagu kadaikku anuppi vachchathintha
Kudikkira pazhakkamaiyaa
Intha kudikkira pazhakkamaiyaa
Varusha kanakkil saernthaen
Ellaam vaara kanakkil pochchu
Varusha kanakkil saernthaen
Ellaam vaara kanakkil pochchu
Onnonnaa pochu
Orae muttaa pochu
Onnonnaa pochu
Orae muttaa pochu
Paaththiram irukkaa pandaamirukkaa
Kevalam katta oru thuni irukkaa
Paaththiram irukkaa pandaamirukkaa
Kevalam katta oru thuni irukkaa
Aaththiram varuthu adakkikiraen
Yaarai sabikkirathu niruththikkiraen
Yaarai sabikkirathu niruththikkiraen
Naan yaarai sabikkirathu niruththikkiraen….
Hey little girl, count your loose change!
Hey little girl, count your loose change!
I keep asking as I follow you, but you walk on without listening!
I keep asking as I follow you, but you walk on without listening!
What do you want, mister? I'm the proud maina bird of this very street!
Hey, what do you want, mister? I'm the proud maina bird of this very street!
I keep trying to move aside, but you keep brushing against me as you come...
I keep trying to move aside, but you keep brushing against me as you come...
What is that in your pocket? Take it out and put it in my hand!
Hey, what is that in your pocket? Take it out and put it in my hand!
If there is nothing in your pocket, take off your earrings and hand them over!
If there is nothing in your pocket, take off your earrings and hand them over!
The booze has arrived, and happiness is waiting!
The booze has arrived, and happiness is waiting!
I have to drink right now and forget the whole world!
I have to drink right now and forget the whole world!
Hey little girl, count your loose change!
I keep asking as I follow you, but you walk on without listening!
The moment the liquor pot arrives, the rice pot goes hungry!
The moment the liquor pot arrives, the rice pot goes hungry!
A cat lies sleeping in the stove that used to burn all the time!
A cat lies sleeping in the stove that used to burn all the time!
You drink whatever you get your hands on and act wild!
You drink whatever you get your hands on and act wild!
Are you even a husband? Are you a man with any self-respect?
Hey, are you even a husband? Are you a man with any self-respect?
I have become a god!
Now I have become a god!
Yes, I have become a god!
Ever since I picked up the habit of drinking!
Ever since I picked up the habit of drinking booze so often!
Every day I visit all three worlds and come back, my dear!
Every day I visit all three worlds and come back, my dear!
Because of this drinking habit that destroys our home,
because our little children are starving in hunger,
their bellies burn with hunger and longing, my dear husband!
Our family's good name is completely ruined...
My dear husband, our family's good name is completely ruined...
Even if I work like an ox and wear myself down to a shell,
booze is what takes away all my pain!
Booze is what cures all this body ache!
Do not stop me saying it is useless, and do not preach to me!
Do not scold me, do not scold me, I am warning you!
What have I done that no one else has ever done?
What have you not done? What is left that you have not pledged?
What have you not put in the pawnshop?
Except for me, except for you,
and except for this one child we have,
what have you not pledged? What is left that you have not pawned?
So what if I pawned them?
What does it matter if everything is gone?
I am a man, I will earn it all back!
Hey woman, who are you to question me about it?
Hey woman, who are you to question me about it?
Drinking only rice water and starving myself,
struggling hard and tying up every penny to save,
I bought earrings, a nose ring, and bangles for my wrists!
Did I stop with just that? No, I did not!
My foolish heart wanted you, my man, to wear nice things too,
so I bought you a lovely chain, and to let you listen to Thenkinnam (popular radio program),
a transistor radio, a wristwatch, and a ring!
If I made a list there would be a thousand—I bought and gave you all of that,
before you took to drinking, before you drank yourself to ruin...
Despite having had everything, now I am a pauper!
Is there even a single small water pot left in the house now?
You kept begging me again and again,
so what happened to everything that was bought? You tell me, woman!
Despite having had everything, now I am a pauper!
Is there even a single small water pot left in the house now?
...
Every single one of those things,
is lying asleep in the pawnshop, mister!
Right now it is sleeping in the pawnshop, mister!
And what sent it all to the pawnshop
is this habit of drinking, mister!
Yes, this habit of drinking, mister!
I saved them up over the years,
but everything was lost in a matter of weeks!
I saved them up over the years,
but everything was lost in a matter of weeks!
They went away one by one,
and vanished completely all at once!
They went away one by one,
and vanished completely all at once!
There is a cooking pot, but is there any grain to put in it?
In this shame, is there even a decent cloth to wear?
There is a cooking pot, but is there any grain to put in it?
In this shame, is there even a decent cloth to wear?
Rage rises within me, but I hold it back;
whom should I curse? I will just hold my tongue!
Whom should I curse? I will just hold my tongue!
Whom should I curse? I will just hold my tongue...
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This dramatic dialogue song from the film Thenkinnam (1971) portrays a sharp social argument between a liquor-addicted husband and his aggrieved wife. The husband rationalizes his heavy drinking as a cure for physical labor and fatigue, boasting that alcohol elevates him to a god-like state of bliss. In contrast, his wife laments how his addiction has ruined their family reputation, reduced them to starvation, and forced all their household possessions and jewelry into the pawn shop. The song highlights the tragic domestic impact of alcoholism on working-class families with a blend of Madras slang, rhythm, and pathos.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Maadaaga ozhaichchaalum odaaga thaeinjaalum”
The second letters of 'Maadaaga' and 'odaaga' match with 'da', creating a rhythmic flow describing grueling labor.
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Devanaagi ponaen / Ippa naan devanaagi ponaen”
The husband metaphorically equates his state of intoxication to attaining godhood ('Devanaagi ponaen').
Antithesis / Contrast (Maranu)
“Varusha kanakkil saernthaen / Ellaam vaara kanakkil pochchu”
Contrasts savings accumulated over 'years' (Varusha kanakkil) against losses that vanished in 'weeks' (vaara kanakkil).
Did you know?
Trivia
Featured in the 1971 film 'Thenkinnam' starring Nagesh and Vijaya Lalitha, this song was composed by Shankar-Ganesh and written in local Chennai/Madras dialect by Kumaradevan. It features T. M. Soundarajan and K. Jamunarani engaging in a high-energy vocal sparring match.
Keep listening
Songs with a similar feeling
Kalam Kalikalam1992
Kali KaalamGriefPoverty
Kiliyapola1998
Veera ThalattuDomestic LifeBittersweet
Raatthirikku Boovaavukku Laatteri1954
KoondukkiliPovertyWork And Duty
Anbu Thaaye1987
Anbulla AppaGriefFamily
Gandhi Thatha2016
Aandavan KattalaiPovertyBittersweet
Ada Ethaiyo Nenachen1982
Oorum UravumDomestic LifeFamily
From the same album
More songs from Thenkinnam
View albumSpot an issue?
Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.