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Isaimozhi
Athisaya Penn album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Eena Meena Deeka (Female)

From Athisaya Penn · 1959

Lyricist
V. Seetharaman
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Movie name
Athisaya Penn
Movie release year
1959
Lyrics added on
14 Aug 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Eenaa meenaa teegaa
Haan jei jaamaa neegaa
Haan maaga naaga naagaa
Haan seegaa peegaa reegaa
Eenaa meenaa reegaa teegaa
Jei jei jaamaa neegaa
Maaga naaga maaga naagaa
Seegaa peegaa rolaa reegaa
Sonnaalae sandhosam….
Jarigai kullaa
Pottu varaaru maapillai
Jameenthaaru veettupillai ivar illai
Jarigai kullaa
Pottu varaaru maapillai
Jameenthaaru veettupillai ivar illai
Chinna chinna pengal
Sinegam ivarkundu
Sinungum velai kandu
Sirikka vaippathundu
Oorellaam ivar uravundu
Oho….ho….oho…ho….oho…ho….hey…
Eenaa meenaa teegaa
Chorus :Eenaa meenaa teegaa
Female :Haan jei jaamaa neegaa
Chorus :Jei jaamaa neegaa
Female :Haan maaga naaga naagaa
Chorus :Maaga naaga naagaa
Female :Haan seegaa peegaa reegaa
Chorus :Seegaa peegaa reegaa
Niththam oru kalyaanam
Ninaichchaa kottu melam
Irandu thaara sattam
Ivar varaikkum mattum
Maaman Maami kodi
Maiththunar mukkoodi
Maaman Maami kodi
Maiththunar mukkoodi
Maappillai ivar yaarendraal
Marappaatchi marappaatchi
Marappaatchiyae….hae….
Eenaa meenaa teegaa
Chorus :Eenaa meenaa teegaa
Female :Haan jei jaamaa neegaa
Chorus :Jei jaamaa neegaa
Female :Haan maaga naaga naagaa
Chorus: Maaga naaga naagaa
Female :Haan seegaa peegaa reegaa
Chorus :Seegaa peegaa reegaa
Eena meena deeka
Haan jai jaama neeka
Haan maaka naaka naaka
Haan seeka peeka reeka
Eena meena reeka deeka
Jai jai jaama neeka
Maaka naaka maaka naaka
Seeka peeka rola reeka
Just saying these words brings joy...
Wearing a gold-laced cap,
Here comes the bridegroom!
Yet he is not the son of a zamindar (landlord).
Wearing a gold-laced cap,
Here comes the bridegroom!
Yet he is not the son of a zamindar (landlord).
All the little girls
Are dear friends of his;
Whenever he sees them pouting,
He makes them laugh!
He has relatives all across the town!
Oho... ho... oho... ho... oho... ho... hey...
Eena meena deeka
Chorus: Eena meena deeka
Female: Haan jai jaama neeka
Chorus: Jai jaama neeka
Female: Haan maaka naaka naaka
Chorus: Maaka naaka naaka
Female: Haan seeka peeka reeka
Chorus: Seeka peeka reeka
A brand new wedding every single day,
The drums beat whenever he pleases!
The law against having two wives
Has no effect on him!
Uncles and aunts in the millions,
Thirty million brothers-in-law!
Uncles and aunts in the millions,
Thirty million brothers-in-law!
If you ask who this bridegroom is,
He is a Marappachi (traditional wooden doll), a Marappachi doll,
Yes, just a Marappachi doll... hey...
Eena meena deeka
Chorus: Eena meena deeka
Female: Haan jai jaama neeka
Chorus: Jai jaama neeka
Female: Haan maaka naaka naaka
Chorus: Maaka naaka naaka
Female: Haan seeka peeka reeka
Chorus: Seeka peeka reeka
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful and whimsical song from the 1959 film Athisaya Penn opens with joyful, nonsense rhythmic scatting that instantly sets a cheerful, childlike tone. The lyrics describe a groom dressed in a fancy zari cap who travels around bringing smiles to little girls whenever they pout, claiming that the whole town considers him family.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Nonsense Verse / Scatting (Rhythmic Rhyme)

Eenaa meenaa teegaa... Haan jei jaamaa neegaa

The song uses playful, non-lexical rhyming vocables to establish cadence and playful charm.

Moonaikkal (Initial Consonance / Alliteration)

Chinna chinna pengal / Sinegam ivarkundu / Sinungum velai kandu / Sirikka vaippathundu

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across consecutive lines (Chinna / Sinegam / Sinungum / Sirikka).

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Maaman Maami kodi / Maiththunar mukkoodi

Exaggerating the groom's relations to comedic proportions (crores of uncles and tens of millions of in-laws).

Anaphora / Repetition

Marappaatchi marappaatchi

Repetition of words for dramatic emphasis before the comedic twist reveal.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film Athisaya Penn (1959) starred Vyjayanthimala and featured music composed by S. M. Subbaiah Naidu. The song's iconic nonsense rhythm 'Eenaa Meenaa Teegaa' became a popular trope in Indian cinema, influencing catchy rhyming scat hooks in later South Indian and Hindi film music.

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