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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Eena Meena Deeka (Female)

From Athisaya Penn · 1959

Lyricist
V. Seetharaman
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
S. M. Subbaiah Naidu
Details
Athisaya Penn1959

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Eenaa meenaa teegaaEena meena teega
Haan jei jaamaa neegaaHaan jei jama neega
Haan maaga naaga naagaaHaan maaga naaga naaga
Haan seegaa peegaa reegaaHaan seega peega reega
Female
Eenaa meenaa reegaa teegaaEena meena reega teega
Jei jei jaamaa neegaaJei jei jama neega
Maaga naaga maaga naagaaMaaga naaga maaga naaga
Seegaa peegaa rolaa reegaaSeega peega rola reega
Sonnaalae sandhosam….Just saying it brings happiness...
Female
Jarigai kullaaWearing a gold-embroidered zari cap,
Pottu varaaru maapillaithe bridegroom arrives.
Jameenthaaru veettupillai ivar illaiHe is not the son of a rich landlord's house.
Jarigai kullaaWearing a gold-embroidered zari cap,
Pottu varaaru maapillaithe bridegroom arrives.
Jameenthaaru veettupillai ivar illaiHe is not the son of a rich landlord's house.
Female
Chinna chinna pengalLittle young girls
Sinegam ivarkundushare a friendship with him;
Sinungum velai kanduseeing them pout and sulk,
Sirikka vaippathunduhe makes them laugh.
Oorellaam ivar uravunduThe whole town is related to him.
Oho….ho….oho…ho….oho…ho….hey…Oho... ho... oho... ho... oho... ho... hey...
Female
Eenaa meenaa teegaaEena meena teega
Chorus :Eenaa meenaa teegaaChorus: Eena meena teega
Female :Haan jei jaamaa neegaaFemale: Haan jei jama neega
Chorus :Jei jaamaa neegaaChorus: Jei jama neega
Female :Haan maaga naaga naagaaFemale: Haan maaga naaga naaga
Chorus :Maaga naaga naagaaChorus: Maaga naaga naaga
Female :Haan seegaa peegaa reegaaFemale: Haan seega peega reega
Chorus :Seegaa peegaa reegaaChorus: Seega peega reega
Female
Niththam oru kalyaanamA wedding every single day,
Ninaichchaa kottu melamif he desires, beat the wedding drums!
Irandu thaara sattamThe law against bigamy
Ivar varaikkum mattumapplies to everyone except him!
Female
Maaman Maami kodiUncles and aunts by the crores,
Maiththunar mukkoodiin-laws by thirty million!
Maaman Maami kodiUncles and aunts by the crores,
Maiththunar mukkoodiin-laws by thirty million!
Maappillai ivar yaarendraalIf you ask who this groom is,
Marappaatchi marappaatchihe is a wooden doll, a wooden doll!
Marappaatchiyae….hae….A wooden doll indeed... hae...
Female
Eenaa meenaa teegaaEena meena teega
Chorus :Eenaa meenaa teegaaChorus: Eena meena teega
Female :Haan jei jaamaa neegaaFemale: Haan jei jama neega
Chorus :Jei jaamaa neegaaChorus: Jei jama neega
Female :Haan maaga naaga naagaaFemale: Haan maaga naaga naaga
Chorus: Maaga naaga naagaaChorus: Maaga naaga naaga
Female :Haan seegaa peegaa reegaaFemale: Haan seega peega reega
Chorus :Seegaa peegaa reegaaChorus: Seega peega reega

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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.

Keep listening

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