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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ek Butti Aattanaa

From Veettukku Vandha Varalakshmi · 1958

Lyricist
Kuyilan
Singers
Vaidegi, M. Sathiyam
Music director
Pendyala Nageswara Rao
Movie name
Veettukku Vandha Varalakshmi
Movie release year
1958
Lyrics added on
10 Feb 2025

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ek butti attanaa
Dho butti baranaa
Avomerae avomerae
Dekhko ji marundhu majaa
Both :Avomerae avomerae
Dekhko ji marundhu majaa
Ek butti
Female :Attanaa
Male :Dho butti
Female :Baranaa
Both :Ek butti attanaa
Dho butti baranaa
Female :Ek butti attanaa
Dho butti baranaa
Pathiyamaedhum illenga
Baba guru vakkiyangha
Female :Pathiyamaedhum illenga
Baba guru vakkiyangha
Male :Rotti thinnunga
Kappai teayum thinnungha
Female :Arae paalu thinnungha
Pazhaiya kanji thinnungha
Mottai thalaikku thadavungha
Indha mottai thalaikku thadavungha
Kottina mayirundaagum
Female :Kannil thappu irundhaale
Pannikka sugam idhaale
Male :Mandai baaram jaatha hum
Female :Manasu noyi abhi theerum
Paambhu kotti
Female :Thaelu kuthina
Male :Erudhu kombaale
Female :Arae etti udhachitta
Male :Vaarewaah thottu theichu paarungha
Sollikittu odunga
Female :Kanamenum thaangadhu
Gunamulla marundhungha
Paarungha sir ingae vangha
Podungha sir jalthi vaanghi
Paarungha sir ingae vangha
Podungha sir jalthi vaanghi
Edu paisa nee kondaa
Avoo merae pakkathilae
One bottle is eight annas,
Two bottles are twelve annas!
Come on over, come on over!
See the wonder of this medicine, sir!
Both: Come on over, come on over!
See the wonder of this medicine, sir!
One bottle...
Female: ...is eight annas!
Male: Two bottles...
Female: ...are twelve annas!
Both: One bottle is eight annas,
Two bottles are twelve annas!
Female: One bottle is eight annas,
Two bottles are twelve annas!
There are no diet restrictions at all, sir,
As the holy guru has proclaimed!
Female: There are no diet restrictions at all, sir,
As the holy guru has proclaimed!
Male: Eat your roti,
Drink your cup of tea,
Female: Hey, drink your milk,
Eat your cold rice porridge,
Rub it on a bald head,
Rub it on this bald head,
And lost hair will grow right back!
Female: If there is any trouble with your eyes,
Cure it with this!
Male: If the head feels very heavy,
Female: All your worries will vanish right away!
If a snake bites,
Female: If a scorpion stings,
Male: If a bull with its horns...
Female: ...hey, kicks you hard,
Male: Wow, just take a dab and rub it,
And run off cheering about it!
Female: Without lasting even a moment,
This medicine will cure it, sir!
Look here, sir, come over here!
Buy it quickly and apply it, sir!
Look here, sir, come over here!
Buy it quickly and apply it, sir!
Take out your money and hand it over,
Come right over by my side!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This humorous street-hawker duet from 'Veettukku Vandha Varalakshmi' (1958) depicts salesman-style performers selling a magical 'cure-all' potion. Blending Hindi and Tamil colloquialism, the vendors pitch their miracle balm as an inexpensive remedy requiring no dietary restrictions, claiming it can cure everything from baldness and vision troubles to snakebites, scorpion stings, and heartaches.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Code-Switching / Linguistic Hybridity

“Ek butti attanaa Dho butti baranaa”

Seamlessly mixes Hindi/Urdu phrases ('Ek butti', 'attanaa', 'Avo merae', 'jaatha hum') with Tamil colloquial grammar ('thaddavungha', 'illenga') to mimic urban street hawker speech.

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

“Kottina mayirundaagum”

Uses comical exaggeration, claiming a single oil can instantly regrow hair on bald heads, fix vision problems, and heal snakebites and bull gores.

Iyaibu (Rhyming end scheme)

“Rotti thinnunga / Kappai teayum thinnungha”

Uses matching end sounds across successive lines ('thinnungha') to maintain a catchy, rhythmic tempo suited for hawking.

Did you know?

Trivia

This song is a classic example of a 'street-hawker duet' in Tamil cinema of the 1950s. Lyricist Kuyilan employed popular Hindi market-vendor slang (like 'Avo merae' and counting in annas) to create an authentic and comical roadside sales pitch atmosphere.

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