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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

En Machaanukku

From Jeya Nee Jeyichutte · 1979

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music directors
Ilayaraja, Shankar Ganesh
Details
Jeya Nee Jeyichutte1979

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkumMy sweetheart has a mole on his cheek,
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkumAnd on his chest is a green parrot tattoo that I inked.
Female
Achchadichcha silaiya pola iruppaaruHe looks as perfectly sculpted as a statue,
Maththa aambaliyum mayakkumpadi sirippaaruAnd smiles so charmingly that he dazzles even other men.
Pattanaththu veedhiyilae paaththeengalaaDid you see him walking along the city streets?
Avara paaththavanga vivaram solla maatteengalaaWon't anyone who saw him share the details with me?
Female
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkumMy sweetheart has a mole on his cheek,
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkumAnd on his chest is a green parrot tattoo that I inked.
Female
En aththapulla kappusaami muththu irupaanMy cousin Kuppusami shines as precious as a pearl,
Paruva azhagu konjam oththa mookku kuththiyirukkumIn his youthful charm, he even wears a nose ring.
Siththaanai kutiya pola nadappaaruHe walks with the majestic gait of a baby elephant,
Ilanjittukkala kanda konjam idipaaruAnd playfully nudges young girls whenever he spots them.
Female
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkumMy sweetheart has a mole on his cheek,
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkumAnd on his chest is a green parrot tattoo that I inked.
Female
Kattaana kariya koondhal valarththirupaaruHe has grown thick, long black hair,
Neenga kanni ponnu endru thappaa nenaikkakoodaathuSo do not mistakenly take him for a young maiden!
Kayilae irumbu valaiyam pottrupaaruHe wears a thick iron ring around his wrist,
Yaarum kaakkaa valippu endru atha karuthakkodaathaAnd no one should foolishly assume it is meant for treating fits!
Female
Oorrellaam rompa naala thedi paarkiraenI have been searching for him across the whole town for days,
Intha hotellalilum suthi suthi aadi paarkkiraenTwirling and dancing around, searching even inside these hotels.
Aarellaam irupaarunnu odi paarkiraenI run around wondering who else might know his whereabouts,
Avara kandupidikka kaiya pidichchu naadi paarkkiraenAnd hold wrists to feel pulses, hoping to track him down!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This energetic and witty folk-style track from 'Jeya Nee Jeyichutte' (1979) features a young woman searching frantically for her missing beloved, Kuppusami, across the city. She describes his unique physical traits in playful detail—a mole on his cheek, a green parrot tattoo on his chest, a nose ring, long black hair, an iron wrist ring, and his baby-elephant-like stride—so that onlookers can help her find him. Lyricist Kannadasan blends humor and rural imagery with urban settings, creating a lively narrative of romantic longing and energetic searching rendered delightfully by Vani Jairam.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Achchadichcha silaiya pola iruppaaru

Compares the beloved's chiseled body structure to a molded/sculpted statue ('silaiya pola').

Simile (Upamai)

Siththaanai kutiya pola nadappaaru

Compares his swaggering walk to that of a small elephant calf ('Siththaanai kutiya pola').

Initial Alliteration (Monaai)

En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkum

Repetition of the 'M' sound in 'machchanukku' and 'machcham'.

Rhyme / End Rhyme (Iyaibu)

Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkum

Repetition of matching verb suffixes like 'irukkum' across alternating lines.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Jeya Nee Jeyichutte' (1979) represents a rare musical overlap period in Tamil cinema where both Ilaiyaraaja and the duo Shankar-Ganesh contributed to the soundtrack. The playful, folk-infused song gained popularity for Vani Jairam's expressive vocal nuances and Kannadasan's humorous description of male beauty.

Keep listening

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