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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

En Machaanukku

From Jeya Nee Jeyichutte · 1979

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Vani Jairam
Music directors
Ilayaraja, Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Jeya Nee Jeyichutte
Movie release year
1979
Lyrics added on
8 Sept 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkum
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkum
Achchadichcha silaiya pola iruppaaru
Maththa aambaliyum mayakkumpadi sirippaaru
Pattanaththu veedhiyilae paaththeengalaa
Avara paaththavanga vivaram solla maatteengalaa
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkum
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkum
En aththapulla kappusaami muththu irupaan
Paruva azhagu konjam oththa mookku kuththiyirukkum
Siththaanai kutiya pola nadappaaru
Ilanjittukkala kanda konjam idipaaru
En machchanukku kannaththilae machcham irukkum
Avar maarbula naan kuththina kili pachai irukkum
Kattaana kariya koondhal valarththirupaaru
Neenga kanni ponnu endru thappaa nenaikkakoodaathu
Kayilae irumbu valaiyam pottrupaaru
Yaarum kaakkaa valippu endru atha karuthakkodaatha
Oorrellaam rompa naala thedi paarkiraen
Intha hotellalilum suthi suthi aadi paarkkiraen
Aarellaam irupaarunnu odi paarkiraen
Avara kandupidikka kaiya pidichchu naadi paarkkiraen
My sweetheart has a beauty spot on his cheek,
And a parrot tattoo on his chest that I inked for him.
He looks just like a sculpted statue,
And he smiles so charmingly that even other men are captivated.
Have you seen him on the city streets?
If anyone has seen him, won't you tell me some details?
My sweetheart has a beauty spot on his cheek,
And a parrot tattoo on his chest that I inked for him.
My aunt's son, Kuppusamy, shines like a pearl,
With his youthful charm, he even has a pierced nose.
He walks gracefully like a baby elephant,
And playfully brushes past young girls whenever he sees them.
My sweetheart has a beauty spot on his cheek,
And a parrot tattoo on his chest that I inked for him.
He has grown thick, dark hair,
Don't mistakenly think he is a young girl!
He wears an iron bangle around his wrist,
No one should assume it is for seizures...
I have been searching all over town for so long,
And I keep dancing around this hotel, looking for him.
Thinking he might be by the riverbanks, I run and search,
And to find him, I even hold people's hands and check their pulse...
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

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