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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Engey Vaippaaru

From Muthu Kaalai · 1995

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Muthu Kaalai1995

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Uchchiyilae vaazhaththaaru hoiyaaBanana bunch on the head, hoiyaa!
Kakkaththilae manjakkoththu hoiyyaaCluster of turmeric under the armpit, hoiyyaa!
Pai neraiya achchu vellam hoiyyaaBag full of block jaggery, hoiyyaa!
Kaiyilathaan sengarumpuRed sugarcane right in the hand!
Adi kaamatchi meenatchi kaaveri kalyaaniHey Kamatchi, Meenakshi, Kaveri, Kalyani!
Muththukkaala machchaanaeBrother-in-law Muthukkaala!
Imputtu saamana enga vappaaruWhere will he place all these goods?
Durrrrrrrr…….Durrrrrrrr...!
Female
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaruWhere will he place them, where will she go?
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaru haeiThis father figure will stand stranded, hey!
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaruWhere will he place them, where will she go?
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaruThis father figure will stand stranded!
Female
Naalu mozha vaetti saelakitta maattiTrapping his four-cubit veshti near a saree,
Nikkiratha nee paaruJust look at him standing there!
Chorus :Iddhu kottaampatti kaalaChorus: This is a Kottampatti bull!
Idhu vittaa muttum aalaIf let loose, it will gore people!
Oru pattikkulla katti podammaaTie it up inside a pen, lady!
Female
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaruWhere will he place them, where will she go?
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaruThis father figure will stand stranded!
Female
Ivanoda irukkuthuHe possesses,
Mozha neela pullaanguzhalA cubit-long flute!
Chorus :Haei haei haeiChorus: Hey hey hey!
Female :Adha kaatti mayakkuvaanFemale: Showing that, he will charm,
Velakkeththum anthi pozhuthuAt dusk when lamps are lit!
Chorus :Hae haei….Chorus: Hae haei...!
Female
Ivan vala pottu izhukkuraanHe casts a net and pulls,
Vizhumadi thanga mayiluAnd the golden peacock will fall, girl!
Chorus :Haei haei haeiChorus: Hey hey hey!
Female :Ivan ottum kalappaiyilFemale: In the plow that he drives,
Vilaiyaathu kanni vayaluThe virgin field will not play!
Chorus :Hae haei….Chorus: Hae haei...!
Female
Kuppaimaettil yaeriClimbing on the garbage heap,
Chorus :Kuppammaa kuppammaaChorus: Kuppamma, Kuppamma!
Female :Ivan kozhi pudippanaaFemale: Will he catch a chicken?
Chorus :Eppammaa eppammaChorus: When, lady, when?
Female :Kuttupattuthaan idhu kattupadanumFemale: He must learn self-control only after getting hit!
Neettukira vaalaiyum vetti vidanumAnd the tail he wags must be chopped off!
Chorus
Idhu kottaampatti kaalaThis is a Kottampatti bull!
Idhu vittaa muttum aalaIf let loose, it will gore people!
Oru pattikkulla katti podammaaTie it up inside a pen, lady!
Male
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaruHe will put it anywhere, he will go anywhere!
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru….haei…This father figure will stand in total style... hey!
Male
Adiyae nee thirakkaamaHey girl, without opening,
Thiruvaaya poththi kidanumKeep your sacred mouth shut!
Aa….aa….aa….ariyaama vaaya vuttaaAa... aa... aa... if you talk foolishly without knowing,
Adi vaangi kaththukidanumYou will learn your lesson by getting beaten!
Male
Adi podhuvaa en azhagukkuHey, generally for my good looks,
Pala peru ponnu koduppaanMany people would give their daughters in marriage!
Adaddadaa morachchaa un mogaraikkuAh-dadada! Looking at your angry face,
Evanthaandi maala thodupaanWho on earth will put a garland on you?
Male
Hae solakolla bommaiHey, scarecrow!
Chorus :Suppamma suppammaChorus: Suppamma, Suppamma!
Male :Ena suththi varavaenaa…Male: Will you come surrounding me...?
Chorus :Thappamma thappammaChorus: It's wrong, lady, it's wrong!
Male :Ha kuththukkallu pola naan kunthiyiruppaenMale: Ha, I will sit still like a boundary stone!
Hae kuththivittaa pothumae embi adippaenHey, but if poked, I'll leap up and strike!
Male
Idhu kottaampatti kaalaThis is a Kottampatti bull!
Idhu thottaa muttum aalaIf touched, it will gore people!
Idha kattipodum kuttiThe girl who tames and ties this...
Yaarammaa…..yaarummaa…..Who is she...? Who is she...?
Male
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaruHe will put it anywhere, he will go anywhere!
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaruThis father figure will stand in total style!
Naalu mozha vaettiA four-cubit veshti,
Vaala inga neetti aatturatha nee paaruLook at him stretching his tail and wagging it here!
Male
Idhu kottaampatti kaalaThis is a Kottampatti bull!
Idhu thottaa muttum aalaIf touched, it will gore people!
Idha kattipodum kutti yaarammaaWho is the girl who tames and ties this?
Male
Engum vappaaru engayeyum povaaruHe will put it anywhere, he will go anywhere!
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaruThis father figure will stand in total style!
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaruHe will put it anywhere, he will go anywhere!
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru….hoi….This father figure will stand in total style... hoi!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful folk song from 'Muthu Kaalai' is a vibrant, banter-filled duet set in a rural Tamil background. It features a lively exchange of teasing and boasting between a male protagonist and female singers. The lyrics rely heavily on agricultural metaphors—bulls, plows, flutes, sugarcane, and harvest items—to represent courtship, male bravado, and female resistance. The central figure is likened to a fierce, untamed bull from Kottampatti, a region known for its aggressive bulls used in Jallikattu.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Idhu kottaampatti kaala / Idhu vittaa muttum aala

Compares the wild, stubborn, and energetic male protagonist to a fierce bull from Kottampatti that will gore anyone if let loose.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Idhu kottaampatti kaala / Idhu vittaa muttum aala

The second letter consonant sound 'tt' (ட்) rhymes across consecutive lines ('kottaampatti' and 'vittaa').

Monai (First-letter Alliteration)

Thirakkaama / Thiruvaaya

Alliteration of the initial letter 'Thi' (தி) in line 43 and line 44 ('Thirakkaama' / 'Thiruvaaya').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Hae solakolla bommai

The speaker playfully insults the other character by comparing them to a 'solakolla bommai' (a scarecrow placed in cornfields).

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the iconic lyricist Vaali, the song uses authentic Southern Tamil rural dialect and references 'Kottampatti', a town in the Madurai district famous for its strong bulls and rural Jallikattu heritage.

Keep listening

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