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Muthu Kaalai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Engey Vaippaaru

From Muthu Kaalai · 1995

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Muthu Kaalai
Movie release year
1995
Lyrics added on
22 Nov 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Uchchiyilae vaazhaththaaru hoiyaa
Kakkaththilae manjakkoththu hoiyyaa
Pai neraiya achchu vellam hoiyyaa
Kaiyilathaan sengarumpu
Adi kaamatchi meenatchi kaaveri kalyaani
Muththukkaala machchaanae
Imputtu saamana enga vappaaru
Durrrrrrrr…….
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaru
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaru haei
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaru
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaru
Naalu mozha vaetti saelakitta maatti
Nikkiratha nee paaru
Chorus :Iddhu kottaampatti kaala
Idhu vittaa muttum aala
Oru pattikkulla katti podammaa
Enga vappaaru engaedi povaaru
Intha appaaru ambonnu nippaaru
Ivanoda irukkuthu
Mozha neela pullaanguzhal
Chorus :Haei haei haei
Female :Adha kaatti mayakkuvaan
Velakkeththum anthi pozhuthu
Chorus :Hae haei….
Ivan vala pottu izhukkuraan
Vizhumadi thanga mayilu
Chorus :Haei haei haei
Female :Ivan ottum kalappaiyil
Vilaiyaathu kanni vayalu
Chorus :Hae haei….
Kuppaimaettil yaeri
Chorus :Kuppammaa kuppammaa
Female :Ivan kozhi pudippanaa
Chorus :Eppammaa eppamma
Female :Kuttupattuthaan idhu kattupadanum
Neettukira vaalaiyum vetti vidanum
Idhu kottaampatti kaala
Idhu vittaa muttum aala
Oru pattikkulla katti podammaa
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaru
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru….haei…
Adiyae nee thirakkaama
Thiruvaaya poththi kidanum
Aa….aa….aa….ariyaama vaaya vuttaa
Adi vaangi kaththukidanum
Adi podhuvaa en azhagukku
Pala peru ponnu koduppaan
Adaddadaa morachchaa un mogaraikku
Evanthaandi maala thodupaan
Hae solakolla bommai
Chorus :Suppamma suppamma
Male :Ena suththi varavaenaa…
Chorus :Thappamma thappamma
Male :Ha kuththukkallu pola naan kunthiyiruppaen
Hae kuththivittaa pothumae embi adippaen
Idhu kottaampatti kaala
Idhu thottaa muttum aala
Idha kattipodum kutti
Yaarammaa…..yaarummaa…..
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaru
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru
Naalu mozha vaetti
Vaala inga neetti aatturatha nee paaru
Idhu kottaampatti kaala
Idhu thottaa muttum aala
Idha kattipodum kutti yaarammaa
Engum vappaaru engayeyum povaaru
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru
Engum vappaaru engaeyum povaaru
Intha appaaru jammunnu nippaaru….hoi….
A bunch of plantains on the head, hoyya!
A bundle of fresh turmeric under the arm, hoyya!
A bag full of jaggery blocks, hoyya!
And sweet red sugarcane in hand!
Hey Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Kaveri, Kalyani!
Look at our cousin Muthukaalai,
Where will he put all these things?
Durrrrrrr...
Where will he put them, where will he go, girl?
This big guy will just stand there stranded, hey!
Where will he put them, where will he go, girl?
This big guy will just stand there stranded!
His four-cubit dhoti trapped by a saree,
Just look at him standing there!
Chorus: This is a Kottampatti bull,
It will gore anyone if let loose!
Tie it up inside a pen, girl!
Where will he put them, where will he go, girl?
This big guy will just stand there stranded!
He carries with him...
...a flute a cubit long!
Chorus: Hey hey hey!
Female: He plays it to charm the girls,
at twilight when evening lamps are lit!
Chorus: Hey hey...
He casts a net and pulls it in,
and the golden peacock falls right into it, girl!
Chorus: Hey hey hey!
Female: Under the plow he drives,
the virgin field playfully yields!
Chorus: Hey hey...
Climbing onto a rubbish mound,
Chorus: Kuppamma, Kuppamma,
Female: will he try to catch a hen?
Chorus: When, oh when?
Female: He must get knocked on the head to be tamed,
and the tail he wags so high must be clipped!
This is a Kottampatti bull,
it will gore anyone if let loose!
Tie it up inside a pen, girl!
He can put them anywhere, he can go anywhere!
This dashing man will stand in grand style... hey!
Hey girl, don't open your lips,
keep your mouth shut tight!
Ah... ah... ah... If you speak out of turn without thinking,
you'll get a slap and learn your lesson!
Hey, for my good looks,
many folks would gladly offer gold!
Oh really? If you scowl with that face of yours,
who on earth would ever marry you, girl?
Hey, you scarecrow,
Chorus: Subbamma, Subbamma,
Male: wouldn't you come circling around me?
Chorus: No, no, that's wrong!
Male: Ha, I might sit quietly like a stone pillar,
Hey, but if anyone provokes me, I'll leap and strike!
This is a Kottampatti bull,
if you touch it, it will gore you!
Where is the girl who can tie it down?
Who is she... no one at all, my dear!
He can put them anywhere, he can go anywhere!
This dashing man will stand in grand style!
Wearing a four-cubit dhoti,
just look at how he struts and wags his tail!
This is a Kottampatti bull,
if you touch it, it will gore you!
Where is the girl who can tie it down?
He can put them anywhere, he can go anywhere!
This dashing man will stand in grand style!
He can put them anywhere, he can go anywhere!
This dashing man will stand in grand style... hoy!
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

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