Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Ellame En Rasathan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Ettana Iruntha

From Ellame En Rasathan · 1995

Lyricist
Ponnadiyan
Singer
Vadivelu
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Ellame En Rasathan
Movie release year
1995
Lyrics added on
15 Dec 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Ettanaa irundhaa
Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum
Paththanaa irundhaa
Paththoorum enpaatta paadum
Mottaiyo kattaiyo
Nettaiyo kuttaiyo
Moththamaa oththaiyaa
Paththu rooba irundhaaa
Oorae rendu pattu pogum
Indha naadae rendu kettaan aagum
Oorae rendu pattu pogum
Indha naadae rendu kettaan aagum
Ettanaa irundhaa
Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum
Paththanaa irundhaa
Paththoorum enpaatta paadum
Kaarasaaramaaga paesi
Oora kaiyil podudaa ooo
Kodu pottu road pottu
Veedu katti aadudaaa ooo
Eliya pudichchu neeyum
Vesham pottu kaattu
Adhaiyum paakka
Paththu paeru kooduvaan
Naeram paaththu kaalaa vaarivittu joraa
Kaalu maela kaalu thookki poduvaan
Muthuraasu muthuraasu
Poiyya unmai pola kooruda
Thanga kaasa alli veesu
Nambi vaangi pogum oorudaa
Idhu kalikaalam kalikaalamda
Ettanaa irundhaa
Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum
Paththanaa irundhaa
Paththoorum enpaatta paadum
Kaal vayiththu kanjikkaaga
Kadala kooda thaanduven ooo
Vaanavila vaanga baeram
Kadavuloda paesuvaen ooo
Indhiranum kooda ennooda friend
Endru solla enna thavira yaaruda
Andha logam vaazhum sundarigal kooda
Vandhenakku kaal amukkum paerudaa
Chinnaraasu ponnuraasu
Kaaththu namma pakkam veesunaa
Muttakosu muttakosu
Endrum vaazhkkaiyila passu da
Nalla poondhu vilaiyaadudaa
Ettanaa irundhaa
Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum
Paththanaa irundhaa
Paththoorum enpaatta paadum
Mottaiyo kattaiyo
Nettaiyo kuttaiyo
Moththamaa oththaiyaa
Paththu rooba irundhaaa
Oorae rendu pattu pogum
Indha naadae rendu kettaan aagum
Oorae rendu pattu pogum
Indha naadae rendu kettaan aagum
Ettanaa irundhaa
Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum
Paththanaa irundhaa
Paththoorum enpaatta paadum
If I have eight annas,
Eight towns will listen to my song.
If I have ten annas,
Ten towns will sing my song.
Whether bald or stocky,
Tall or short,
In a crowd or all alone,
If I have ten rupees,
The whole town will be divided.
This whole country will lose its mind.
The whole town will be divided.
This whole country will lose its mind.
If I have eight annas,
Eight towns will listen to my song.
If I have ten annas,
Ten towns will sing my song.
Speak bold and spicy words,
And bring the whole town under your control!
Mark your boundaries, lay your roads,
Build a house and live it up, oh!
Even if you catch a rat,
Put a costume on it and show it off,
Just to watch that,
Ten people will gather around!
Waiting for the right moment, they will trip you up,
And stylishly cross their legs and sit back!
Muthurasu, hey Muthurasu,
Tell a lie as if it were the truth!
Toss around handfuls of gold coins,
And this town will blindly believe and take them!
This is the age of Kali (age of deception), yes it is!
If I have eight annas,
Eight towns will listen to my song.
If I have ten annas,
Ten towns will sing my song.
Just for a quarter-stomach of porridge,
I would even cross the ocean, oh!
To bargain and buy the rainbow,
I would negotiate with God Himself, oh!
"Even the king of heaven is my buddy!"
Who else besides me would dare to brag like that?
Even the heavenly beauties living up in paradise
Are the kind who would come and massage my feet!
Chinnarasu, hey Ponnurasu,
If the wind blows in our favor,
Cabbage, oh cabbage,
You will always pass every test in life!
Jump right in and play the game boldly!
If I have eight annas,
Eight towns will listen to my song.
If I have ten annas,
Ten towns will sing my song.
Whether bald or stocky,
Tall or short,
In a crowd or all alone,
If I have ten rupees,
The whole town will be divided.
This whole country will lose its mind.
The whole town will be divided.
This whole country will lose its mind.
If I have eight annas,
Eight towns will listen to my song.
If I have ten annas,
Ten towns will sing my song.
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This energetic and satirical song reflects on the overwhelming power of money, deception, and status in modern society (Kali Yuga). Through playful street-style lyrics, the singer exposes how money sways public opinion, causes societal divisions, and creates clout out of thin air. With enough coin, even absurd lies are accepted as truth, while without money, people struggle for basic survival. The song encourages navigating this materialistic world with street smarts and confidence, pointing out that when fortune favors someone, even the simplest things turn into grand successes. It mixes philosophical cynicism with lively humor, painting a realistic picture of human opportunism and vanity.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Ettanaa irundhaa / Ettoorum enpaatta kekkum

The initial sound 'E' (எ) is repeated across the beginning words of consecutive lines.

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Mottaiyo kattaiyo / Nettaiyo kuttaiyo

The second consonant sound 'tt' (ட்ட) matches across 'Mottaiyo', 'kattaiyo', 'Nettaiyo', and 'kuttaiyo'.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Mottaiyo kattaiyo / Nettaiyo kuttaiyo

Lines end with the rhyming suffix '-aiyo'.

Hyperbole (Atisayokthi Ani)

Vaanavila vaanga baeram Kadavuloda paesuvaen ooo

Exaggerated imagery of bargaining with God to purchase a rainbow to highlight extreme confidence and audacity.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Ellame En Rasathan

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.