- Lyricist
- Udumalai Narayanakavi
- Singers
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan, P. Leela
- Music director
- S. Rajeswara Rao
- Movie name
- Pattaliyin Vetri
- Movie release year
- 1960
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Jan 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This vibrant song from 'Pattaliyin Vetri' (1960) is formatted as a lively folk street-vendor performance. The singers act as itinerant hawkers selling 'Javvaathu' (a traditional natural perfume extracted from civet cats). Through humorous exaggerations, they describe dramatic tales of hunting wild civet cats across exotic locations like Singapore jungles and the Kolli Hills, dodging leopards and porcupines, and carefully extracting the aromatic paste. They pitch the product to passersby, mock miserly people who wouldn't spend on luxury, and boast that while the product sells at exorbitant prices in commercial markets like Kumbakonam, they offer it at a bargain. Endorsed playfully by Tanjore musicians and art lovers, the song blends street seller hawking cries, rhythmic vocalizations ('gamagama', 'jamajama'), and lively folk dance calls into an entertaining musical display.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Onomatopoeia (Oli-kkurippu)
“Gamagamagamagamagamanguthu”
Repetitive rhythmic sound words representing the intense, rich fragrance of the civet perfume spreading all around.
Iyaipu (End Rhyme)
“Kaattu poonai javvaathu / Aasaamikku ovvaathu”
The lines end with rhyming phonetic sounds ('javvaathu', 'ovvaathu'), creating a catchy folk cadence.
Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Ippadi kuninju appadi valainju / Ippadi sulinju appuram olinji”
The second consonant 'p' ('Ippadi', 'appadi') rhymes consistently across adjacent phrases.
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi Ani)
“Singapore-u kaattukkullae / Thaedi ponaenaiyyaa”
Exaggeration used by street vendors claiming they traveled to Singapore jungles and wrestled wild beasts just to extract perfume paste.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track highlights Udumalai Narayanakavi's knack for incorporating Tamil street theatre (Therukoothu) style hawking calls and folk idioms into mainstream film lyrics. Composed by legendary maestro S. Rajeswara Rao, the song stands out as a unique comic duet performed by Seerkazhi Govindarajan and P. Leela, who were primarily renowned for classical and high-pitch devotional songs, showcasing their versatility in folk rhythm and comedic expression.
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