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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Gopala Yen Sir

From Annaparavai · 1980

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, Chorus
Music director
R. Ramanujam
Details
Annaparavai1980

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
{GopalaaGopala!
Chorus :Yaen sirChorus: Yes sir?
Male :Enga poraeMale: Where are you going?
Chorus :Santhaikku poraenChorus: Going to the market.
Male :Enna vaangaMale: To buy what?
Chorus :Oru musalu vaangaChorus: To buy a rabbit.
Male :Odi ponaaMale: What if it runs away?
Chorus :Olinju nippaenChorus: I will stay hidden.
Male :Yaara polaMale: Like whom?
Chorus :Intha ponna pola} (2)Chorus: Like this girl!
Male
Anna nadai chinna idaiWalking like a swan, with a slender waist,
Aadi varum vannakkudaiA colorful umbrella swaying as she comes,
Onnoda naan varavaaShall I come along with you,
Uravu kondaada……To celebrate our relationship?
Male
Anna nadai chinna idaiWalking like a swan, with a slender waist,
Aadi varum vannakkudaiA colorful umbrella swaying as she comes,
Onnoda naan varavaaShall I come along with you,
Uravu kondaada……To celebrate our relationship?
Male
GopalaaGopala!
Chorus :Yaen sirChorus: Yes sir?
Male :Enga poraeMale: Where are you going?
Chorus :Santhaikku poraenChorus: Going to the market.
Male :Enna vaangaMale: To buy what?
Chorus :Oru musalu vaangaChorus: To buy a rabbit.
Male
Chinna pennae chinna pennaeLittle girl, little girl,
Silukku sattaiyaaWearing a silk shirt,
Nee vaangi vantha muyala ippa kotta vittiyaaDid you let the rabbit you bought slip away now?
Chinna pennae chinna pennaeLittle girl, little girl,
Silukku sattaiyaaWearing a silk shirt,
Nee vaangi vantha muyala ippa kotta vittiyaaDid you let the rabbit you bought slip away now?
Male
Pudichchi thaaraen pudichchi thaaraenI'll catch it for you, I'll catch it for you,
Onnu koduppiyaaWill you give me something in return?
Pudichchi thaaraen pudichchi thaaraenI'll catch it for you, I'll catch it for you,
Onnu koduppiyaaWill you give me something in return?
Nee kodukkalannaa vanthu nirppaenIf you don't give it, I'll come and stand right there,
Sathura vattaiyaaBlocking your path around the square!
Male
Thiru pudichcha vayasu ponnuA young girl caught in a trance,
Karvam ippa adangi nikkuthuHer pride is now subdued.
Paruva vayasu uruvam pudhusuHer youthful age, a fresh presence,
Paaththu pazhaga yaenguthu manasuMy heart yearns to watch and get close to her.
Male
GopalaaGopala!
Chorus :Yaen sirChorus: Yes sir?
Male :Enga poraeMale: Where are you going?
Chorus :Santhaikku poraenChorus: Going to the market.
Male :Enna vaangaMale: To buy what?
Chorus :Oru musalu vaangaChorus: To buy a rabbit.
Male :Odi ponaaMale: What if it runs away?
Chorus :Olinju nippaenChorus: I will stay hidden.
Male :Yaara polaMale: Like whom?
Chorus :Intha ponna polaChorus: Like this girl!
Male
Sirikkiriyae sirikkiriyae seeni kattiyaaYou are smiling, you are smiling, like a sugar candy!
En silmisaththai konja neram rasikka maattiyaaWon't you enjoy my playful pranks for a while?
Sirikkiriyae sirikkiriyae seeni kattiyaaYou are smiling, you are smiling, like a sugar candy!
En silmisaththai konja neram rasikka maattiyaaWon't you enjoy my playful pranks for a while?
Male
Ooty ponnae ooty ponnaeGirl from Ooty, girl from Ooty,
Kulir edukkalaiyaaAren't you feeling cold?
Ooty ponnae ooty ponnaeGirl from Ooty, girl from Ooty,
Kulir edukkalaiyaaAren't you feeling cold?
Naan konja neram kona vendum kooda variyaaI want to hold you close for a little while, will you come along?
Male
Paadupattu pudichchu koduththaenI worked hard and caught it for you,
Parisu onnu pera nenachchenI thought I would receive a prize in return.
Pedalai mithichchu udala valaichchuPedaling hard and bending your body,
Manasa odichchi paranthu poriyaeYou break my heart and fly away on your bicycle!
Male
GopalaaGopala!
Male :Yaen sirMale: Yes sir?
Male :Enga poraeMale: Where are you going?
Male :Veettukku poraenMale: Going home.
Male :VaruviyaaMale: Will you come?
Male :VaramaattaenMale: I won't come.
Male :KaaththiruppaenMale: I will wait.
Male :Ninnukittae iruMale: Keep standing right there!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful and upbeat song captures a lighthearted flirtation between a young man and a girl in a village or hill-station setting. Framed around a famous traditional call-and-response folk rhyme ('Santhaikku poraen... Oru musalu vaanga'), the hero teases the girl who has lost her newly bought rabbit. He offers to retrieve the rabbit in exchange for her attention, affection, or a small reward.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Anna nadai / Onnoda naan

The second consonant 'n' (ன்/ண்) repeats across the lines, creating a rhythmic Tamil ethugai pattern.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

chinna idai / vannakkudai

Both lines end with matching rhyming sounds ('idai' / 'kudai').

Metaphor

seeni kattiyaa

The girl's sweet smile and charm are compared directly to a block of sugar candy ('seeni katti').

Simile (Uwamai)

Anna nadai

Compares her graceful posture and walk to that of a majestic swan ('Anna').

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics written by Panchu Arunachalam adapt a well-known Tamil children's folk dialogue game ('Gopalaa... Santhaikku poraen') to create a playful narrative routine inside the film 'Annaparavai' (1980).

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