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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Hare Isthanbul Naattilae

From Vetri Mel Vetri · 1989

Lyricist
M. A. Ezhilan
Singer
Gangai Amaran
Music director
Vijay Anand
Details
Vetri Mel Vetri1989

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Haei…..aaa…..aaa….Haei... aaa... aaa...
Tharanaa nananaenaa…..aa….aaa….Tharanaa nananaenaa... aa... aaa...
Male
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Male
Haei….harae isthaanpul naattilaeHey... oh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Male
Ippa eldaamsh roadlaeNow on Eldams Road,
Nimpal sight adikkiraan nightlaeI am checking out people at night!
Chorus
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahooYaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo
Yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahooYaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo
Male
Harae kapool naattu sundhariOh beauty from the land of Kabul!
Nee vaalipa dhesathu munthiriYou are the cashew nut of the land of youth!
Male
Ada anitha begam jiljilHey Anitha Begum, cool and thrilling!
Nimpal nadanthu ponaa jaljal hahaa haehaeWhen you walk past, your anklets chime jal-jal, haha haehae!
Ada anithaa begam jiljilHey Anitha Begum, cool and thrilling!
Nimpal nadanthu ponaa jaljalWhen you walk past, your anklets chime jal-jal!
Nee paaddum azhago pulpulYou sing as beautifully as a nightingale!
Adhai kettu thudikkuthu thil thilHearing that, my heart beats throb-throb!
Adhai kettu thudikkuthu en thil thilHearing that, my heart beats throb-throb!
Male
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Male
Nilaa pola maeni haraeOh, a body glowing like the moon!
Chorus :Wow wowChorus: Wow wow
Male :Nee arabia raniMale: You are the queen of Arabia!
Chorus :Wow….wow….Chorus: Wow... wow...
Male :Adi rani santhana soap-uMale: Hey queen, smooth like sandalwood soap!
Un maeni rompa top-uYour physique is top-notch!
Male
Adi rani santhana soap-uHey queen, smooth like sandalwood soap!
Un maeni Rompa top-uYour physique is top-notch!
Naan vudala dooppu nee thennamara thoppuI am not bluffing, you are like a lush coconut grove!
Nee thennamara….thoppu…You are like a coconut... grove...
Male
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Chorus :Harae isthaanpul naattilaeChorus: Oh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Male
Harae saiththaan ki pachchaaOh, child of the devil!
Chorus :HahaahChorus: Hahaah
Male :Nimpal nampalki machchanMale: He is my close friend!
Chorus :Harae kiyaa paath haiChorus: Oh, what a splendid thing!
Male
Ada masthaan pottaan thittamHey, Masthan made a grand scheme!
Adhu noolaruntha pattamIt turned out to be like a kite with a severed string!
Haahaa hae haeHaahaa hae hae
Ada masthaan pottaan thittamHey, Masthan made a grand scheme!
Adhu noolaruntha pattamIt turned out to be like a kite with a severed string!
Antha saiththaan ingae varattamLet that devil come over here!
Avan maatta pora kattamThis is the trap he is going to fall into!
Avan maatta pora kattamThis is the trap he is going to fall into!
Male
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae….I am getting high on bhang inside my house...
Ippa eldaamsh roadlaeNow on Eldams Road,
Nimpal sight adikkiraan nightlaeI am checking out people at night!
Male
Harae isthaanpul naattilaeOh, in the land of Istanbul!
Nambal bangi adikkiraan vootulae…. yaahoo yaahooI am getting high on bhang inside my house... yaahoo yaahoo
Yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahooYaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo yaahoo

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from the film 'Vetri Mel Vetri' is a energetic, comic street track composed in classic Madras Bashai (Chennai slang) infused with playfully misapplied Urdu/Hindi loanwords. The narrator sings about his carefree, eccentric lifestyle—getting intoxicated at home while fantastically contrasting local locations like Eldams Road in Chennai with exotic foreign places like Istanbul, Kabul, and Arabia.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Ippa eldaamsh roadlae / Nimpal sight adikkiraan nightlae

The line endings 'roadlae' and 'nightlae' create a pleasing rhyming cadence typical of Madras slang songs.

Simile (Upamai)

Nilaa pola maeni harae

Compares the beauty and glow of the woman's body directly to the moon ('Nilaa pola').

Onomatopoeia (Irattai Kilavi)

Nimpal nadanthu ponaa jaljal

'Jaljal' mimics the rhythmic sound of anklets jingling as she walks.

Metaphor

Adhu noolaruntha pattam

Describes a failed plan metaphorically as a 'kite with a severed string' (noolaruntha pattam).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is sung by Gangai Amaran, who is renowned in Tamil cinema not only as a composer and lyricist but also for his unique vocal renditions of humor-filled Madras slang tracks. The lyrics by M. A. Ezhilan intentionally mix Chennai urban slang (e.g., 'nambal', 'nimpal', 'dooppu') with exotic geography (Istanbul, Kabul) to produce a lighthearted, eccentric comedic mood characteristic of late 1980s Tamil commercial cinema.

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