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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ho Brahmadevanae

From Guna Sundari · 1955

Lyricist
Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
Singer
Ghantasala
Music director
Ghantasala
Details
Guna Sundari1955

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Oho oho ohohoOho oho ohoho
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Aahaa bhramma devanaeAha, Oh Lord Brahma!
Un perumayai naan enna solvaenHow can I describe your greatness?
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Nee periya buthisaaliyappaaYou are a very clever one, my lord!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Male
Oho oho ohohoOho oho ohoho
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Aahaa bhramma devanaeAha, Oh Lord Brahma!
Un perumayai naan enna solvaenHow can I describe your greatness?
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Nee periya buthisaaliyappaaYou are a very clever one, my lord!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Male
Perumilla oorumillaHaving no fame, having no hometown,
Pichadhipathi ennaCalled the king of beggars,
Perumilla oorumillaHaving no fame, having no hometown,
Pichadhipathi ennaCalled the king of beggars,
Pidichi aaha adichiCoaxing and forcing,
Male
Pidichi adichi raajaa magalaiCompelling me to marry the king's daughter,
Thaali katta seidhaaiYou made me tie the sacred wedding thread!
Periya idathil maappillaiyaagaAs a groom in a grand family,
Peru vaangi vachaaiYou earned a big name for me!
Ahaa enna velai seidhaai appaaAha, what a wonder you have worked, my lord!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Aahaa bhramma devanaeAha, Oh Lord Brahma!
Un perumayai naan enna solvaenHow can I describe your greatness?
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Nee periya buthisaaliyappaaYou are a very clever one, my lord!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Male
Ada dheivamaeOh my God!
Hae… ae… ae… hae…ae…ae..ae…Hae… ae… ae… hae…ae…ae..ae…
Thadharina nanana…aa rinaa aaaThadharina nanana…aa rinaa aaa
Male
Koda veyil therinjidaadhaUnaware of even the harsh summer heat,
Raajaa pettra selvamaeShe is a precious treasure raised by a king!
Koda veyil therinjidaadhaUnaware of even the harsh summer heat,
Raajaa pettra selvamaeShe is a precious treasure raised by a king!
Male
Moodanaana enakku serthuPairing her with a fool like me,
Mudichi potta dheivamaeOh God, you tied the knot between us!
Ada dheivamaeOh my God!
Enna ezhuthu ezhudhinaayoWhat a fate you have written for me!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Aahaa bhramma devanaeAha, Oh Lord Brahma!
Un perumayai naan enna solvaenHow can I describe your greatness?
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Nee periya buthisaaliyappaaYou are a very clever one, my lord!
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Male
Oho oho ohohoOho oho ohoho
Bhramma dhevanaeOh Lord Brahma!
Aahaa bhramma dhevanaeAha, Oh Lord Brahma!
Lala laala laala laa…Lala laala laala laa…
Lala laala laala laa…Lala laala laala laa…

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a humorous and sarcastic praise directed at Lord Brahma, the Hindu god of creation and destiny. The protagonist marvels at the bizarre twist of fate that brought him—a penniless, homeless, and foolish 'king of beggars'—into a marriage with a delicate royal princess who has lived a life of absolute luxury. With self-deprecating humor, the character marvels at divine irony, wondering what strange destiny Brahma wrote on his forehead to turn an utterly unworthy man into the son-in-law of a grand royal household. The tone is lighthearted, playful, and filled with rustic Tamil folk sentiment.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Irony / Muran (Contrast)

Perumilla oorumilla / Pichadhipathi enna... Raajaa pettra selvamae

Contrasts the groom's humble, destitute background ('beggar king without a town or fame') with the bride's pampered, royal background ('king's precious treasure').

Ethugai (Second-letter Assonance)

Moodanaana enakku serthu / Mudichi potta dheivamae

The second letter 'di'/'da' sound rhymes across the consecutive lines ('Moodanaana' / 'Mudichi').

Monai (First-letter Alliteration)

Koda veyil therinjidaadha / Raajaa pettra selvamae

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across the rhythmic structure of folk meter.

Hyperbole / Metaphor

Pichadhipathi enna

Using 'Pichadhipathi' (Emperor of Beggars) hyperbolically to emphasize absolute poverty and low social status.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Guna Sundari' (1955) was directed by K. Koteswara Rao and featured lyrics by the celebrated folk-lyricist Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass. Ramaiah Dass was renowned for his quick-witted, colloquial Tamil songs filled with native idioms that captured the humor and drama of middle- and lower-class characters in mid-20th century Tamil cinema.

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