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Isaimozhi
Manithan album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaalai Kaalai

From Manithan · 1987

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. P. Sailaja
Music director
Chandrabose
Movie name
Manithan
Movie release year
1987
Lyrics added on
10 Oct 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
{Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thana nana naa…
Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thanththana thanaththa thana
Thana nana naa…} (2)
Kaalai kaalai
Claps :…………….
Female :Murattu kaalai
Claps :…………….
Murattu kaalai nee thaana
Pokkiri raaja nee thaana
Paaiyum puliyum nee thaana
Payandhu povadhu sari thaana
Vaazhvomae onnodu onnaa
Vaalibam yengudhu endhiri kannaa
Kaalai kaalai… murattu kaalai
Murattu kaalai naanthaandi
Pokkiri raajaa naanthaandi
Paaiyum puliyum naanthaandi
Payandhu poga maattendi
Naadellaam en pera sollum
Nallavanukku nallavandhandi
Ull kaaichchal yeralaiyaa
Un ullam maralaiyaa
Pandhikku azhaiththenae
Pasi illaiyaa
Nejamaaththaan yenghuriyaa
Nee enna pombalaiyaa…hoi
Yennai vittaa unakkedhum
Vazhi illaiyaa
Ada mamaa…azhalaamaa
Naan thaali kattattaa
Male :Adi maanae…thimirthaanae
Un kottam adakkida kattravan naanae
Kaalai kaalai… murattu kaalai
Male :Aa.. murattu kaalai naanthaandi
Pokkiri raajaa naanthaandi
Paaiyum puliyum nee thaana
Payandhu povadhu sari thaana
Male :Naadellaam en pera sollum
Nallavanukku nallavandhandi
Aa..haa..haa…haa…haa..
Female :Oh..hoo…hoo…hoo…hoo..
Male :Aa..haa
Female :Aa..haa
Male :Ae..hae..aehaehae…
Pombalaiya seraama
Poi serntha allugalai
Kattaiyil thee kooda
Theendaathaiyaa
Saelaikkul theriyaama
Sikki vitta aambalaikku
Sorgaththil idam yedhum
Kidaiyaathammoi
Kili pola thool melae
Naan yeri kollattaa
Male :Yenna penmai yenna menmai
Un karpinai kandadhum kannagi kettaa..
Kaalai kaalai
En murattu kaalai
Murattu kaalai nee thaana
Pokkiri raaja nee thaana
Paaiyum puliyum nee thaana
Payandhu povadhu sari thaana
Vaazhvomae onnodu onnaa
Vaalibam yengudhu endhiri kannaa
Kaalai kaalai
Aa..murattu kaalai
Aha..murattu kaalai naan thaandi
Pokkiri raajaa naanthaandi
Paaiyum puliyum naanthaandi
Payandhu poga maattendi
Naadellaam en pera sollum
Nallavanukku nallavandhandi
Kaalai kaalai
Male :Ye..hahaa..
Female :Murattu kaalai
Male :Ae..hae..hae..hai..
{Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thana nana naa…
Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thanthana thanaththa thana
Thana nana naa…} (2)
A bull, a bull!
[Claps]
Female: An untamed bull!
[Claps]
Are you the untamed bull?
Are you the rogue king?
Are you the pouncing tiger?
Is it right for you to be scared?
Let us live together as one!
Youth is yearning, wake up, my darling!
A bull, a bull... an untamed bull!
I am the untamed bull, girl!
I am the rogue king, girl!
I am the pouncing tiger, girl!
I will never be scared, girl!
The whole country speaks my name,
I am good to the good, girl!
Hasn't an inner fever risen in you?
Hasn't your heart changed yet?
I invited you to a feast,
aren't you hungry?
Are you truly yearning?
What kind of woman are you, hey!
Without me, do you have
no other way?
Oh mister... should you cry?
Shall I tie the thali (sacred wedding thread) on you?
Male: Hey little deer... full of pride, aren't you?
I am the one who knows how to tame your arrogance!
A bull, a bull... an untamed bull!
Male: Ah... I am the untamed bull, girl!
I am the rogue king, girl!
Are you the pouncing tiger?
Is it right for you to be scared?
Male: The whole country speaks my name,
I am good to the good, girl!
Ah..haa..haa…haa…haa..
Female: Oh..hoo…hoo…hoo…hoo..
Male: Aa..haa!
Female: Aa..haa!
Male: Ey..hey..eyheyhey…
For men who pass away
without ever being with a woman,
even the fire of the funeral pyre
will refuse to touch them!
For a man who gets blindly trapped
inside the folds of a saree,
there is no place
in heaven, my girl!
Like a parrot on your shoulder,
may I perch myself?
Male: What womanhood, what gentleness!
Seeing your wild imagination, Kannagi (legendary symbol of chastity) would question you!
A bull, a bull!
My untamed bull!
Are you the untamed bull?
Are you the rogue king?
Are you the pouncing tiger?
Is it right for you to be scared?
Let us live together as one!
Youth is yearning, wake up, my darling!
A bull, a bull!
Ah... untamed bull!
Aha... I am the untamed bull, girl!
I am the rogue king, girl!
I am the pouncing tiger, girl!
I will never be scared, girl!
The whole country speaks my name,
I am good to the good, girl!
A bull, a bull!
Male: Yeah..hah-haa...
Female: Untamed bull!
Male: Ey..hey..hey..haai...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful duet features a tease-filled banter between the male and female leads. The heroine playfully taunts the hero by calling him iconic cinema titles ('Murattu Kaalai', 'Pokkiri Raaja', 'Paaiyum Puli') while questioning his courage and asking why he resists her romantic advances. She tempts him with affectionate provocation, suggesting that youth shouldn't be wasted and questioning his masculine pride.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Emonai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Murattu kaalai nee thaana / Pokkiri raaja nee thaana

Matching starting sounds in consecutive or nearby lines, such as 'Murattu kaalai' and 'Pokkiri raaja'.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Ull kaaichchal yeralaiyaa / Un ullam maralaiyaa

The second consonant sound matches across lines, creating a rhythmic harmony ('Ull' / 'Un').

Cultural Allusion & Metaphor

Murattu kaalai nee thaana / Pokkiri raaja nee thaana / Paaiyum puliyum nee thaana

References to Rajinikanth's blockbuster hit film titles ('Murattu Kaalai', 'Pokkiri Raaja', 'Paaiyum Puli') used metaphorically to describe masculine bravery and swagger.

Mythological Irony / Hyperbole

Un karpinai kandadhum kannagi kettaa..

Mentioning Kannagi, the legendary epitome of chastity, in a teasing and hyperbolic praise of the heroine's wiles.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song playfully incorporates titles of three major hit films of Superstar Rajinikanth ('Murattu Kaalai', 'Pokkiri Raaja', and 'Paaiyum Puli') into the lyric refrain to celebrate his onscreen hero persona.

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