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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kalaikalin Thaaye Thunai

From Abhirami · 1992

Lyricist
Kalidasan
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, Sakthi Shanmugam, K. S. Chithra
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Abhirami
Movie release year
1992
Lyrics added on
7 Apr 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kalaigalin thaayae thunai varuvaayae
Aa…aa…aah…aa…aa….aah…aa….
Thaamthalaangu thakku thanjavur thavilu
Tharigida tharigida paattuththaan
Thaalam Jadhiyodu thappaama adippaen
Tharigida tharigida pottuththaan
Paadaathae nee dooppu
Oyaathu en taeppu
Thottaalae kulungidum
Maththaala puyal naan
Thaamthalaangu
Thaamthalaangu thakku thanjavur thavilu
Tharigida tharigida paattuththaan
Thaalam Jadhiyodu thappaama adippaen
Tharigida tharigida pottuththaan
Vaanaththa villaa valaippaen
Mannula kayiru thirippaen
Naan paadum paadal kettaal
Naaga paambum aadumae
Thennaiyilae maangaa parippaen
Male :Haang
Male :Thanniyila vennai eduppaen
Ennisaiyai kettaa annan
Seval muttai podumae
Surangalilae sarangal korkkum killaadi naan
Male :Shuruthiyilae kittappaa enakku pinnaadithaan
Male :Isaiyenum kadalaiyum kadainthavan
Male :Edhirththu pesaathae thol vaayi naalaaga kizhinthidum
Thaamthalaangu thakku thanjavur thavilu
Tharigida tharigida paattuththaan
Male :Thaalam Jadhiyodu thappaama adippaen
Tharigida tharigida pottuththaan
Kaasillaamal oc veettil
Kaalam oottum karung korangu
Male :Maasam thorum vaadagai yaeththi
Manusana pudunguthu oru udumbu
Kaattu boodham unnai inimel
Veettukkullae naan vidamaattaen
Male :Veetta adachchaa court-tukku poven
Adhuvarai vaadagai tharamattaen
Rigarisariga patharisariga
Male :Kadhavukku thaappaa illaiyadi pappa
Male :Sanipathariga sanipathariga
Male :Kenaththula thanni kedaikkala anni
Papapaapanipani
Male :Current bill-u innum tharala ivanae
Male :Ninininipapanini
Male :Kazhuththu puduchchu thallu udanae
Male :Rigatigapa kapanithanisa
Male :Oru jaan idaththilum onbathu kudiththanam
Male :Rigapagapani panisarisani
Male :Idhukko vaadagai koduppathu madaththanam
Saninisapanigapagarigapanisa
Pozhappul kaiya vachchaa odhappaduvae
Male :Sagarisasani panisagari
Male :Pozhuthukkum engitta midhippaduvae
Male :Kaakakaaka kaakakaaka rigarigapaa
…………….
Vaani sarasvathi kalyaaniyae nee
Vaa vaa enpaattilae
Annai abhirami ennaalum arulvaal
Vettrimaalai en tholilae
Oor yaavum paaraatta sangeetham pozhinthidum
Singaara kuyil naan
Vaani sarasvathi kalyaaniyae nee
Vaa vaa enpaattilae
Annai abhirami ennaalum arulvaal
Vettrimaalai en tholilae
Mother of the arts, come to my aid!
Aa... aa... aah... aa... aa... aah... aa...
Dham-thalaangu-thakku, the Thanjavur thavil drum,
Plays a rapid, rhythmic song!
I will strike in rhythm with the syllables without missing a beat,
Marking the rhythm with perfect accuracy!
Don't you sing fake tunes!
My playing will never stop!
It trembles the moment it is touched,
I am a storm upon the percussion drum!
Dham-thalaangu!
Dham-thalaangu-thakku, the Thanjavur thavil drum,
Plays a rapid, rhythmic song!
I will strike in rhythm with the syllables without missing a beat,
Marking the rhythm with perfect accuracy!
I can bend the sky like a bow,
I can spin a rope out of sand!
If it hears the song I sing,
Even a cobra will dance!
I can pluck a mango from a coconut tree!
Male: Ha!
Male: I can churn butter out of plain water!
Hearing my music, brother,
Even a rooster will lay an egg!
I am an expert at weaving strings of musical notes!
Male: In high pitch, even singer Kittappa comes second to me!
Male: I am the one who churned the ocean of music!
Male: Don't talk back, or your drumhead and mouth will tear into pieces!
Dham-thalaangu-thakku, the Thanjavur thavil drum,
Plays a rapid, rhythmic song!
Male: I will strike in rhythm with the syllables without missing a beat,
Marking the rhythm with perfect accuracy!
Living rent-free in a house without paying a penny,
Is a black monkey idling away time!
Male: Raising the rent every single month,
A greedy lizard is tormenting people!
You wild monster, from now on,
I will not let you inside the house!
Male: If you lock the house, I will take you to court,
And I won't pay any rent until then!
Ri ga ri sa ri ga, pa dha ri sa ri ga,
Male: There isn't even a latch on the door, dear!
Male: Sa ni pa dha ri ga, sa ni pa dha ri ga,
Male: There's no water in the well, sister-in-law!
Pa pa paa pa ni pa ni,
Male: He hasn't even paid the electricity bill yet!
Male: Ni ni ni ni pa pa ni ni,
Male: Grab him by the neck and throw him out right away!
Male: Ri ga ri ga pa, ga pa ni dha ni sa,
Male: Nine families crammed into a tiny handspan of space!
Male: Ri ga pa ga pa ni, pa ni sa ri sa ni,
Male: Paying rent for this is utter foolishness!
Sa ni ni sa pa ni ga pa ga ri ga pa ni sa,
If you mess with my livelihood, you will get kicked!
Male: Sa ga ri sa sa ni, pa ni sa ga ri,
Male: You will get trampled by me all day long!
Male: Kaakka kaakka kaakka kaakka, ri ga ri ga paa...
...
O Saraswati, goddess of arts and auspiciousness,
Come, come into my song!
Mother Abhirami will bless me every day,
Placing the garland of victory upon my shoulders!
Pouring out music for the whole town to praise,
I am a charming songbird!
O Saraswati, goddess of arts and auspiciousness,
Come, come into my song!
Mother Abhirami will bless me every day,
Placing the garland of victory upon my shoulders!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a lively musical duel and comic exchange set in a theatrical or neighborhood context. The singers trade boastful insults about their musical skills and exaggerated physical feats, while also squabbling over housing issues like unpaid rent, lack of amenities, and landlord-tenant arguments. Interspersed throughout the comic banter are rapid-fire solfège passages (swaras) mimicking traditional Carnatic and folk performance styles. Despite the lighthearted and competitive banter, the song frames itself with devotional invocations to Goddess Saraswathi (the deity of music and learning) and Mother Abhirami, expressing confidence that divine grace will ultimately bestow success and recognition upon the performer.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Rhyme / Monorhyme (Edugai & Monai)

Thaamthalaangu thakku thanjavur thavilu

Extensive use of Tamil poetic rhyming patterns where second letters match (Edugai) and first letters match (Monai), such as 'Vaanaththa' / 'Mannula' and 'Thaamthalaangu' / 'Tharigida'.

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Vaanaththa villaa valaippaen / Mannula kayiru thirippaen

Exaggerated claims used for comic effect, such as bending the sky into a bow, getting butter from water, or making roosters lay eggs.

Onomatopoeia (Sound symbolism)

Tharigida tharigida paattuththaan

Use of rhythmic drum syllables ('Thaamthalaangu', 'Tharigida') to imitate the sound of the Thavil drum and heighten the musical atmosphere.

Metaphor

Maththaala puyal naan

Describing oneself as a 'storm of drums' (Maththaala puyal) and 'beautiful cuckoo' (Singaara kuyil).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song mixes folk drum beats (Thavil) with classical Carnatic swara singing in a comedic format popular in 1990s Tamil cinema. Deva's composition highlights the versatility of Malaysia Vasudevan and K. S. Chithra in delivering fast-paced theatrical vocal exchanges.

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