Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kalloda Kal Orasa

From Sabash (1984) · 1984

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
T. K. S. Natarajan
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Sabash (1984)1984

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kalloda kal orasa kadaloda meen orasaAs stones rub against stones, as fish brush against the sea,
Unnodu naan orasaFor me to brush against you,
Odi vaaraen unnaithediI come running searching for you.
Naanum neeyum odi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I running together, do not forget me, girl!
Mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiOh cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Male
Aalavizhuthu pola aththa maga thalaimayiruLike the aerial roots of a banyan tree is my cousin's hair,
Thookki mudinjittaalum thookkaanakkaa kuruvikkooduEven when tied up high, it looks like a weaver bird's nest!
Naanum neeyum jodi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I are a pair, do not forget me, girl!
Mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiOh cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Male
Santhana kumbaavula saatham pottu unnayilaeWhen eating rice served in a sandalwood bowl,
Unna nenaikkaiyilae orakkam vara marukkuthadiAs I think of you, sleep refuses to come to me!
Naanum neeyum jodi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I are a pair, do not forget me, girl!
Ai mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiHey, cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Male
Thannippaana thalaiyil vachchuCarrying a water pot on your head,
Thadam paarththu pora pennaeOh girl walking carefully watching your step,
Kodaththa konjam erakki vaiyiPut down the pot for a moment,
Konda thaagam theerththu vayiQuench the deep thirst I hold!
Naanum neeyum odi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I running together, do not forget me, girl!
Ai mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiHey, cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Male
Jaadikkeththa moodi pola sarasam panna neeyum vaadiLike a lid perfectly fitting a jar, come to make playful love with me,
Vaarisu venuminnaa varusham onnu pogattumaeIf we want an heir, let a year pass by!
Naanum neeyum odi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I running together, do not forget me, girl!
Ai mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiHey, cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Male
Kalloda kal orasa kadaloda meen orasaAs stones rub against stones, as fish brush against the sea,
Unnodu naan orasaFor me to brush against you,
Odi vaaraen unnaithediI come running searching for you.
Naanum neeyum odi enna maranthudaathadiYou and I running together, do not forget me, girl!
Ai mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiHey, cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!
Mamaraththu kuyilae unna thodarnthu vaaraendiOh cuckoo on the mango tree, I am coming following you, girl!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This energetic folk song depicts a man expressing his passionate love and playful longing for his beloved. Using rustic metaphors and rural imagery, he compares her features to banyan roots and bird nests while calling her his mango-tree cuckoo. He entreats her not to forget their bond and playfully imagines a life together with affection and harmony.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

Aalavizhuthu pola aththa maga thalaimayiru

Comparing the heroine's long hair to the hanging aerial roots of a banyan tree ('Aalavizhuthu pola').

Metaphor / Imagery

Thookki mudinjittaalum thookkaanakkaa kuruvikkoodu

Visual imagery depicting her bun tied up high as resembling a weaver bird's nest ('thookkaanakkaa kuruvikkoodu').

Monai / Etukai (Rhyme & Assonance)

Kalloda kal orasa kadaloda meen orasa

Repetitive rhythmic end-rhyme ('orasa') and internal alliteration creating a folk rhythm.

Simile (Uvamai)

Jaadikkeththa moodi pola sarasam panna neeyum vaadi

Comparing their ideal romantic compatibility to a lid that perfectly fits a jar ('Jaadikkeththa moodi pola').

Did you know?

Trivia

T. K. S. Natarajan was a legendary character actor and folk singer in Tamil cinema, celebrated for his iconic, high-energy rustic tracks in the 1970s and 1980s. His unique vocal delivery gave this song composed by Shankar-Ganesh a distinct rural charm.

Keep listening

More from Sabash (1984)