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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kambanukku kai koduthu

From Maru Malarchi · 1998

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. A. Rajkumar
Music director
S. A. Rajkumar
Details
Maru Malarchi1998

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kambanukku kai koduthuSupporting Kamban, the noble poet
Kaverikku annai eduthuBuilding a dam across the Kaveri river
Semponnal silambarathuAdorned with golden anklets
Samikku oru kura thanthu….Giving a flaw even to God himself...
Male
Punjaila nanjailaIn dry lands and fertile wet lands
Ponvilaiyum thanjailaIn Thanjavur where gold blossoms
Puli kodiya ethivachiHoisting the tiger flag
Pugazh kodiya parakkavittuLetting the flag of fame fly high
Male
Ezhanaattu vallavaruA ruler of seven lands
Isaiyoda aandurunthaWho ruled in harmony with music
Chozhanaatu mannarungaDescended from the royal bloodline
Santhathiyl vanthavaru …Chorus :Aamah…Of the great Chola kings... Chorus: Yes...
Male
Pugazhirukkuthu peyar irukuthuThere is fame and there is a great name
Rasupadiyatchi than…..It is indeed the reign of the king...
Chorus :Engu rasupadiyatchi than…..Chorus: Everywhere it is the reign of the king...
Male
Viral asaivila oor irukkuthuThe whole village moves at the flick of his finger
Neeru nelam satchi thanWater and land stand as witness
Chorus :Antha neeru nelam satchi thanChorus: That water and land stand as witness
Male
Therumunaiyla sillai irukkuthuThere stands a statue at the street corner
Avar perumaya athu uraikkuthuProclaiming his enduring glory
Urukellam ullayum vachiCarrying the whole town in his heart
Soriduvar illaiyum vachiHe feeds everyone without leaving any hungry
Avar than namma saminuHe alone is our living god
Oore onnu kudininnuThe entire village gathers together
Male
Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooBeat the urimi drums... ohooo
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam hoiii….Rhythmically strike the new beat hoiii...
Chorus :Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooChorus: Beat the urimi drums... ohooo
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam hoiii….Rhythmically strike the new beat hoiii...
Chorus
………………................
Male
Thaanathula osantha thaanamAmong all noble acts of charity
Anna thaanam ulagilaeAnnadhanam (feeding the hungry) is supreme in this world
Sami pola yarum atha senjathae illaNo one has performed charity like God did
Male
Suriyanum anaithidumaeEven the sun sets and fades away
Sayungala pozhuthalaWhen the evening arrives
Sami veettu adupanainthu paarthathae illaBut the kitchen hearth in God's house has never gone cold
Male
Aatchi padaiyatchiGovernance and leadership
Seyum ooru than idhuThis town truly belongs to his reign
Saathi matha pedham ellam odiponnathuAll caste and religious barriers ran away
Kothandammum koothiraiyumKothandam and Khuthirai
Kaiya kulukkuthuShake hands with each other
Siluvaiyum than snegithamaEven the Holy Cross in friendship
Sernthu sirikkuthuSmiles together in unity
Male
Ethum inga pothuvaEverything here is equal and common
Manam pazhagum ottu oravaA harmonious bond that unites hearts
Athukku thaguntha vazhiya vaguthaHe paved the path suited for such unity
Avar than nama saminuHe alone is our living god
Oore onnu kudininnuThe entire village gathers together
Male
Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooBeat the urimi drums... ohooo
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam rey rey reyStrike the new beat rey rey rey
Chorus :Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooChorus: Beat the urimi drums... ohooo
Thattungadaa puthiya thallamStrike the new beat
Male
Hoi hoi hoi huurahHoi hoi hoi huurah
Chorus :Hoo..oo..hoooChorus: Hoo..oo..hooo
Hoo..oo..hoooHoo..oo..hooo
………………………………................................
Male
Manam mudikka manam illamaHaving no desire to marry
VazhthiruppavaruHe lives a life of selfless sacrifice
Oor makkalathan petha pullaHe considers the village folk
Pol nenaipaaruAs if they were his own children
Chorus
……………………….....................
Male
Thazhthapatta sanangalukkuTo the oppressed and downtrodden people
Thol kodupavaruHe lends a supporting shoulder
Antha ezhai pazhai sirithirunthaWhen those poor souls smile
Ivar siripaaruHe smiles along with them
Male
Noyillama nodiyum illamaWithout illness and without decay
Nooru andu oorai anduRuling the land for a hundred years
Boomimeethu sami vazhaFor this god living on earth
Pattu kattunga daa..Sing songs and celebrate!
Chorus :Boomimeethu sami vazhaChorus: For this god living on earth
Pattu kattunga daa..Sing songs and celebrate!
Male
Ramaya ada somiyaOh Ramaiya, oh Somiya
Ada veeraiya vadivelaiyaOh Veeraiyya, oh Vadivelaiya
Unakkum ennakumTo both you and me
Nizhala kodukkumGiving comforting shade
Avar than nama saminuHe alone is our living god
Oore onu kudininnuThe entire village gathers together
Male
Kottungadaa urimi melamBeat the urimi drums
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam…..adraa sakkaStrike the new beat... adraa sakka
Chrous :Kottungadaa urimi melamChorus: Beat the urimi drums
Thattungadaa puthiya thallamStrike the new beat
Male
Pugazhirukkuthu peyar irukuthuThere is fame and there is a great name
Rasupadiyatchi than…..It is indeed the reign of the king...
Chorus :Engu rasupadiyatchi than…..Chorus: Everywhere it is the reign of the king...
Male
Viral asaivila oor irukkuthuThe whole village moves at the flick of his finger
Neeru nelam satchi thanWater and land stand as witness
Chorus :Antha neeru nelam satchi thanChorus: That water and land stand as witness
Male
Therumunaiyla sillai irukkuthuThere stands a statue at the street corner
Avar perumaya athu uraikkuthuProclaiming his enduring glory
Urukellam ullayum vachiCarrying the whole town in his heart
Soriduvar illaiyum vachiHe feeds everyone without leaving any hungry
Avar than namma saminuHe alone is our living god
Oore onnu kudininnuThe entire village gathers together
Male
Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooBeat the urimi drums..ohooo
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam hoiii….appadi poduStrike the new beat hoiii... appadi podu
Chorus :Kottungadaa urimi melam..ohoooChorus: Beat the urimi drums..ohooo
Nalla poduPlay it well
Thattungadaa puthiya thallam hoiii….Strike the new beat hoiii...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This celebratory song from the movie Maru Malarchi (1998) praises a benevolent and selfless village leader who is revered as a living god ('Sami') by his townspeople. Descended symbolically from the glorious Chola kings of the fertile Thanjavur region, he dedicates his life to communal harmony, feeding the poor ('Annadhanam'), and eradicating caste and religious divides. The lyrics emphasize his noble choices, such as remaining unmarried to treat the entire village as his family, standing by the downtrodden, and ensuring nobody in his domain goes hungry. Through festive beats of the traditional urimi drum, the villagers unite in grand celebration to honour his legacy and wish him a long life.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moonaal / Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Punjaila nanjaila / Ponvilaiyum thanjaila / Puli kodiya ethivachi / Pugazh kodiya parakkavittu

Repetition of the initial letter sound 'P' across consecutive lines for rhythmic flow.

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Boomimeethu sami vazha

Directly equating the noble chieftain to a living god on Earth ('Boomimeethu sami').

Iyaibu (Rhyming Endings)

Kambanukku kai koduthu / Kaverikku annai eduthu

Rhythmic matching of sentence endings ('-ukku' and '-u' sounds) across couplets.

Personification

Siluvaiyum than snegithama / Sernthu sirikkuthu

Attributing human actions of friendship like shaking hands and smiling to religious symbols (Cross/Kothandam).

Did you know?

Trivia

The song comes from the hit 1998 Tamil drama film 'Maru Malarchi', starring Mammootty and Devayani, directed by K. S. Adhiyaman. The music was composed by SA Rajkumar with lyrics penned by veteran lyricist Vaali. Mammootty played the iconic character of Rasu Padayachi, a revered village chieftain whose selfless philanthropy forms the heart of the story.

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