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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kamma Karayile

From Vedan · 1993

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chitra
Music director
Deva
Details
Vedan1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Mmm….mm….mmmm…mm…Mmm... mm... mmmm... mm...
Mmm….mm….mmmm….mm….Mmm... mm... mmmm... mm...
Chorus
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Male
Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaaIf I casually block your path on the tank bund,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Female :Thappikka nenachchi thanniyil kudhichchaFemale: If I jump into the water trying to escape,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Male
Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaaIf I casually block your path on the tank bund,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Female :Thappikka nenachchi thanniyil kudhichchaFemale: If I jump into the water trying to escape,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Male :Naanum kudhichchaa nee enna pannuvaMale: If I jump in too, what will you do?
Female :Menaaga povaenae enna pannuvaaFemale: I will turn into a fish, what will you do?
Chorus
: Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Hoi…..hoi….Hoi... hoi...
Male
Thanni kudam thaangi pogaiyilaeWhen you walk carrying a pot of water,
Thaavaniya izhuththaa enna pannuvaIf I pull your upper veil, what will you do?
Female :Kondu vantha kudaththa un thalaiyilFemale: The pot of water I brought, on your head,
Kotti vittu ponaa enna pannuvaIf I pour it out and leave, what will you do?
Male
Thaavaniyil thodachchaa enna pannuvaIf I wipe myself with your veil, what will you do?
Female :Saathi sanam azhaippaen enna pannuvaFemale: I will call my kith and kin, what will you do?
Male :Thaavaniyil thodachchaa enna pannuvaMale: If I wipe myself with your veil, what will you do?
Female :Saathi sanam azhaippaen enna pannuvaFemale: I will call my kith and kin, what will you do?
Male :En ponjaathi ivathaanaa enna pannvaMale: If I say 'She is my wife', what will you do?
Female :Ada pon thaali engayinnaa enna pannuvaaFemale: Hey, if I ask 'Where is the golden wedding chain?', what will you do?
Female
Yov paaduiyyaaHey, sing!
Male :Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaaMale: If I casually block your path on the tank bund,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Female :Appadi poduFemale: Way to go!
Thappikka nenachchi thanniyil kudhichchaIf I jump into the water trying to escape,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Male :Naanum kudhichchaa nee enna pannuvaMale: If I jump in too, what will you do?
Female :Meenaaga povaenae enna pannuvaaFemale: I will turn into a fish, what will you do?
Chorus
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Hoiyyaa hoiyaa hoiyyaa hoiyaaHoiyyaa hoiyaa hoiyyaa hoiyaa
Hoiyyaa hoiyaaHoiyyaa hoiyaa
Hoiyyaa hoiyaa hoiyyaa hoiyaaHoiyyaa hoiyaa hoiyyaa hoiyaa
Hoiyyaa hoiyaaHoiyyaa hoiyaa
Female
Santhosam kodukkum mudhaliravilOn the joyous wedding night,
Naan thalli thalli ponaa enna pannuvaIf I keep stepping away, what will you do?
Male :Munthaanai izhuththu en iduppilMale: Pulling your saree end around my waist,
Mudichonnu pottaa enna pannuvaIf I tie a knot, what will you do?
Female
Mudichcha avuththaa enna pannuvaIf I untie that knot, what will you do?
Male :Muthaanai avunthaa enna pannuvaMale: If your garment comes undone, what will you do?
Female :Mudichcha avuththaa enna pannuvaFemale: If I untie that knot, what will you do?
Male :Haan muthaanai avunthaa enna pannuvaMale: Haan, if your garment comes undone, what will you do?
Aah aah….Aah aah...
Female :Vaaivittu saththamittaa enna pannuvaFemale: If I shout out loud, what will you do?
Male :Un vaaya adaichchaa nee enna pannuvaMale: If I cover and silence your mouth, what will you do?
Male
Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaaIf I casually block your path on the tank bund,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Female :Thappikka nenachchi thanniyil kudhichchaFemale: If I jump into the water trying to escape,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Male :Naanum kudhichchaa nee enna pannuvaMale: If I jump in too, what will you do?
Female :Meenaaga povaenae enna pannuvaaFemale: I will turn into a fish, what will you do?
Chorus
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Ippo enna pannuvaeNow what will you do?
Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Ippo enna pannuvaeNow what will you do?
Male
Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaaIf I casually block your path on the tank bund,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Female :Thappikka nenachchi thanniyil kudhichchaFemale: If I jump into the water trying to escape,
Enna pannuvaWhat will you do?
Chorus
Ammaadi ammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Ammaadi ammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Ippo enna pannuvaeNow what will you do?
Male
Ammaadi ammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Needhan enna pannuvaeWhat will you do?
Ammaadi ammaadi enna pannuvaeOh my girl, oh my girl, what will you do?
Ippo enna pannuvae….hahaahhaa…Now what will you do? ...hahahaha...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a high-energy, humorous duet framed as a playful battle of wits ('Enna Pannuva' - 'What will you do?') between two lovers. The male lead sets up romantic and cheeky dilemmas—such as blocking her pathway along the lake embankment, tugging her saree drape, or tying her veil to his waist on their nuptial night. The female lead counters each challenge with witty, defiant responses, threatening to dump water over his head, summon her relatives, or magically transform into a fish to swim away from him. Penned by Vairamuthu in the classic rural folk 'Tharkkam' (argumentative duet) structure, the song captures the lighthearted teasing, romance, and comic chemistry between the lead characters. Beneath the playful back-and-forth challenges lies mutual affection and joy, culminating in a rhythmic and lively celebration.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Dialogue / Call-and-Response (Tharkkam)

Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaa / Enna pannuva

A classic Tamil folk poetic form where characters exchange hypothetical challenges and counter-responses line by line.

Epiphora / Refrain

Ammaadi yammaadi enna pannuvae

Repetition of the phrase 'Enna pannuva' ('What will you do?') at the end of consecutive lines for rhythmic cadence and playful impact.

Monai (Initial Consonance)

Kammaa karaiyilae summaa naan marichchaa

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words, such as 'Kammaa' and 'karaiyilae' ('k' sound).

Hyperbole / Metaphor

Meenaaga povaenae enna pannuvaa

The heroine playfully exaggerates that she will turn into a fish ('Meenaaga povaenae') to slip away underwater.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Ammaadi Yammaadi' (also known as 'Kamma Karaiyilae') is from the 1993 Tamil action film 'Vedan', starring Sathyaraj and Kushboo. The soundtrack was composed by Deva, and the track features vocals by legendary playback singers S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra.

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