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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kothumalli Poo Pookka

From Ponnu Vilaiyum Boomi · 1959

Lyricist
A. Maruthakasi
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
K. H. Reddy
Details
Ponnu Vilaiyum Boomi1959

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Vaazhai madal viriyaAs banana fronds open wide
Mannilae kudai saayaLeaning over the ground like umbrellas
Vaazhai madal viriyaAs banana fronds open wide
Mannilae kudai saayaLeaning over the ground like umbrellas
Vandhaarai vaazha veikkum seemaiyidhuThis is the land that sustains whoever arrives
Namma manasu polaJust like our generous hearts
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Vaaikaal karai puralaAs water overflows the canal banks
Vayalgalilae meen puralaAs fish roll in the paddy fields
Vattraadha valam kozhikkum seemaiyidhuThis is a land overflowing with never-ending prosperity
Vaaikaal karai puralaAs water overflows the canal banks
Vayalgalilae meen puralaAs fish roll in the paddy fields
Vattraadha valam kozhikkum seemaiyidhuThis is a land overflowing with never-ending prosperity
Edhai nattaalumWhatever you plant
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Kannilae kanavirukkaWith dreams in the eyes
Karuthinilae thuni virukkaAnd courage in thought
Kannilae kanavirukkaWith dreams in the eyes
Karuthinilae thuni virukkaAnd courage in thought
Ennathaal uyarnthavanga seemaiyidhuThis is the land of people noble in thought
Ulagil ennaalumForever in the world
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold
Male
Aniyaayam seibavaraiThose who commit injustice
Anjaamal edhirthu nindruStanding fearlessly against them
Aniyaayam seibavaraiThose who commit injustice
Anjaamal edhirthu nindruStanding fearlessly against them
Thanmaanam kaathu varum seemaiyidhuThis is the land that protects self-respect
Thanmaanam kaathu varum seemaiyidhuThis is the land that protects self-respect
Pettra thaaiyaagumIt is like the birth mother
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis land that yields gold
Pettra thaaiyaagumIt is like the birth mother
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis land that yields gold
Male
Kothumalli poo pookkaAs coriander flowers bloom
Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakkaBearing fruit by the millions
Kothu kothaaiIn bunches and clusters
Nel vilaiyum seemaiyidhuThis is the land where paddy grows
Namma kurai theerkkumThat solves our grievances
Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhuThis is the land that yields gold

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Ponnu Vilaiyum Boomi is a pastoral anthem that celebrates the rich agrarian fertility, natural abundance, and moral integrity of the Tamil country. Through vivid rural imagery—blooming coriander, dense bunches of paddy, banana trees providing shade, and brimming canals—the lyricist paints a picture of a land so fertile it metaphorically yields gold. Beyond physical prosperity, the song emphasizes the noble values of the land and its people. It honors the tradition of hospitality ('Vandhaarai vaazha veikkum seemaiyidhu'), the courage to stand up against injustice, and the pride of self-respect, ultimately revering the motherland as sacred and caring as one's birth mother.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Kothumalli poo pookka / Kodi kodiyaai kaai kakka / Kothu kothaai

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across lines or words to create rhythm.

Metaphor (Uruvam)

Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhu

Comparing the fertile soil directly to gold ('Pon vilaiyum boomi') to symbolize extreme agricultural wealth.

Simile / Visual Imagery

Vaazhai madal viriya / Mannilae kudai saaya

Describing large banana leaves spreading out and leaning toward the earth like sheltering umbrellas.

Personification / Mother Metaphor

Pettra thaaiyaagum / Pon vilaiyum boomiyidhu

Equating the nurturing native soil directly to a loving biological mother.

Did you know?

Trivia

Penned by lyricist A. Maruthakasi and composed by K. H. Reddy for the 1959 film 'Ponnu Vilaiyum Boomi', this song stands as a classic representation of 1950s Tamil cinema's focus on agrarian pride, self-sufficiency, and social self-respect values.

Keep listening

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