Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kottampatti Karuppayi

From Sabash (1984) · 1984

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Sailaja
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Sabash (1984)
Movie release year
1984
Lyrics added on
19 Dec 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Adiyae….alamelu aduththavoottu aandaalu
Down aalu vanthirukkaandi
Drousar-oda ninnurukkaandi
Naduvaala vuttukittu naalu peru suththikittu
Kottungadi kummiyaththaan thattungadi kaigalathaan
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
A B C D Padichchirukkaan
Cigarette kaiyila pudichchurukkaan
Vellaikkaaran kollu peran
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
A B C D Padichchirukkaan
Cigarette kaiyila pudichchurukkaan
Vellaikkaaran kollu peran
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Machchaan moonjithaan manthi polaththaan
Palla kaattuthu paarththaa
Retta vaaluthaan romba neelanthaan
Vetti podanum aaththaa
Machchaan moonjithaan manthi polaththaan
Palla kaattuthu paarththaa
Retta vaaluthaan romba neelanthaan
Vetti podanum aaththaa
Illaatti paanjidum nammakitta
Haan yaemanthu pogumaa naattukatta
Vanthaaru maappillaithaan
Ooraanin thoppulathaan
Vanthaaru maappillaithaan
Ooraanin thoppulathaan
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
A B C D Padichchirukkaan
Cigarette kaiyila pudichchurukkaan
Vellaikkaaran kollu peran
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
…………….
Aaththumettula aadu meikkira
Kanni pullathaan naanum
Kalla parvaiyai kaatti pesinaa
Thulli paayura aalu
Aaththumettula aadu meikkira
Kanni pullathaan naanum
Kalla parvaiyai kaatti pesinaa
Thulli paayura aalu
Sonnaalum kekkala sikkikitta
Viththaaram podura chittukitta
Pollaappu aachchuthaiyyaa
Maruvaatha pochchuthaiyyaa
Pollaappu aachchuthaiyyaa
Maruvaatha pochchuthaiyyaa
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
A B C D Padichchirukkaan
Cigarette kaiyila pudichchurukkaan
Vellaikkaaran kollu peran
Kottaampatti karuppaayi
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
Pattanaththu potti mavan paaru
Hey Alamelu, and Andal from next door!
A guy from town has arrived, girls!
He is standing here wearing shorts, girls!
Put him in the middle and circle around him,
Clap your hands, girls, and dance to the beat!
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
Look at this soft boy from the city,
He has studied his ABCDs,
He is holding a cigarette in his hand,
Like a great-grandson of a white man!
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
Look at this soft boy from the city,
He has studied his ABCDs,
He is holding a cigarette in his hand,
Like a great-grandson of a white man!
Kottampatti Karuppayi...
My suitor's face looks just like a monkey,
Grinning and baring his teeth when you look at him!
His mischievous tail has grown too long,
It needs to be chopped off, mother!
My suitor's face looks just like a monkey,
Grinning and baring his teeth when you look at him!
His mischievous tail has grown too long,
It needs to be chopped off, mother!
Otherwise, he will try to jump at us!
Ha! Can this sturdy village girl ever be fooled?
The bridegroom showed up,
Right inside the village grove...
The bridegroom showed up,
Right inside the village grove...
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
Look at this soft boy from the city,
He has studied his ABCDs,
He is holding a cigarette in his hand,
Like a great-grandson of a white man!
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
...
Grazing goats along the riverbank,
I am a simple, young girl!
If anyone talks with sly, teasing glances,
I am the kind to pounce right back!
Grazing goats along the riverbank,
I am a simple, young girl!
If anyone talks with sly, teasing glances,
I am the kind to pounce right back!
He refused to listen and got caught,
Trapped by a proud, clever girl!
Trouble has caught up with him, mister,
All his dignity is gone, mister!
Trouble has caught up with him, mister,
All his dignity is gone, mister!
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
Look at this soft boy from the city,
He has studied his ABCDs,
He is holding a cigarette in his hand,
Like a great-grandson of a white man!
Kottampatti Karuppayi!
Look at this soft boy from the city,
Look at this soft boy from the city!
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This energetic folk dance song 'Kottaampatti Karuppaayi' from the film 'Sabash' (1984) playfully mocks a city-bred youth who arrives in a rural village putting on westernized airs. The singer, a bold rural girl, gathers her village companions to tease the man who wears shorts, smokes cigarettes, and flaunts his basic English education ('A B C D') as if he were a descendant of the British colonialists.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Machchaan moonjithaan manthi polaththaan

Compares the guy's facial expressions to a monkey ('manthi polaththaan').

Metaphor / Hyperbole

Vellaikkaaran kollu peran

Exaggerates the guy's westernized pretension by calling him a white man's great-grandson ('Vellaikkaaran kollu peran').

Monorhyme / Assonance (Edukki / Monai)

Kottungadi kummiyaththaan thattungadi kaigalathaan

Use of matching internal rhyming and rhythmic cadence suitable for folk 'Kummi' style.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Shankar-Ganesh and sung by S. P. Sailaja, this track is a classic 1980s Tamil folk-pop fusion that highlights Vaali's knack for humorous, colloquial rural lyrics capturing village dynamics vs. city pretense.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Sabash (1984)

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.