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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kudikkathe Thambi Kudikkathe

From Naan Kudithukonde Iruppen · 1982

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
T. M. Soundararajan
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Naan Kudithukonde Iruppen
Movie release year
1982
Lyrics added on
10 Jun 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Thambi thambi thambi thambi thambiyo
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Kudichcchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae
Nee kudichchirunthaa oorulagam mathikaathae
Un veetta kazhutha kooda mithikkaathae
Kudichchirunthaa oorulagam mathikaathae
Un veetta kazhutha kooda mithikkaathae
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Kudichchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae
Nalla manushan saarayaththa thottathumilla
Adhu thottavana lessulathaan vittathumilla
Manushanoda raththathaan atta kudikkum aanaa
Manaivi makkal kudumbaththaiyae pattai kudikkum
Manaivi makkal kudumbaththaiyae pattai kudikkum
Paadupattu panaththa serththu kudiyil vidaathae
Un pullakkutti ellaaraiyum theruvil vidaathae
Paiya paiya karainji pogum sillarathaampaa
Un paramparaikku minjurathu kallaraithaampaa
Un paramparaikku minjurathu kallaraithaampaa
Kudikkaathae
Thambi thambi thambi thambi thambiyo
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Kudichchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae
Velakku vachchaa aanum pennum sernthu kudikkuthu
Idhu vasathiyulla periya idaththil naalum nadakkuthu
Paal kudikkaththaan kodukkum thaaimaiyin jaadhi
Adhuthaan kudichchaa enna aagum iyarkkaiyin needhi
Kudikkaathae
Thambi thambi thambi thambi thambiyo
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Kudichchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae
Kudichchirunthaa oorulagam mathikaathae
Un veetta kazhutha kooda mithikkaathae
Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee
Kudichchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Brother, brother, brother, brother, oh brother!
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Don't drink and ruin your insides, writhing in pain!
If you drink, the world will never respect you;
even a donkey won't set foot in your house!
If you drink, the world will never respect you;
even a donkey won't set foot in your house!
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Don't drink and ruin your insides, writhing in pain!
A good man has never touched liquor,
and liquor has never spared anyone who touched it.
A leech sucks only a man's blood, but
cheap liquor devours his wife, children, and whole family!
Cheap liquor devours his wife, children, and whole family!
Don't waste your hard-earned money on drink;
don't leave your family stranded on the street!
Slowly, bit by bit, all your savings will vanish,
and all that's left for your family line is the graveyard!
All that's left for your family line is the graveyard!
Don't drink!
Brother, brother, brother, brother, oh brother!
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Don't drink and ruin your insides, writhing in pain!
When dusk falls, men and women drink together;
this happens every day among the wealthy and elite!
A mother's nature is to nurture with milk,
but if she drinks, what becomes of nature's laws?
Don't drink!
Brother, brother, brother, brother, oh brother!
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Don't drink and ruin your insides, writhing in pain!
If you drink, the world will never respect you;
even a donkey won't set foot in your house!
Don't drink, brother, don't you drink!
Don't drink and ruin your insides, writhing in pain!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This social reform song serves as an earnest warning against the perils of alcoholism. Expressed as a passionate plea from an elder brother to a younger one, the lyrics detail how addiction destroys bodily health, ruins family prosperity, and strips away social respect.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor and Contrast

“Manushanoda raththathaan atta kudikkum aanaa / Manaivi makkal kudumbaththaiyae pattai kudikkum”

Compares a leech drinking human blood to arrack ('pattai') consuming an entire family, emphasizing the severe destructiveness of addiction.

Hyperbole / Folk Idiom

“Un veetta kazhutha kooda mithikkaathae”

Uses dramatic hyperbole ('even a donkey won't step into your house') to convey the total loss of dignity and societal respect resulting from alcoholism.

Edugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Kudikkaathae thambi kudikkaathae nee / Kudichchupputtu kodalu kodalu kettu thudikkaathae”

Employs Tamil poetic second-letter rhyme with 'Kudikkaathae' and 'Kudichchupputtu' to create a rhythmic, catchy cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song features legendary singer T. M. Soundararajan delivering Kannadasan's punchy socio-moral lyrics set to music by M. S. Viswanathan, a classic trope in 1970s and 1980s Tamil cinema used to advocate temperance.

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