- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singers
- Seerkazhi Govindarajan, P. Susheela
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Sabaash Mapillai
- Movie release year
- 1961
- Lyrics added on
- 21 Feb 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Maappillai Maappillai' is a playful, comical song from the 1961 Tamil film Sabaash Mapillai, written by lyricist A. Maruthakasi. The song playfully mocks a self-absorbed prospective groom, teasing his foolish pretensions, excessive appetite, and complete lack of intellect. Through vivid imagery, the lyrics describe him blinking wide-eyed like an owl, acting meek as a cat before his mother, eating ravenously like an elephant, and carrying an empty mind despite dressing like a wealthy rural dandy.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Aandhaiyai pola ivar muzhippadhai paaru”
Compares the groom's blinking to an owl ('Aandhaiyai pola') and his screeching to a horned owl ('Kottaanai pola').
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Paaru mael maadi ullae angae verum saibaru”
Metaphorically refers to the groom's head/mind as a top floor ('mael maadi') that contains nothing but zero/emptiness ('verum saibaru').
Rhyme & Assonance (Edhukai / Monai)
“Saappaattai kandaal ivar yaanaiyaavaaru / Thaayaarin munnae ivar poonaiyaavaaru”
Contrasting behaviors using rhyming metaphors: 'yaanaiyaavaaru' (becomes an elephant when seeing food) and 'poonaiyaavaaru' (becomes a timid cat in front of his mother).
Did you know?
Trivia
Sabaash Mapillai (1961) starred M. G. Ramachandran (MGR) and Malini, with music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. This lighthearted comedic track highlights A. Maruthakasi's skill in writing humorous social satire for Tamil cinema.
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