- Lyricist
- Raja Gurusamy
- Music director
- Santhosh Narayanan
- Movie name
- Buffoon
- Movie release year
- 2022
- Lyrics added on
- 10 Mar 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This energetic Tamil folk track from 'Buffoon' (2022) playfully describes vibrant, alluring, and feisty village women using earthy traditional metaphors. The lyrics correlate the size of a woman's bindi to old currency coins (Naalana, Ettana, Oththa rooba) and compare physical traits to familiar rural items like hourglass drums, coconut shells, and rat-snake braids. The central hook about the folded betel leaf ('Madichu vacha vethala') serves as a classic folk motif expressing deep yearning and insatiable desire. While praising their stunning charm, the song also humorously warns men about the women's fiery and assertive temperaments if approached carelessly.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhyme (Iyaibu)
“Naalana pottu kaari / Naa potta mettu kaari / Ettana pottu kaari”
Repetition of the ending suffix '-kaari' across consecutive lines creates a rhythmic folk cadence.
Metaphor / Simile (Upameya)
“Saarappaambu sadaiyazhagi”
Comparing a woman's hair braid to a rat snake (Saarappaambu) to emphasize length and beauty.
Metaphor
“Kodaanki iduppukaari”
Comparing a woman's waist shape to a 'Kodaanki' (hourglass-shaped folk drum).
Alliteration (Monai)
“Saarappaambu sadaiyazhagi”
Repetition of the 'Sa' consonant sound at the start of words in the line.
Did you know?
Trivia
The track features prominent folk vocals by Anthakudi Ilayaraja, a popular Tamil Nadu folk singer, performing alongside composer Santhosh Narayanan. The lyrics heavily utilize old coin currency terminology ('Naalana' = 25 paise, 'Ettana' = 50 paise) that was commonly referenced in ancient Tamil folk songs to denote measurement and ornament size.
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