- Lyricist
- A. S. Prakasam
- Singer
- Asharani
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Othaiyadi Paathaiyile
- Movie release year
- 1980
- Lyrics added on
- 10 Aug 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a lively folk number set against a rural agricultural backdrop. It portrays the everyday life of village folk as they dig wells near mountains and use natural trees like mango and guava to set up traditional water-lifting mechanisms (yaetham) to irrigate the fields. Amidst this hard work, there is a playful and affectionate undercurrent where the singer addresses her young brother-in-law drawing water, equating the sweetness of the atmosphere and affection to sweet guava and sugar, addressed tenderly to a parrot.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Iyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Malaiyoram kenaru vetti / Mamaraththula kamalam katti”
The lines end with matching rhyming suffixes like 'vetti' and 'katti', adding a rhythmic cadence typical of folk dance songs.
Moonaikkal / Anaaphora (Repetition)
“Malaiyoram kenaru vetti”
Repetition of entire refrain lines ('Malaiyoram kenaru vetti') to reinforce the traditional work-song rhythm.
Kili Pattu Trope (Apostrophe)
“Pulla kiliyammaa / Koiyyaapazhamaa sakkaraiyaa kiliyamma”
Addressing a parrot ('kiliyamma') is a classical Tamil poetic trope used to express personal, romantic, or playful thoughts to a gentle listener in nature.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Othaiyadi Paathaiyile' (1980) features music by the duo Shankar-Ganesh and was directed by A. S. Prakasam, who also wrote lyrics for the film. The song extensively uses authentic rural Tamil folk metaphors and traditional water-drawing terminology like 'yaetham' and 'kamalam'.
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