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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Mayile Mayile

From Kadal Meengal · 1981

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
P. Susheela, Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Kadal Meengal1981

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Female
Kumaraa kumaraaO Kumara, O Kumara
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Machaan illaiyaa ippo veettulaIs your husband not at home right now?
Female
Kumaraa kumaraaO Kumara, O Kumara
Edhukku kekkura edhum venumaaWhy do you ask? Do you need something?
Male
Naa raathiriyilAt night time
Thunaiyaaga varalaamaCan I come to keep you company?
Female
Hey ularaadhaeHey, don't talk nonsense!
Enakkonnum bayammillaeI am not afraid at all!
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Machaan illaiyaa ippo veettulaIs your husband not at home right now?
Female
Kumaraa kumaraaO Kumara, O Kumara
Edhukku kekkura edhum venumaaWhy do you ask? Do you need something?
Chorus
…………………………….
Female
Oorum ulagam ellaamThe entire town and world
Idhai paarthaa yedho sollumIf they see this, they will gossip
Chorus
SollumThey will gossip
Female
Vaayu manakkum pesiTalking sweetly until the mouth smells fragrant
Pala vaarththaiyaalae kollumThey kill with words
Chorus
KollumThey kill
Male
Yaaru sonnaa ennaWho cares what anyone says?
Chorus :HoiChorus: Hoi
Male :Enga mayila pola illaMale: There is no one like our Mayil
Chorus :IllaiChorus: No one
Male
Yaaru sonnaa ennaWho cares what anyone says?
Chorus :HoiChorus: Hoi
Male :Enga mayila pola illaMale: There is no one like our Mayil
Chorus :IllaiChorus: No one
Male
Ooru ellaam ha ha ha haAll across the town, ha ha ha ha
Ooru ellaam thaedi paarthenI searched across the entire town
Ungala pola yaaruWho is there like you?
Chorus :YaaruChorus: Who?
Male
Odi yaadum chinna vayasuRunning and playing since young age
Oru kuraiyaachum kooruName at least one flaw in her
Chorus : KooruChorus: Tell us
Female
Aamaanga enakku rombhaYes indeed, for me, before I even knew
Vevaram theriyaa bodhae manamaachudhuI got married when I didn't even understand things properly
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Female :Kumaraa kumaraaFemale: O Kumara, O Kumara
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Machaan illaiyaa ippo veettulaIs your husband not at home right now?
Female
Kumaraa kumaraaO Kumara, O Kumara
Edhukku kekkura edhum venumaaWhy do you ask? Do you need something?
Female
Naalum moonum ezhuFour and three make seven
Aamaa namakkum nalla naaluYes, today is a good day for us too
Chorus :NaaluChorus: Day
Female :Naanum unga aaluFemale: I am your girl too
Aama ellaathukkum meluYes, above everything else
Chorus :MeluChorus: Above
Male
Andam veettu neiyaeO ghee from the neighboring house!
Chorus :HoiChorus: Hoi
Male :Enga annan pondaatti kaiyaeMale: Hand of my brother's wife!
Chorus :KaiyaeChorus: Hand!
Male
Andam veettu neiyaeO ghee from the neighboring house!
Chorus :HoiChorus: Hoi
Male :Enga annan pondaatti kaiyaeMale: Hand of my brother's wife!
Chorus :KaiyaeChorus: Hand!
Male
Ha ha enakkuHa ha for me
Ha ha ha ha ha haHa ha ha ha ha ha
Enakku unna paarthaaWhen I look at you
Yedho pola aachuSomething happens to me
Chorus :AachchuChorus: It happened
Male :Alli katti naanumMale: To hold you tightly and embrace you
Saerkka aasai meeri pochuMy desire has overflowed
Chorus :PochuChorus: Overflowed
Female
Ha ha ha nejamaa enakkuHa ha ha truly to me
Onga nenappaa irukku sirikkaadheengaI am thinking of you, don't laugh
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Female :Kumaraa kumaraaFemale: O Kumara, O Kumara
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Machaan illaiyaa ippo veettulaIs your husband not at home right now?
Female
Kumaraa kumaraaO Kumara, O Kumara
Edhukku kekkura edhum venumaaWhy do you ask? Do you need something?
Male
Naa raathiriyilAt night time
Thunaiyaaga varalaamaCan I come to keep you company?
Female
Hey ularaadhaHey, don't talk nonsense
Enakkonnum bayammillaeI am not afraid at all
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Female :Kumaraa kumaraaFemale: O Kumara, O Kumara
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile
Female :Kumaraa kumaraaFemale: O Kumara, O Kumara
Male
Mayile mayileO Mayile, O Mayile

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Mayile Mayile from the 1981 film Kadal Meengal is a lively and playful folk song capturing flirtatious banter between Kumaran and Mayil in a rural setting. Kumaran teasingly asks if Mayil's husband is away and offers his company at night, while Mayil playfully brushes him off while pointing out how easily village gossip starts.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Epizeuxis / Repetition

Mayile mayile

Immediate repetition of words like 'Mayile mayile' and 'Kumaraa kumaraa' creates a rhythmic call-and-response structure.

Metaphor

Andam veettu neiyae

'Andam veettu neiyae' (ghee of the neighboring house) is used as a colloquial folk metaphor for something enticing and close by.

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Naalum moonum ezhu / Aamaa namakkum nalla naalu

Rhyming of second consonant sounds in consecutive lines ('Naalum' and 'Aamaa').

Did you know?

Trivia

Kadal Meengal (1981) features actor Kamal Haasan in a double role (father and son). The song showcases traditional Tamil folk rhythm patterns popularized in early 1980s commercial cinema.

Keep listening

More from Kadal Meengal