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Indira album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Munnerudhan

From Indira · 1995

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
T. L. Maharajan, Swarnalatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Movie name
Indira
Movie release year
1995
Lyrics added on
13 Aug 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Mayilakaala
Maruthakaala.. aaa…aa…aa..
Mani kayuthula sodi seru
Velutha kaala
Sevatha kaala.. aaa..aa..aa..
Edam valamaa sodi seru
Maari maari pozhiya venum
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Bhoomi thaayi kulira venum
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Vaanam partha karisakaadu
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum
Female :Manasapola ilaga venum
Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum
Munnaeruthaan pootti
Chorus :Yelelangadi yelelo
Male :Pora vazhi nee kaattu
Chorus :Yelelangadi yelo
Male :Pinnaeruthaan otti
Chorus :Yelelangadi yelelo
Male :Sollipudu oru vaati
Chorus :Yelelangadi yelo
Ponneru thaan pootti
Chorus :Hmmmm..
Female :Vetha poda venum
Chorus :Poda venum
Female :Muppogam velanju
Chorus :Hmmmm..
Female :Pasi aaravenum
Chorus :Aaravenum
Yelaanagadi yellalum..(4)
{Thanthanana thaana..
Yelaanagadi yellalum
Thaa na na thaa na..
Yelaanagadi yellalum
Thaa na na na thaa na na..
Yelaanagadi yellalo
Thaa na na na thaa na na..
Yelaanagadi yellalo..} (2)
Aaa….aaa…aaa…aaa…..
Yelaanagadi yellalum..(4)
O peacock-grey bull,
O fertile plains bull... aah... ah... ah...
Pair up together with bells upon your neck!
O white bull,
O red bull... aah... ah... ah...
Pair up side by side, left and right!
The rains must pour down again and again,
Chorus: Elangadi Elaalo!
Female: Mother Earth must be cooled and blessed!
Chorus: Elangadi Elaalo!
Female: This rain-fed black-soil land,
Chorus: Elangadi Elaalo!
Female: Must soften up just like a tender heart!
Chorus: Elangadi Elaalo!
Yoking the lead plough,
Chorus: Elelangadi Elelo!
Male: Lead the way forward!
Chorus: Elelangadi Elo!
Male: Driving the plough behind,
Chorus: Elelangadi Elelo!
Male: Call out the cue just once!
Chorus: Elelangadi Elo!
Yoking the auspicious golden plough,
Chorus: Mmm-hmmm...
Female: We must sow the seeds,
Chorus: We must sow them!
Female: Yielding three rich harvests a year,
Chorus: Mmm-hmmm...
Female: All our hunger must be satisfied!
Chorus: It must be satisfied!
Elangadi Elaalo...
Thandhanana thaana...
Elangadi Elaalo!
Thaa na na thaa na...
Elangadi Elaalo!
Thaa na na na thaa na na...
Elangadi Elaalo!
Thaa na na na thaa na na...
Elangadi Elaalo...
Aah... aah... aah... aah...
Elangadi Elaalo...
Male
Female
Male
Female
Chorus
Chorus
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song is a traditional Tamil agrarian folk track (Aerppaattu) celebrating the spirit of farming, soil, and community work. The farmers invoke their bulls—categorized by color and traits like peacock-hued, white, and red—asking them to pair up and plough the land seamlessly. The lyrics express a collective prayer for rainfall so that Mother Earth cools down and the hard, sky-watching black soil softens like a human heart, making it fit for sowing seeds.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Female :Manasapola ilaga venum

Compares the softening of the hard dry field (karisakaadu) to the softening of a human heart (manasapola ilaga venum).

Personification

Female :Bhoomi thaayi kulira venum

Personifies the Earth as a mother ('Bhoomi thaayi') who needs to cool down.

Etukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Velutha kaala / Sevatha kaala

Rhyming of the second letter 'la' and 'va' sound patterns in Tamil folk couplets ('Velutha' / 'Sevatha').

Refrain / Work Song Syllables

Chorus :Yelaanagadi yellalum

The repetitive rhythmic chant ('Yelaanagadi yellalum') is a classic feature of Tamil folk work songs (Ettappaattu) to keep workers synchronized.

Keep listening

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