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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Muthu Muthu Pacharisi

From Manapanthal · 1961

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
L. R. Eswari, S. Janaki
Music director
Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
Details
Manapanthal1961

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
………………………....
Male
Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo oooHoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo ooo
Female
Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo oooHoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo ooo
Chorus
Muthu muthu pacharisiPearl-like raw rice
Kottiidum pongalindruIs poured to make Pongal today
Pongalooo pongalo pongaloo ooiPongalo Pongal!
Female
Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo oooHoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo ooo
Female
Vatti mela vattiyinai vaanga mattenI will not collect exorbitant compound interest anymore
Ezhai vaasal pakkam kaasukendru oda mattenI will not run to the doorsteps of the poor asking for money
Chorus :Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo oooChorus: Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo ooo
Female :Kotti vaitha panangalai kaakka maattenFemale: I will not hoard piles of money
Kudumbangalai keduthu vaazha maattenI will not live by ruining families
Kudumbangalai keduthu vaazha maattenI will not live by ruining families
Chorus
Kaadu vettiClearing forests
Kaadu vetti paadu pattu naadu kandaClearing forests and working hard, the golden people who built the nation
Thanga makkalGolden people
Kallamindri sabathangal pera vendumMust make honest vows without deceit
Kettu kondiruntha gunam ondraiThey must give up one bad habit
Vida vendumThat was ruining them
Female
Seettaattam poda ini poga maattenI will not go to gamble with cards anymore
Thiruttu thozhil purindhu vaazha maattenI will not live by committing theft
Male :Aaa….aaa….aa…haa…aa…aa…aa…Male: Aaa....aaa....aa...haa...aa...aa...aa...
Female :Seettaattam poda ini poga maattenFemale: I will not go to gamble with cards anymore
Thiruttu thozhil purindhu vaazha maattenI will not live by committing theft
Kudhiraiyil panam katta odamaattenI will not run to bet money on horse races
Koondilae poisatchi solla mattenI will not give false testimony in the witness box
Koondilae poisatchi solla mattenI will not give false testimony in the witness box
Chorus
Kaadu vetti hoo hoo ah ahClearing forests hoo hoo ah ah
Kaadu vetti paadu pattu naadu kandaClearing forests and working hard, the golden people who built the nation
Thanga makkalGolden people
Kallamindri sabathangal pera vendumMust make honest vows without deceit
Kettu kondiruntha gunam ondraiThey must give up one bad habit
Vida vendumThat was ruining them
Female
Kondaattam pottu kittu kudithu vittenI drank liquor while celebrating
Pondaatti pillaigalai adithu vittenI beat up my wife and children
Kondaattam pottu kittu kudithu vittenI drank liquor while celebrating
Pondaatti pillaigalai adithu vittenI beat up my wife and children
Sakkadaiyil naanaaga vizhundhu vittenI fell into the gutter myself
Thavalaigalai pidithu vizhungi vittenI caught and swallowed frogs
Chorus
Hoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo oooHoo oo oo hoo oo hoo oo ooo
Female
Ini saaraaya kadai pakkam poga maattenHereafter I will not go near the liquor shop
Thaayaaraiyum ethiruthu pesa mattenI will not talk back against my mother
Solladha vaarthaigalai solla maattenI will not utter inappropriate words
Ennai kondraalum kudi vagai thoda maattenEven if you kill me, I will not touch any alcohol
Ennai kondraalum kudi vagai thoda maattenEven if you kill me, I will not touch any alcohol
Chorus
Kaadu vetti hoo hoo ah ahClearing forests hoo hoo ah ah
Kaadu vetti paadu pattu naadu kandaClearing forests and working hard, the golden people who built the nation
Thanga makkalGolden people
Kallamindri sabathangal pera vendumMust make honest vows without deceit
Kettu kondiruntha gunam ondraiThey must give up one bad habit
Vida vendumThat was ruining them

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This social awakening song from the film Manapanthal (1961) serves as a moral and reformative plea to the working-class people celebrating the Pongal festival. Written by Kannadasan, it urges hard-working people who built the nation from wilderness to pledge to give up harmful vices such as usury, hoarding wealth, card gambling, theft, horse race betting, perjury, domestic abuse, and alcohol addiction.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

Muthu muthu pacharisi

Comparing raw rice to pearls ('Muthu muthu pacharisi') to highlight purity and value.

Edhugai (Second letter rhyme)

Kotti vaitha panangalai kaakka maatten

Rhyming of second consonant in lines like 'Kotti' and 'Kudumbu'.

Anaphora / Repetition for emphasis

Seettaattam poda ini poga maatten

Repetition of social reform vows using 'maatten' (will not) at the end of multiple lines.

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Trivia

Manapanthal (1961) was directed by V. N. Reddy and written by T. N. Balu, starring S. S. Rajendran, B. Saroja Devi, and S. A. Ashokan. The music for the film was composed by N. S. Balakrishnan, and the lyrics were penned by Kannadasan.

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