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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Naan Uravukaaran

From Nattamai · 2003

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Mohammed Aslam, Sujatha
Music director
Sirpy
Details
Nattamai2003

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
{Hey hey hey…ey ey ey….Hey hey hey…ey ey ey….
Female :Ahaaa..aaa..aaa…aa…aahaa…}(2)Female: Ahaaa..aaa..aaa…aa…aahaa… (2)
Male
Naan uravukkaaranI am your rightful partner,
Uravukkaaran uravukkaaranYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya selaikkumOver the saree you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaaranAnd the sacred thread tied around your neck, I hold full right.
Female
Naan uravukaariI am your rightful partner,
Uravukaari uravukkaariYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya vettikkumOver the dhoti you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaariAnd the sacred thread tied, I hold full right.
Male
En pacharisi neethaanYou are my raw rice,
Achuvellam naanthaanI am the block of jaggery,
Onnil onnu kalakattumaeLet us blend together as one.
Female :Ye.. aathukulla thoppukullaFemale: Hey, in the river, inside the grove,
Ayanaaru kammaakullaInside the lake of Ayyanar,
Namma kodi parakkatumaeLet our flag fly high!
Male
Naan uravukkaaranI am your rightful partner,
Uravukkaaran uravukkaaranYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya selaikkumOver the saree you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaaranAnd the sacred thread tied around your neck, I hold full right.
Male
Vetta veliyilOut in the open field,
Konjam thottu kalappomLet us touch and mingle a little.
Innum velakkam thevaiyaaIs further explanation needed?
Patta pagalil onna katti pudikkaIn broad daylight to embrace each other,
Oru velicham thevaiyaaIs light really needed?
Female
Vittu kodu neeYield a little,
Konjam vittu kodi neePlease give way a bit,
Endru vazhiya poriyaaAre you going to step aside like that?
Vittu koduthaaIf I yield,
Intha katti karumba neeAre you going to squeeze,
Puzhiya poriyaThis solid block of sugarcane?
Male
Sondhakaara poovaeO flower of my relative,
Sollikonjam thaarenI will teach you a little.
Female :Solli kodu maamaaFemale: Teach me, uncle,
Alli thara vaarenI am ready to shower you with love.
Male
Naan uravukkaaranI am your rightful partner,
Uravukkaaran uravukkaaranYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya selaikkumOver the saree you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaaranAnd the sacred thread tied around your neck, I hold full right.
Female
Unna nenachuThinking of you,
Dhinam unnai nenachuThinking of you every day,
En usuru urugudhuMy life is melting away.
Undhan nenappil intha pattu podavaThinking of you, this silk saree of mine,
Chumma vazhukki vizhuguthuSimply slips and falls.
Male
Entha idathil adi entha idathilIn which place, oh girl, in which place,
En idhayam thudikkuthuIs my heart beating?
Antha idathil adi antha idathilIn that very place, oh girl, in that place,
En aasthi irukuthuMy entire wealth resides.
Female
Anju mani vanthaalWhen five o'clock arrives,
Nenjukulla paattuA song erupts inside the heart.
Male :Poothiruchu poovuMale: The flower has bloomed,
Innum enna poottuWhy keep it locked up anymore?
Female
Naan uravukaariI am your rightful partner,
Uravukaari uravukkaariYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya vettikkumOver the dhoti you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaariAnd the sacred thread tied, I hold full right.
Male
Naan uravukkaaranI am your rightful partner,
Uravukkaaran uravukkaaranYour partner, your rightful partner.
Nee kattiya selaikkumOver the saree you wear,
Kattum thaalikkum urimaikkaaranAnd the sacred thread tied around your neck, I hold full right.
Female
Un pacharisi naanthaanI am your raw rice,
En achuvellam neethaanYou are my block of jaggery,
Onnil onnu kalakattumaeLet us blend together as one.
Male :Ye.. aathukulla thoppukullaMale: Hey, in the river, inside the grove,
Ayanaaru kammaakullaInside the lake of Ayyanar,
Namma kodi parakkatumae..yeh yehLet our flag fly high!..yeh yeh
Male
Hey hey hey…ey ey ey….Hey hey hey…ey ey ey….
Female :Ahaaa..aaa..aaa…aa…aahaa…Female: Ahaaa..aaa..aaa…aa…aahaa…

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This folk duet features a newly married couple playfully asserting their domestic and romantic rights over one another. Set against a traditional rural backdrop, both the male and female partners sing about how their sacred bond (symbolized by the thali, saree, and dhoti) gives them complete authority and affection over each other. They use vibrant agricultural and culinary metaphors like raw rice ('pacharisi'), jaggery ('achuvellam'), and sugarcane ('katti karumbu') to symbolize their sweet union and mutual blending.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

En pacharisi neethaan / Achuvellam naanthaan

Comparing the partners to raw rice ('pacharisi') and jaggery ('achuvellam') to depict how perfectly they blend together into a sweet dish (Pongal).

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Intha katti karumba nee / Puzhiya poriya

Describing the bride as a block of sugarcane ('katti karumbu') that needs to be squeezed/embraced.

Anaphora (Edugai / Repetition)

Uravukkaaran uravukkaaran

Repetition of the phrase 'uravukkaaran' and 'uravukaari' at the beginning and middle of lines for rhythmic folk cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

Although frequently categorized under popular rural compilations, this classic track 'Naan Uravukkaaran' originally features in the blockbuster 1994 Tamil village drama 'Nattamai', composed by Sirpy with lyrics by Vaali and sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra.

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