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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Nalla Kaariyam

From Enna Muthalali Sowkkiyama · 1972

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
L. R. Eswari
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
Enna Muthalali Sowkkiyama1972

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
………………....
Female
Nalla kaariyam nadakkattumLet a good deed happen,
Namakkullaagavae irukkattumLet it remain strictly among us,
Inba vedhanai pirakkattumLet sweet pain be born,
Selva seemaangalae…O wealthy magnates...
Female
Nalla kaariyam nadakkattumLet a good deed happen,
Namakkullaagavae irukkattumLet it remain strictly among us,
Inba vedhanai pirakkattumLet sweet pain be born,
Selva seemaangalae…O wealthy magnates...
Female
Panamae naam thedum deivamMoney is the god we seek,
Panam vanthaal edhuvum seivomIf money arrives, we will do anything,
Panamae naam thedum deivamMoney is the god we seek,
Panam vanthaal edhuvum seivomIf money arrives, we will do anything,
Female
Edhilellam inbam undoWherever pleasure exists,
Adhilellaam naangal unduWe are present in all of it,
Edhilellam inbam undoWherever pleasure exists,
Adhilellaam naangal unduWe are present in all of it,
Female
Kallellaam kudiththa kinnangalCups that drank all the wine,
Kaayaththil valiththa kannangalCheeks aching with bruises,
Manjaththil kalaiththa ullangalHearts/minds fatigued upon the bed,
Vaarungal kalanthu kollungalCome, join together and mingle!
Female
Kallellaam kudiththa kinnangalCups that drank all the wine,
Kaayaththil valiththa kannangalCheeks aching with bruises,
Manjaththil kalaiththa ullangalHearts/minds fatigued upon the bed,
Vaarungal kalanthu kollungalCome, join together and mingle!
Female
Nalla kaariyam nadakkattumLet a good deed happen,
Namakkullaagavae irukkattumLet it remain strictly among us,
Inba vedhanai pirakkattumLet sweet pain be born,
Selva seemaangalae…O wealthy magnates...
Female
……………...
Female
Oru vaarththai naangal sonnaalIf we speak a single word,
Adhu pogum vaanam mattumIt reaches all the way to the sky,
Maru vaarththai yaarum sonnaalIf anyone dares to utter a word back,
Mudivondru kadhavai thattumA final end will knock on their door,
Female
Mannellaam sivappu vannangalAll the land stained in red colors,
Engaeyo thudikkum ennangalThoughts throbbing somewhere,
Vaanaipol thirantha ullangalHearts opened wide like the sky,
Vaarungal kalanthu kollungalCome, join together and mingle!
Female
Mannellaam sivappu vannangalAll the land stained in red colors,
Engaeyo thudikkum ennangalThoughts throbbing somewhere,
Vaanaipol thirantha ullangalHearts opened wide like the sky,
Vaarungal kalanthu kollungalCome, join together and mingle!
Female
Nalla kaariyam nadakkattumLet a good deed happen,
Namakkullaagavae irukkattumLet it remain strictly among us,
Inba vedhanai pirakkattumLet sweet pain be born,
Selva seemaangalae…O wealthy magnates...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a classic 1970s Tamil film club/cabaret track depicting an underworld or elite secret gathering where money, pleasure, and power reign supreme. The singer addresses rich aristocrats ('selva seemaangalae'), inviting them to indulge in secrecy and hedonistic pleasures while emphasizing that money is their ultimate deity.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Oxymoron / Muran

Inba vedhanai pirakkattum

Combining contrasting terms 'Inba' (pleasure) and 'Vedhanai' (pain) to create the evocative concept of pleasurable agony.

Metaphor / Urvagamm

Panamae naam thedum deivam

Directly equating money with God ('Panamae naam thedum deivam').

Simile / Uvamai

Vaanaipol thirantha ullangal

Comparing open minds/hearts to the expansive sky using 'pol'.

Second-letter Rhyme / Etukai

Kallellaam kudiththa kinnangal

Matching second consonants across lines ('Kallellaam', 'Kaayaththil', 'Manjaththil').

Did you know?

Trivia

L. R. Eswari was the undisputed queen of seductive cabaret numbers and dance tracks in South Indian cinema throughout the 1960s and 1970s, with M. S. Viswanathan frequently composing jazz-and-brass infused arrangements tailored specifically for her voice.

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