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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Nammooru Kazhuthaikku

From Kali Kovil Kabali · 1979

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
Malaysia Vasudevan
Music director
R. Rajesh
Movie name
Kali Kovil Kabali
Movie release year
1979
Lyrics added on
5 Oct 2023

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thanantha thantha thaanae…..thanthaanaenaa….
Thanantha thantha thaanae…..thanthaanaenaa….
Thanantha thantha thaanae…..thanthaanaenaa….
Thanantha thantha thaanae…..thanthaanaenaa….
Hoi namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Hae….hae….haa…haa….hae….hae…
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Singaaram panni kaattu athukku
Jillunnu thanni kaattu
Kelu kazhuthae nalla kelu kazhuthae
Adha kelaathaa koottaththukku sollu kazhuthae
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum hai
: Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Kai thookki ninnaaththaan naadu
Chorus :Naadu
Male :Naadu kaikaatti Ninnaakkaa kedu
Chorus :Kedu
Male :Karpoora vaasanaiyo unakkum illae
Nalla kalvi ennum vaasanaiy enakkum illai
Appaavi kazhuthaikku aayiram thollai
Adaa athukkunnu naan onnum salaichchathillae
Theriyuthaa…..puriyuthaa….dingi dingi kannae donkey
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum podu
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Dumdumdum thadakthaa dumdumdum thadakthaa
Yaezhezhu jenmaththukkum naanga
Chorus :Naanga
Male :Ellorum muttaalgal thaanga
Chorus :Thaanga
Male :Pasiyunnu kettaakka yaaru koduppaa kaiya
Paiyila vittu konjam mella nadappaa
Payanthavana ulagaththula yaaru madhippaa chummaa
Pattunnu vittaakkaa kaala pudippaa
Theriyuthaa puriyuthaa dingi dingi kannae dongey
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum podu
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Singaaram panni kaattu athukku
Jillunnu thanni kaattu
Kelu kazhuthae nalla kelu kazhuthae
Adha kelaathaa koottaththukku sollu kazhuthae
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku
Nallavarai kandaalae mella paarkkum
Thanandha thandha thaane... thandhaanenaa...
Thanandha thandha thaane... thandhaanenaa...
Thanandha thandha thaane... thandhaanenaa...
Thanandha thandha thaane... thandhaanenaa...
Hoy, our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Hey... hey... haa... haa... hey... hey...
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Deck it up and groom it nicely,
Offer it some cool water to drink!
Listen, donkey, listen well, donkey!
Go tell the crowd that refuses to listen, donkey!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently, hey!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Only if people lift a helping hand will a country thrive,
Chorus: Country!
Male: If they merely point fingers, it will go to ruin!
Chorus: Ruin!
Male: You don't know the scent of camphor,
And I don't know the scent of a good education!
An innocent donkey faces a thousand troubles,
Hey, but that doesn't mean I will ever get tired and give up!
Do you see? Do you understand? My sweet little donkey!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently, hit the beat!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Dhum-dhum-dhum thadak-tha dhum-dhum-dhum thadak-tha!
Across all seven births, we...
Chorus: We...
Male: ...are all just fools, folks!
Chorus: Folks!
Male: If you say you are hungry, who will give you food?
People just put their hands in their pockets and walk away slowly!
Who in this world respects a person who is scared?
Give them a sharp slap, and they will fall right at your feet!
Do you see? Do you understand? My sweet little donkey!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently, hit the beat!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Deck it up and groom it nicely,
Offer it some cool water to drink!
Listen, donkey, listen well, donkey!
Go tell the crowd that refuses to listen, donkey!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Our town's donkey has a white nose!
When it sees good people, it looks at them gently!
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Namma Ooru Kazhuthaikku Vella Mookku' from Kali Kovil Kabali (1979) uses metaphorical and satirical lyrics to address social hypocrisies and harsh reality through the lens of a common man talking to a donkey. Lyricist Kannadasan employs the proverb 'Karpoora vaasanai' (camphor fragrance, derived from the Tamil idiom about a donkey not knowing the value of camphor) to highlight the lack of formal education and status among the working class, while critiquing society's indifference to hunger and fear.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Satire)

Namma ooru kazhuthaikku vella mookku

Compares society and innocent working-class people to a donkey ('kazhuthae') to critique societal foolishness and apathy.

Proverbial Allusion (Pazhamozhi)

Karpoora vaasanaiyo unakkum illae

Refers to the famous Tamil proverb 'Kazhuthaikku theriyuma karpoora vaasanai' (Does a donkey know the smell of camphor?).

Emonai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Pasiyunnu kettaakka yaaru koduppaa kaiya

Matching initial consonant/vowel sound patterns in words across adjacent lines ('Pasiyunnu' / 'Paiyila' / 'Payanthavana' / 'Pattunnu').

Did you know?

Trivia

This satirical track features music composed by R. Rajesh and rendered by veteran singer Malaysia Vasudevan, whose robust voice perfectly captured the raw, folk-pop flavor needed for Rajinikanth's streetwise, unpretentious character portrayal in the movie.

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