- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Singers
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Baghdad Perazhagi
- Movie release year
- 1973
- Lyrics added on
- 5 May 2023
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kokilangal isai paada
Koththuppoo parisalikkum
Kolam azhiyaatha kulisthaani
Asslaam alaikkum….
Asslaam alaikkum….
Maarkkam thazhaikka vantha
Mehaboop surpaani vaazhnthirukkum
Baghdad valar nagarin
Ezhil raani alaikkum salaam
Alaikkum salaam
Nawapukkoru kelvi
Nalla javaap sollaiyyaa
Savaal vittu salaam pottu poga vanthaayaa
Nawapukkoru kelvi
Nalla javaap sollaiyyaa
Savaal vittu salaam pottu poga vanthaayaa
Aa….aah…aa…aa…aa…aah
Oh mary pyaari nee halwa pechchukkaari
Keliyenna kindalyenna kettu paaru kelvi
Oh mary pyaari nee halwa pechchukkaari
Keliyenna kindalyenna kettu paaru kelvi
Ilaiyum poovum…aa…aa…aa…
Ilaiyum poovum kaniyumillaamal
Ilaiyum poovum kaniyumillaamal
Ellorum solluvathu enna vaazhai
Chorus :Ellorum solluvathu enna vaazhai
Kulamum nalamum
Kulamum nalamum gunamum kedaamal
Vaazhaiyadi vaazhaiyena vantha vaazhai
Vaah…vaah….vaah….vaah….
Male :Subahaan allah
Oh mary pyaari nee halwa pechchukkaari
Keliyenna kindalyenna kettu paaru kelvi
Nawapukkoru kelvi
Nalla javaap sollaiyyaa
Savaal vittu salaam pottu poga vanthaayaa
Akkaalai oruvanum
Appaavai oruththiyum
Akkaalai oruvanum
Appaavai oruththiyum
Kalyaanam seithathenna sarithaanaa
Chorus :Kalyaanam seithathenna sarithaanaa
Ak kaalai oruvanum
Ap paavai oruththiyum
Ak kaalai oruvanum
Ap paavai oruththiyum
Azhagaai kalyaanam seiyalaamae
Chorus :Azhagaai kalyaanam seiyalaamae
Vaah…vaah….vaah….vaah….
Male :Maasha allah
Hae mary pyaari nee halwa pechchukkaari
Keliyenna kindalyenna kettu paaru kelvi
Aa….aa….aa….aa…aa…
Kannam iduvathum kalavu seivathum
Kannam iduvathum kalavu seivathum
Unmaiyil kuttramillaa ooru entha ooro
Chorus :Unmaiyil kuttramillaa ooru entha ooro
Kannaththil kannamittu
Nenjai kalavu seithum…mmmm….
Kannaththil kannamittu
Nenjai kalavu seithum…
Kanniyarum kaalaiyarum
Kadhal seiyyum ooraagum
Chorus :Kanniyarum kaalaiyarum
Kadhal seiyyum ooraagum….
Vaah…vaah….vaah….vaah….
Hae mary pyaari nee halwa pechchukkaari
Keliyenna kindalyenna kettu paaru kelvi
Nawapukkoru kelvi
Nalla javaap sollaiyyaa
Savaal vittu salaam pottu poga vanthaayaa
Kaiyai uyarththida
Kayil uyarntha kai athu enna
Chorus :Adhu enna
Male :Vaazhkkai uyarnthida
Vaazhkkaiyil uyarntha kai nampikkai
Chorus :Nampikkai
Ambu vidaathavan
Thumbu vittaana vil athu enna
Chorus :Adhu enna
Male :Yaezhu niraththinil
Vaanil ezhunthidum vaanavil
Chorus :Vaanavil
Aayiram kaalamum neerinil
Vaazhnthidum maan entha maan
Chorus :Entha maan
Male :Naalupuraththilum neerula
Seer enum maan anthamaan
Chorus :Anthamaan
Sooriyan chandhiran
Vaanil varuvathu edhanaalae
Chorus :Edhanaalae edhanaale edhanaale
Where cuckoos sing their sweet melodies,
Offering bunches of flowers as gifts,
In the ever-blooming rose garden,
Assalamu Alaikum...
Assalamu Alaikum...
Where the faith grew and flourished,
And Mehboob-e-Subhani lived,
In that thriving city of Baghdad,
O beautiful queen, Alaikum Salaam!
Alaikum Salaam!
Here is a riddle for the Nawab!
Sir, give us a clever answer!
Or did you come just to challenge us, bow, and walk away?
Here is a riddle for the Nawab!
Sir, give us a clever answer!
Or did you come just to challenge us, bow, and walk away?
Aa... Aah... Aa... Aa... Aa... Aah...
Oh my darling, your words are as sweet as halwa!
Why all this teasing and mocking? Go on, ask your riddle!
Oh my darling, your words are as sweet as halwa!
Why all this teasing and mocking? Go on, ask your riddle!
Without a leaf, a flower... aa... aa... aa...
Without a single leaf, flower, or fruit,
Without a single leaf, flower, or fruit,
What is the banana plant that everyone speaks of?
Chorus: What is the banana plant that everyone speaks of?
Without losing family honour or well-being,
Preserving family honour, goodness, and virtue,
It is the family lineage that thrives from generation to generation!
Wah... Wah... Wah... Wah...
Male: Subhanallah!
Oh my darling, your words are as sweet as halwa!
Why all this teasing and mocking? Go on, ask your riddle!
Here is a riddle for the Nawab!
Sir, give us a clever answer!
Or did you come just to challenge us, bow, and walk away?
If a man marries an elder sister,
And a woman marries a father...
If a man marries an elder sister,
And a woman marries a father...
Is such a marriage ever right?
Chorus: Is such a marriage ever right?
That young man on one side,
And that lovely maiden on the other,
That young man on one side,
And that lovely maiden on the other,
Can beautifully marry each other!
Chorus: Can beautifully marry each other!
Wah... Wah... Wah... Wah...
Male: Masha Allah!
Hey my darling, your words are as sweet as halwa!
Why all this teasing and mocking? Go on, ask your riddle!
Aa... Aa... Aa... Aa... Aa...
Breaking into a house and stealing away,
Breaking into a house and stealing away,
Where on earth is that truly not a crime?
Chorus: Where on earth is that truly not a crime?
Resting cheek against cheek,
And stealing each other's heart away... mmm...
Resting cheek against cheek,
And stealing each other's heart away,
It is the land where young women and men
Fall deeply in love!
Chorus: It is the land where young women and men
Fall deeply in love!
Wah... Wah... Wah... Wah...
Hey my darling, your words are as sweet as halwa!
Why all this teasing and mocking? Go on, ask your riddle!
Here is a riddle for the Nawab!
Sir, give us a clever answer!
Or did you come just to challenge us, bow, and walk away?
To lift someone up in life,
Which helping hand is the greatest?
Chorus: What is it?
Male: To elevate one's life,
The greatest helping hand is faith!
Chorus: Faith!
Without any archer to shoot arrows,
What is the bow strung across the sky?
Chorus: What is it?
Male: Glowing with seven bright colours,
It is the rainbow rising in the sky!
Chorus: The rainbow!
Living forever in the water,
What kind of deer is that?
Chorus: What kind of deer is that?
Male: Surrounded by water on all four sides,
That famed land is the Andaman Islands!
Chorus: The Andaman Islands!
Why do the sun and the moon
Rise into the sky?
Chorus: Why, oh why, why is that?
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Male
Chorus
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song from Baghdad Perazhagi is a classic musical riddle-and-answer duet (Savaal-Jawaab) between the lead characters. The female protagonist poses playful, riddling questions based on wordplay, social tropes, and nature, challenging the hero's wit. The male protagonist expertly answers each riddle using clever puns (Sledai) and romantic twists. Throughout the track, Islamic cultural greetings such as 'Asslaam alaikkum', 'Subahaan allah', and 'Maasha allah' are seamlessly woven with traditional Tamil folk riddle styles (Vidukadhai), creating a vibrant fusion of Middle Eastern aesthetic and Tamil lyrical finesse.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Sledai (Wordplay / Pun)
“Seer enum maan anthamaan”
The word 'Maan' (deer) is wittily re-interpreted as 'Andaman' (the island chain surrounded by water).
Vidukadhai (Traditional Riddle Structure)
“Ilaiyum poovum kaniyumillaamal... Ellorum solluvathu enna vaazhai”
Lyrical framing around riddles and direct answers, standard in classical Tamil folk literature.
Yamakam / Ethirai (Phonetic Rhyming)
“Akkaalai oruvanum Appaavai oruththiyum”
Playful contrast and internal rhyming on homophones or near-homophones like 'Akkaalai' (that young man) and 'Appaavai' (that innocent woman).
Did you know?
Trivia
'Baghdad Perazhagi' (1973) is a fantasy-adventure film starring Jayalalithaa and Ravichandran. Composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Pulamaipithan, this duet features S. P. Balasubramanyam and S. Janaki engaging in a spirited vocal banter.
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