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Isaimozhi
Ooty album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Oh Lilly Oh Lilly

From Ooty · 1999

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Sabesh Kumar, Krishnaraj
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Ooty
Movie release year
1999
Lyrics added on
12 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Oo lilly oo lilly oo lilliyae
Vaazhkkaiyil vedhanai thaangalaiyae
Oo milly oo milly oo milliyae
Ooththikka ooththikka nee milliyae
Aruvaamanai pol arukkira ponnu
Manaiviyaa amainchaadaa
Adhanaalae ooththikkirae bodhaiya yaeththikkiraem
Both: Devathai koottaththilae sogaththa aatthikkirom
Oo lilly oo lilly oo lilliyae
Vaazhkkaiyil vedhanai thaangalaiyae
Oo milly oo milly oo milliyae
Ooththikka ooththikka nee milliyae
Ulaga urundaiya paaru
Moonu pakkamum neeru
Thannaiththaan suththuthu bhoomi
Kaaranam thanni saami
Aa….Maiya kalaippathu pola
Manathai kalaippaal pennae
Nirantharam evalum illa
Unarnthu kol illai tholla
Thulli thulli Chinna ponnu kudhikkuthu
Adhu iduppula undiyala kulukkuthu
Thalli sendru ilamaiya alakkuthu
En manasula theekkuchchiya orasuthu
Oo nanbaa oo nanbaa oo nanbaa
Vaazhkkaiyil aanantham vaa nanbaa
Nee manamennum sirai vittu vaa nanbaa
Oo lilly oo lilly oo lilliyae
Vaazhkkaiyil vedhanai thaangalaiyae
Oo milly oo milly oo milliyae
Ooththikka ooththikka nee milliyae
Unathu thunaiviyin azhagu
Uyiril urainthidum azhagu
Noi nodi endru nee saainthaal
Nettriyil varudidum azhagu
Illaraththil inbam thunbam irukkuthu
Adhu idhayaththil poochedi valarkkuthu
Imaiyaththil kodi katta unakkathu
Thevaipadum valimaiyai kodukkuthu
Oo nanbaa oo nanbaa oo nanbaa
Bodhai vittu padhai maari vaa nanbaa
Pudhu ulagaththai padaiththida vaa nanbaa
Oo malli oo malli oo malliyae
Aanantham azhaikkuthu vaa malliyae
Oo malli oo malli oo malliyae
Bodhaiyil midhappathu sariyillaiyae
: Pachaikkili uravukkum vettukkili uravukkum
Bedhamundu theriyaathaa
Tharikettu nee nadanthaal vaazhkkaiyum inikkaathu
Thadaakaththil theeppidiththaal thaamarai sirikkaathu
Oo malli oo malli oo malliyae
Aanantham azhaikkuthu vaa malliyae
Oo malli oo malli oo malliyae
Bodhaiyil midhappathu sariyillaiyae
O Lilly, O Lilly, O Lilly!
I can't bear the sorrow in life!
O milli, O milli, O milliliter!
Pour it, pour it, another milliliter!
A woman who cuts sharp like a kitchen blade,
has ended up as my wife, man!
That is why I pour a drink and get high!
Amid a crowd of beauties, we soothe our sorrow!
O Lilly, O Lilly, O Lilly!
I can't bear the sorrow in life!
O milli, O milli, O milliliter!
Pour it, pour it, another milliliter!
Look at the round globe of the world,
three sides of it are surrounded by water!
The earth keeps spinning all on its own,
and the reason is "water" (liquor), my friend!
Ah... just like smudging off eyeliner,
a woman will mess with your peace of mind!
No woman stays in your life forever,
realize that, and you'll have no troubles!
Bouncing and prancing, a young girl dances,
shaking a coin-box at her waist!
Stepping aside, she tests my youth,
striking a match against my heart!
O friend, O friend, O my friend!
There is joy in life, come along, my friend!
Break free from the prison of your mind and come, my friend!
O Lilly, O Lilly, O Lilly!
I can't bear the sorrow in life!
O milli, O milli, O milliliter!
Pour it, pour it, another milliliter!
The beauty of your wedded wife
is a beauty that lives deep in your soul.
If you fall sick and collapse in pain,
she is the beauty who gently strokes your forehead!
Family life has both happiness and pain,
and it nurtures a flower garden in your heart!
To hoist your flag high upon the Himalayas,
it gives you all the strength you ever need!
O friend, O friend, O my friend!
Leave this drink, change your path, and come, my friend!
Come, my friend, to create a brand-new world!
O Malli, O Malli, O Malli!
Happiness is calling you, come, O Malli!
O Malli, O Malli, O Malli!
Drifting away in drunkenness is not right!
Between the bond of a loyal parrot and a fleeting grasshopper,
don't you know there is a difference?
If you lose your self-control and stray, life will not be sweet.
If the pond catches fire, the lotus will never bloom.
O Malli, O Malli, O Malli!
Happiness is calling you, come, O Malli!
O Malli, O Malli, O Malli!
Drifting away in drunkenness is not right!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song is a musical dialogue that starts as a typical lament on heartbreak and transitions into a sobering philosophical lesson about the values of life and true companionship. The protagonist initially justifies his reliance on alcohol (referred to playfully as 'Milly' or a millilitre shot) by expressing frustration over a toxic relationship, using witty, colloquial excuses like attributing the Earth's rotation to 'thanni' (which double-means water and alcohol in Tamil slang). However, his friend steps in with a mature counter-argument, steering him away from self-destructive habits. The friend highlights the sanctity of a supportive life partner who comforts him in times of sickness and explains how domestic life ('Illaram') acts as a pillar of strength to achieve great heights. The song concludes with a beautiful warning that one cannot find happiness through erratic behavior, just as a lotus cannot bloom if the pond itself is set on fire.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai Ani)

“Aruvaamanai pol arukkira ponnu”

The lyricist compares a difficult, sharp-tongued woman directly to a kitchen blade ('Aruvaamanai') using the comparison word 'pol' (like).

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Nee manamennum sirai vittu vaa nanbaa”

The mind is directly metaphorized as a prison ('manamennum sirai'), urging the friend to break free from his self-imposed mental confinement.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“Thulli thulli Chinna ponnu... / Thalli sendru ilamaiya...”

The second letters 'l' (ள்/ல்) in 'Thulli' (துள்ளி) and 'Thalli' (தள்ளி) rhyme, creating a rhythmic flow between successive lines.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

“Oo lilly oo lilly oo lilliyae / Vaazhkkaiyil vedhanai thaangalaiyae”

The lines end with identical phonetic sounds ('yae'), creating a melodious structure typical of choruses.

Did you know?

Trivia

The movie 'Ooty' (1999) features music composed by the celebrated 'Thenisai Thendral' Deva. The lyrics were penned by Na. Muthu Kumar during the early phase of his career. Muthu Kumar would later go on to become one of the most celebrated and prolific Tamil lyricists of the 2000s and 2010s, winning two National Film Awards before his untimely demise.

Keep listening

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