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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Oorukkullae

From Ennai Vittu Pogaathe · 1988

Lyricist
Isaignani Ilayaraja
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, Saibaba, T. Sunderrajan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Ennai Vittu Pogaathe1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pongadaa pongadaaGo away, go away
Pongadaa pongadaaGo away, go away
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
Pokkiri pokkiriRogue, rogue
Pokkiri pasangaRogue boys
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
Morattu pasangaRough guys
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
Thiruttu pasangaThieving guys
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
AdippenI will beat you
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
OdhappenI will kick you
Chorus
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Vevvevve vevvevveVevvevve vevvevve
Male
Adichu odhachuI will beat and kick you
Veratti puduvaen pongadaaAnd chase you away, go away!
Thaniyae pora ponnu kittaNear a girl walking alone
Yendaa ippadi galaattaa panreengaWhy are you making such a racket, guys?
Nee vaammaa kannuCome along, my dear girl
Male
Oorukkulla othaiyilaIn this town, walking alone
Pora ponna kindal panniTeasing a girl who passes by
Varundha vaikkum sodhaa pasangalaeYou useless guys who cause them pain
Ongala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou guys can never be reformed, man
Ongala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou guys can never be reformed, man
Male
Appadi enna thaan irukkuWhat on earth is so special
Indha ponnunga kittaAbout these girls?
Adha onnu onnaa solluTell it one by one
Unga annan kittaTo your elder brother
Appadi enna thaan irukkuWhat on earth is so special
Indha ponnunga kittaAbout these girls?
Adha onnu onnaa solluTell it one by one
Unga annan kittaTo your elder brother
Male
Oorukkulla othaiyilaIn this town, walking alone
Pora ponna kindal panniTeasing a girl who passes by
Varundha vaikkum sodhaa pasangalaeYou useless guys who cause them pain
Chorus :Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaChorus: You can never reform us, man
Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou can never reform us, man
Male
Oru acer boomi pola thaanJust like an acre of land
Male :Andha mogam irukkudhuMale: That face looks dry and wide
Male :Sariyaana manja chedi thaanMale: A proper turmeric plant
Male :Anga molachirukkudhuMale: Has sprouted right there
Male :Vaanam paathu vaanam paathu thaanMale: Staring up at the sky, staring at the sky
Male :Adhu varandirukkudhuMale: It has completely dried up
Male :Veyilu pattu veyilu pattu thaanMale: Beaten by the heat of the sun
Male :Adhu kaanjirukkudhuMale: It has become parched
Male
Ellum kollum pottaaIf you toss sesame and horse gram
Idhu vedikkum vedikkumIt will crackle and pop
Kozhi mutta onnu vechaaIf you place a chicken egg
Kunju porikkum porikkumIt will hatch into a chick
Chorus
Ellum kollum pottaaIf you toss sesame and horse gram
Idhu vedikkum vedikkumIt will crackle and pop
Kozhi mutta onnu vechaaIf you place a chicken egg
Kunju porikkum porikkumIt will hatch into a chick
Male
Kulundha thanniya thalaiyil oothuPour cold water on the head
Chorus
Kodhikkum kodhikkumIt will boil and sizzle
Kodhikkum kodhikkumIt will boil and sizzle
Male
Kozhundhu thaeyilaTender tea leaves
Sakkara poduAdd sugar to it
Chorus
Teayum kedaikkumAnd you will get tea
Kedaikkum kedaikkumYou will get it, get it
Male
Ponnunga varundhumWhy list out all the ways
Listuga edhukkuThat girls suffer?
Ponnunga varundhumWhy list out all the ways
Listuga edhukkuThat girls suffer?
Pattiyala konjam vittidudaaJust drop that list for a bit, man
Male
Oorukkulla othaiyilaIn this town, walking alone
Pora ponna kindal panniTeasing a girl who passes by
Varundha vaikkum sodhaa pasangalaeYou useless guys who cause them pain
Chorus :Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaChorus: You can never reform us, man
Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou can never reform us, man
Chorus
Vaevvae… vaevvae…Vaevvae… vaevvae…
Vevvevevae vevvevevae vevvevevaeVevvevevae vevvevevae vevvevevae
Vevvevevae vevvevevae vevvevevaeVevvevevae vevvevevae vevvevevae
Veveveve veveveve veveveve veveveveVeveveve veveveve veveveve veveveve
Male
Cinemaavil kavinjan kooda thaanEven a poet in the cinema
Ponna kindal panniTeases a girl
Paattezhudhi pozhappu nadathuraanWrites a song and earns a living
Chorus
Adhu angae angaeThat is over there, over there
Male
Adhaiyae thaan naanga padichaaIf we try to follow that exact same thing
Indha ponnunga kittaWith these girls
Edhaiyo thaan kaiyil eduppaaThey grab whatever object is nearby
Chorus
Adhu ingae ingaeThat happens right here, right here
Male
Oruthan mattum padichaaIf one guy writes/sings it
Adhu paattaa paattaaIt counts as a song, a song!
Chorus
Adha thiruppi naanga padichaaIf we repeat it back to them
Inga vaettaa vaettaaIt turns into a hunt, a hunt!
Male
Oruthan mattum padichaaIf one guy writes/sings it
Adhu paattaa paattaaIt counts as a song, a song!
Chorus
Adha thiruppi naanga padichaaIf we repeat it back to them
Inga vaettaa vaettaaIt turns into a hunt, a hunt!
Male
Pottu onna thottuIf she places a bindi dot
Vechikkittaa avaAnd wears it gracefully
Chorus
Pombala pombalaShe is a true woman, a woman
Pombala pombalaShe is a true woman, a woman
Male
Pattu chaela onnaIf she drapes a fine silk saree
Suthikkittaa avaAround herself
Chorus
Poonjola poonjolaShe becomes a flower garden, a garden
Poonjola poonjolaShe becomes a flower garden, a garden
Male
Ponnunga varundhumWhy list out all the ways
Listuga edhukkuThat girls suffer?
Ponnunga varundhumWhy list out all the ways
Listuga edhukkuThat girls suffer?
Pattiyala konjam vittidudaaJust drop that list for a bit, man
Male
Oorukkulla othaiyilaIn this town, walking alone
Pora ponna kindal panniTeasing a girl who passes by
Varundha vaikkum sodhaa pasangalaeYou useless guys who cause them pain
Chorus :Haan ..engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaChorus: Haan.. You can never reform us, man
Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou can never reform us, man
Male
Appadi enna thaan irukkuWhat on earth is so special
Indha ponnunga kittaAbout these girls?
Adha onnu onnaa solluTell it one by one
Unga annan kittaTo your elder brother
Appadi enna thaan irukkuWhat on earth is so special
Indha ponnunga kittaAbout these girls?
Adha onnu onnaa solluTell it one by one
Unga annan kittaTo your elder brother
Male
Oorukkulla othaiyilaIn this town, walking alone
Pora ponna kindal panniTeasing a girl who passes by
Varundha vaikkum sodhaa pasangalaeYou useless guys who cause them pain
Chorus :Haan ..engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaChorus: Haan.. You can never reform us, man
Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaYou can never reform us, man
Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaa…You can never reform us, man…
Male :Pongada deiiMale: Go away, hey guys!
Chorus :Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaaChorus: You can never reform us, man

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song presents a playful, energetic back-and-forth conversation between an older brotherly figure ('annan') and a group of rowdy local youths. The elder admonishes the young men for hanging around street corners and teasing women who walk by alone, threatening to beat them up and asking why they are so obsessed with girls. The boys respond with defiant humor, mocking the elder's scolding with childish 'vevvevve' noises and asserting that they are completely beyond reform ('Engala thiruthavae mudiyaadhappaa'). In the stanzas, the song offers witty social commentary on double standards. The youths complain that film poets earn a living writing songs that tease women, yet when common guys repeat those lines on the street, it becomes an offense ('vaettaa'). They end up expressing their underlying admiration for women, noting how a simple bindi or silk saree transforms a woman into a blooming flower garden ('poonjola'), while maintaining their lighthearted refusal to change their cheeky ways.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaipu (Rhyming Endings)

Idhu vedikkum vedikkum / Kunju porikkum porikkum

Repetition of identical rhyming verbs at the ends of consecutive lines to create a rhythmic, catchy cadence.

Metaphor (Uvamaani / Urvagai)

Pattu chaela onna suthikkittaa ava poonjola poonjola

Compares a woman wearing a silk saree directly to a blooming garden ('poonjola') without using an explicit word of comparison.

Ethugai (Second-Letter Rhyme)

Adippen / Odhappen

The second letter 'di' and 'dha' share soft dental consonants, while the word endings match, reinforcing comic rhythm.

Onomatopoeia (Oli-kkurippu)

Vevvevve vevvevve / Vaevvae… vaevvae…

Use of phonetic vocalizations mimicking childish mocking gestures to heighten the playful tone of the song.

Did you know?

Trivia

The lyrics for this humorous, street-style song were penned by music maestro 'Isaignani' Ilaiyaraaja himself. While renowned for his complex musical compositions and deeply poetic verses, Ilaiyaraaja occasionally wrote earthy, colloquial Tamil lyrics rich with local slang and conversational humor for specific film situations.

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