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Lyrics & meaning

Oru Ettu Muzha

From Pattanandhan Pogalamadi · 1990

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Pattanandhan Pogalamadi1990

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Oru ettu mozha vaetti kattiWearing an eight-cubit dhoti,
Adi en purushan nadakkaiyileHey, when my husband walks by,
Paadhi pallu pona kelavigalumEven old women with half their teeth missing,
Nenju padapadathu thudippangaTheir hearts flutter and throb in excitement!
Female
Oru ettu mozha vaetti kattiWearing an eight-cubit dhoti,
Adi en purushan nadakkaiyileHey, when my husband walks by,
Paadhi pallu pona kelavigalumEven old women with half their teeth missing,
Nenju padapadathu thudippangaTheir hearts flutter and throb in excitement!
Female
Yera pudichi avan uzhudhaaIf he holds the plow and plows...
Female :Ellorum thaan seivaangaFemale: Everyone does that!
Female :IrudiFemale: Wait a bit, woman!
Yera pudichi avan uzhudhaaIf he holds the plow and plows,
Pottal kaadum poopokkumEven barren wasteland will bloom with flowers!
Nanjaiyil naalum neer paaichiChanneling water daily into the fertile field,
Senjiduvaandi aaraaichiHe carries out scientific research on it, my friend!
Female
Vidhaikkum melum velachal eduppaanHe yields a harvest far greater than what was sown,
Nenacha edhaiyum thuninchu mudipaanWhatever he sets his mind to, he dares to accomplish it!
Adi BA vum MAvum edhukkaagumHey, what use are BA and MA degrees before him?
Adi etu mozhamHey, that eight-cubit dhoti...
Female
Oru ettu mozha vaetti kattiWearing an eight-cubit dhoti,
Adi en purushan nadakkaiyileHey, when my husband walks by,
Paadhi pallu pona kelavigalumEven old women with half their teeth missing,
Nenju padapadathu thudippangaTheir hearts flutter and throb in excitement!
Female
Vathina karava kaambilaiyumEven from dried-up, milkless cow udders...
Female :Haiyaiyoo ennadi idhuFemale: Oh my goodness, what is this?
Female :Avasara padathaFemale: Don't be in a hurry!
Vathina karava kaambilaiyumEven from dried-up, milkless cow udders...
Maaman karandha paal sorakkum..ohooMilk overflows when my man milks them... ohoo!
Villuvandi oottathilumIn bullock cart racing,
Jallikattu aattathilumAnd in Jallikattu bull-taming games,
Female
Maaman veeram ooru ariyumThe whole village knows my man's valor!
Raavilthaandi enakku puriyumBut only I truly understand it at night...
adi raathookkam naan paathu naal aachuHey, it has been days since I got a good night's sleep!
Adi ettu mozham….Hey, that eight-cubit dhoti...
Female
Oru ettu mozha vaetti kattiWearing an eight-cubit dhoti,
Adi en purushan nadakkaiyileHey, when my husband walks by,
Paadhi pallu pona kelavigalumEven old women with half their teeth missing,
Nenju padapadathu thudippangaTheir hearts flutter and throb in excitement!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song is a lively folk narrative sung by a rural woman boasting about her husband's manly vigor, farming skills, and handsome charisma to her female friends. She humorously describes how even elderly, toothless women in the village get flustered watching him walk draped in his traditional eight-cubit dhoti (ettu mozha vaetti). She elevates his agricultural expertise, claiming that his touch can turn barren, dry land into blooming fields, rendering high educational degrees like BA or MA unnecessary. She further praises his unmatched valor in rural sports like bullock cart races and Jallikattu, playfully concluding with cheeky, intimate hints that his relentless vigor keeps her awake all night.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi Ani)

Paadhi pallu pona kelavigalum / Nenju padapadathu thudippanga

An exaggeration used for comedic effect, claiming that even elderly toothless grandmothers get romantic flutters when watching her husband walk.

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navitchi Ani)

Pottal kaadum poopokkum

Exaggerates the husband's agricultural skill by stating that even dry barren land blossoms with flowers when he plows it.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Villuvandi oottathilum / Jallikattu aattathilum

The second consonant sound 'llu' ('ll') matches in 'Villuvandi' and 'Jallikattu', creating a rhythmic musical flow.

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Vidhaikkum melum velachal eduppaan

Repetition of the 'V' sound ('Vidhaikkum', 'velachal') at the beginning of words in the line.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is set in a vibrant Tamil rural milieu, featuring the voice of legendary playback singer S. Janaki, known for her ability to effortlessly convey earthy folk modulations and playful expressions. The lyrics were penned by Vaali, a master at blending colloquial village slang with catchy rhythmic structures, with music composed by the veteran duo Sankar Ganesh.

Keep listening

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