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Isaimozhi
Silambu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Othaiyila Nee Irukka

From Silambu · 1990

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chitra
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Silambu
Movie release year
1990
Lyrics added on
3 Dec 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Yaei unnai paaththaa
Female :Paaththaa
Male :Adhaan unnai paaththaa
Female :Ennavaam
Male :Kadichchu thinganum pola irukkae
Female :Aiyaiyayyo naan maattaen naan maattaen
Oththaiyilae nee irukka
Oththuzhaikka naanirukka
Oththigaiya paaththukkalaamaa vaammaa
Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa
Hae hoi hoi
Oththigaiya paakka vitta
Moththathaiyum unnudaiya
Kuththagaiyaa nee edupae mama mama
Oru kuththankurai ooru sollalaamaa
Thaali kattiputtu kaiya thodu mama
Oththaiyilae nee irukka
Oththuzhaikka naanirukka
Oththigaiya paaththukkalaamaa vaammaa
Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa hoi…
Sela ravikkaiyilae maala karukkaiyilae
Aadi nadakkuthoru thaen koodu
Female :Thaenukkoru kaavalirukku
Adhu kotti paakka kaaththu kidakku
Oo….Sela ravikkaiyilae maala karukkaiyilae
Aadi nadakkuthoru thaen koodu
Adha vaari kudichchidanum thaaam thanichchidanum
Aaththi enakku adhu perumpaadu
Meena pudikkiraeyae sanaththula nee
Kombu thaena kudikka oru neram varanum
Poova virichchu vachcha manjaththulathaan
Adha naanae kodukka oru maalaiyidanum
Oththaiyilae nee irukka
Oththuzhaikka naanirukka
Oththigaiya paaththukkalaamaa vaammaa
Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa…..aa….aa….aa…
Merkku thodarchi malai
Meththa virikkaiyilae
Megam padukka varum medhuvaaga
Male :Megaththukku thaagam varuthu
Intha thaegaththukku thaagam varuthu
Aala asaththukira sangathi onnu
Adha kooda irukkum kili solli tharuthu
Soodu kilambugira neraththulathaan
Rekka moodi marachchapadi muththamiduthu
Muththamiduthu…..muththamiduthu…
Oththaiyilae nee irukka
Oththuzhaikka naanirukka
Oththigaiya paaththukkalaamaa vaammaa
Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa…..haa….aa….
Oththigaiya paakka vitta
Moththathaiyum unnudaiya
Kuththagaiyaa nee edupae mama mama
Oru kuththankurai ooru sollalaamaa
Thaali kattiputtu kaiya thodu mama
………………..
Hey, when I look at you...
Female: Look at me...?
Male: Yes, when I look at you...
Female: What happens?
Male: I feel like biting and eating you up!
Female: Oh no no no, not me, never!
When you are all alone,
and I am right here to cooperate,
come on, girl, shall we have a rehearsal?
Can one hand make a clapping sound?
Hey hoy hoy!
If I let you have a rehearsal,
you will claim everything
as your own private property, darling!
Should we give the town a reason to gossip about our flaws?
Tie the thali (sacred wedding thread) first, and then touch my hand!
When you are all alone,
and I am right here to cooperate,
come on, girl, shall we have a rehearsal?
Can one hand make a clapping sound? Hoy...
Draped in a saree and blouse at evening dusk,
a honeycomb comes swaying along!
Female: That honey has a guard,
and it is waiting to sting you!
Oh... Draped in a saree and blouse at evening dusk,
a honeycomb comes swaying along!
I must scoop it up, drink it all, and quench my thirst!
Goodness me, that will be quite a task for me!
You may catch a fish in a split second,
but the right time must come to taste the wild honey!
Only on a bed spread with fresh flowers,
and for me to offer it myself, you must garland me in marriage!
When you are all alone,
and I am right here to cooperate,
come on, girl, shall we have a rehearsal?
Can one hand make a clapping sound? Ah... ah... ah...
When the Western Ghats
spread out like a soft bed,
the clouds gently come down to rest.
Male: The clouds are feeling thirsty,
and this body is feeling thirsty too!
A thrilling secret that sweeps you off your feet,
the parrot right beside me is teaching it to me!
Just as the heat of passion rises,
it folds its wings to hide and kisses me!
Kisses me... kisses me...
When you are all alone,
and I am right here to cooperate,
come on, girl, shall we have a rehearsal?
Can one hand make a clapping sound? Ha... ah...
If I let you have a rehearsal,
you will claim everything
as your own private property, darling!
Should we give the town a reason to gossip about our flaws?
Tie the thali (sacred wedding thread) first, and then touch my hand!
...............
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful duet features a romantic dialogue between the lead lovers. The male lead tries to persuade the female lead into intimacy, suggesting a 'rehearsal' of love while they are alone. Using clever wordplay, the female lead playfully wards off his advances, reminding him that love requires two hands to clap and urging him to marry her with a sacred thread ('thaali') before taking full rights over her.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Oththaiyilae nee irukka / Oththuzhaikka naanirukka / Oththigaiya paaththukkalaamaa vaammaa

The second consonant 'th' matches across consecutive lines (Oththaiyilae / Oththuzhaikka / Oththigaiya).

Metaphor (Uruvagamm)

Sela ravikkaiyilae maala karukkaiyilae / Aadi nadakkuthoru thaen koodu

Comparing the female lead wearing a saree to a walking honeycomb ('thaen koodu').

Proverb / Rhetorical Question

Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa

Uses the famous Tamil proverb about one hand not being able to clap ('Oththa kaiyil osai varumaa') to express that romance requires mutual consent.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Megaththukku thaagam varuthu / Intha thaegaththukku thaagam varuthu

Rhyming of line endings with '-um' sound across lines (thaagam varuthu / thaegaththukku thaagam varuthu).

Did you know?

Trivia

This track features lyrics by Vaali, renowned for his rhythmic alliterations ('Oththaiyilae', 'Oththuzhaikka', 'Oththigaiya', 'Kuththagaiyaa'). The song belongs to the 1990 rural Tamil film Silambu.

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