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Vacha Kuri Thappathu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Ottada Ottada Kambathula

From Vacha Kuri Thappathu · 1988

Lyricist
Pallava Rajan
Singer
S. P. Shailaja
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Vacha Kuri Thappathu
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
10 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa
Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula
Ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa
Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula
Rendu pulla en pakkathula
Antha kadhaiya enna solla
Naan antha kadhaiya enna solla
En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa
Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula
En thinna ooram thenna maram rasa
Anna mavan vachcha maram
En anna mavan vachcha maram
Thennang kaayikku aasaipattu
Anna mavana vachchkkittaen
En anna mavana vachchkkittaen
En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa
Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula
Rendu pulla en pakkathula
Antha kadhaiya enna solla
Naan antha kadhaiya enna solla
En kollaiyila koiyaa maram rasa
Kozhunthanaaru vachcha maram
En kozhunthanaaru vachcha maram
Koiyyaak kaayikku aasaipattu
Kozhunthanaara vachchikittaen
En kozhunthanaara vachchikittaen
En moolaiyila murunga maram rasa
Mooththaaru nattu vachcha maram
En mooththaaru nattu vachcha maram
Munga kaayikku aasaipatt
Mooththaara naan vachchikittaen
En mooththaara naan vachchikittaen
En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa
Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula
Theeyaa aachchu ullukkulla
Theerththu vaikka yaarumilla
Ada theerththu vaikka yaarumilla
On my cobweb-clearing pole, my king,
He left me stranded out in the open!
On my cobweb-clearing pole, my king,
He left me stranded out in the open!
With two children by my side,
What can I say about that tale?
What can I even say about that tale?
On my cobweb-clearing pole, my king,
He left me stranded out in the open!
By the edge of my veranda stands a coconut tree, my king,
A tree planted by my cousin,
The tree planted by my cousin.
Craving for coconuts,
I took up with my cousin,
Yes, I took up with my cousin!
On my cobweb-clearing pole, my king,
He left me stranded out in the open!
With two children by my side,
What can I say about that tale?
What can I even say about that tale?
In my backyard stands a guava tree, my king,
A tree planted by my brother-in-law,
The tree planted by my brother-in-law.
Craving for guavas,
I took up with my brother-in-law,
Yes, I took up with my brother-in-law!
In the corner stands a drumstick tree, my king,
A tree planted by my elder brother-in-law,
The tree planted by my elder brother-in-law.
Craving for drumsticks,
I took up with the elder brother-in-law,
Yes, I took up with the elder brother-in-law!
On my cobweb-clearing pole, my king,
He left me stranded out in the open!
A fire is burning deep inside me,
And there is no one to put it out,
Ah, there is no one to put it out!
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This folk-styled Tamil song expresses the grief and predicament of a woman who has been abandoned and left stranded with two children. Through humorous yet tragic rural metaphors, she recounts how various men—represented allegorically through fruit trees like coconut, guava, and drumstick—entered her life offering temporary support or affection, only for her to end up completely alone.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Allegory / Metaphor (Uruvam)

“En thinna ooram thenna maram rasa”

Trees (coconut, guava, drumstick) planted in different corners of her home symbolize different relationships and men who entered her life.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

“En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa / Vuttuttu ponaanae ambaththula”

The second letter ' dd' (ட) matches between 'ottadaa' and 'vuttuttu' (written phonetically in Tamil script).

Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)

“En ottadaa ottadaa kambaththula rasa”

Repetition of lines and phrase 'En ottadaa ottadaa' creates a rhythmic folk cadence emphasizing distress.

Moonaal / Alliteration

“En kollaiyila koiyaa maram rasa”

Repetition of initial consonant sounds 'K' in 'kollaiyila' and 'koiyaa'.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track from the 1988 Tamil film 'Vacha Kuri Thappathu' utilizes a traditional Tamil village folk storytelling format, combining lighthearted double-entendres with underlying emotional lament (oppari style).

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