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Uthama Raasa album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Paavalaru Pattu

From Uthama Raasa · 1993

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
Mano
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Uthama Raasa
Movie release year
1993
Lyrics added on
21 Aug 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Paavalaru paatu
Ithu panna pura paatu
Cudalore thaandi
Ithu kumuli pogum paatu
Enga yesai paatu
Athu ettu dhisai koorum
Engalathu ooru
Oru sanga tamil koodam
Oora suthum raasathiyae
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Enga oora suthum raasathiyae
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Paavalaru paatu
Ithu panna pura paatu
Cudalore thaandi
Ithu kumuli pogum paatu uuu
Anju vidha ssathi
Ithil aalukkoru needhi
Engalathu ooril illa oohhoo
Nanjai oru paadhi nalla
Punjai oru paadhai
Panjam pasi yedhum illa
Maadu katti pottu
Naanga bor adichu paathu
Aagavillai velai endru ohhoo
Aanai katti naanga
Nellu bor adichu paartha
Muppatanin kaalam undu
Potti illa poosal illa
Uzhaikkirom
Orr thaai vayathu pillaiya pol
Pozhaikkirom
Katchi illa kodiyum illa
Sirikkirom
Oor mothamumae othumaiyaa
Irukkirom
Enga oora suthum raasathiyae
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Paavalaru paatu
Ithu panna pura paatu
Cudalore thaandi
Ithu kumuli pogum paatu
Hoi hoi hoi hoi
Ohoo oo oo ho oo oo oo
Ohoo oo oo ho oo
Ohoo oo oo ho oo ooo oo
Paasi mani oosi virkkum
Aadhi mala vaasi
Ella pura kattil undu hoo
Dappakalil thaalam
Nadathappagama thaan podum
Lambadigal aatam undu
Aala mara oonjal
Katti aadugira pengal
Chittu chittaa ooril undu hoo
Chinnanjiru chittu
Adhan thavaniya thottu
Seendugindra thendral undu
Seeri vantha puliya kooda
Murathinaal
Orr parathi engal oorilathaan
Thurathinaal
Sinthaiyila veeramulla
Ponnu thaan
Per sollum badi vazhnthathintha
Mannu thaan
Enga oora suthum
Raasathiyae hoi
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Paavalaru paatu
Ithu panna pura paatu
Cudalore thaandi
Ithu kumuli pogum paatu
Enga yesai paatu
Athu ettu dhisai koorum
Engalathu ooru
Oru sanga tamil koodam
Oora suthum raasathiyae
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Enga oora suthum raasathiyae
Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae
Ye ye ye ye
Paavalaru paatu
Ithu panna pura paatu
Cudalore thaandi
Ithu kumuli pogum paatu uuu
Hoi hoi hoi hoyi oo
The poet's song,
this is the song of Pannaipuram,
crossing Gudalur,
this song travels on to Kumily!
Our musical song,
it rings out in all eight directions.
Our village is
a hall of Sangam Tamil (ancient Tamil literary tradition).
O princess who wanders the village,
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
O princess who wanders our village,
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
The poet's song,
this is the song of Pannaipuram,
crossing Gudalur,
this song travels on to Kumily!
Divided into five castes,
with a separate rule of justice for each—
there is no such division in our village, oh!
One half is fertile wetland,
and the other half is dry land,
there is no famine or hunger here!
Tying cattle together
and thrashing the harvest,
when that was not fast enough for our yields, oh,
we tied elephants instead
to thresh the giant heaps of paddy—
that was the great era of our ancestors!
There is no rivalry or conflict,
we work hard with honest sweat.
Like children born of the same mother,
we make our living together.
We have no political factions or flags,
we just share laughter.
The whole village, in complete harmony,
we live together as one.
O princess who wanders our village,
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
The poet's song,
this is the song of Pannaipuram,
crossing Gudalur,
this song travels on to Kumily!
Hoy hoy hoy hoy!
Oho oo oo ho oo oo oo
Oho oo oo ho oo
Oho oo oo ho oo oo oo
Selling glass beads and needles,
the indigenous mountain folk
live in the forests by the border, ho!
Beating rhythms on tin drums,
never missing a single step,
there is the dance of the Lambadi nomads!
On swings tied to banyan branches,
the village girls who sway and play
are all over our village like little birds, ho!
Those tiny, lively birds—
gently brushing against their half-sarees,
there is a sweet breeze that teases them!
Even a fierce tiger pouncing in anger,
with just a winnowing fan,
a brave woman in our very land
chased far away!
With such fearless, unbending courage,
she lived as a proud woman,
bringing legendary honor
to this very soil!
Wandering our village,
O princess, hoy!
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
The poet's song,
this is the song of Pannaipuram,
crossing Gudalur,
this song travels on to Kumily.
Our musical song,
it rings out in all eight directions.
Our village is
a hall of Sangam Tamil (ancient Tamil literary tradition).
O princess who wanders the village,
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
O princess who wanders our village,
O rose blossom soaked in honey!
Hey hey hey hey!
The poet's song,
this is the song of Pannaipuram,
crossing Gudalur,
this song travels on to Kumily!
Hoy hoy hoy hoy oh!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Paavalaru Paatu from the 1993 film Uthama Raasa (music composed by Ilaiyaraaja, lyrics by Vaali) is a rich, celebratory folk track honoring rural Tamil heritage, communal harmony, and agricultural abundance. The song pays explicit homage to Pannapuram, the native village of composer Ilaiyaraaja and his elder brother, communist folk bard Pavalar Varadharajan. It paints a picture of an ideal village free from caste discrimination, poverty, and political division, where people work together like children of the same mother. Furthermore, the lyrics evoke classical Sangam Tamil imagery and historical pride, citing ancient proverbs such as threshing grain with elephants to symbolize extreme agricultural wealth, and praising the legendary courage of Tamil women who chased away fierce tigers with simple winnowing baskets.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Thaenil oora vecha roosa poovae”

Compares the beloved young woman to a rose flower steeped in honey to emphasize her sweetness and beauty.

Hyperbole / Cultural Allusion

“Aanai katti naanga Nellu bor adichu paartha”

Uses the famous ancient Tamil hyperbole where harvests were so massive that farmers used elephants instead of bullocks to thresh grain.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

“Uzhaikkirom / Pozhaikkirom / Sirikkirom / Irukkirom”

Consonant end-rhyming verb forms creating a rhythmic, chanting cadence celebrating unity.

Sangam Literary Allusion

“Seeri vantha puliya kooda Murathinaal... Thurathinaal”

References the classical Sangam literary tale (Purananuru) of a brave Tamil woman chasing away a tiger using only a winnowing fan (Muram).

Did you know?

Trivia

'Pannapuram' referenced throughout the song is the native village in Theni district, Tamil Nadu, where maestro Ilaiyaraaja and his brothers Gangai Amaran and Pavalar Varadharajan were born. The phrase 'Paavalaru paatu' directly pays homage to Pavalar Varadharajan, Ilaiyaraaja's eldest brother and a renowned communist political folk singer who inspired Ilaiyaraaja's early musical career.

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