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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

PalaPattra

From Good Night · 2023

Lyricist
Mohan Rajan
Singer
Thenisai Thendral Deva
Music director
Sean Roldan
Details
Good Night2023

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Male
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Male
Odi odi alelaichaalumEven if you run around endlessly in exhaustion
Thala keezha kuthichaalumEven if you jump around upside down
Nenachadhu nadakkalaye gopal-uWhat you desired didn't come to pass, Gopal!
Route maari adichaalumEven if you change your route and hit
Roof ah thaandi therichaalumEven if you bounce way beyond the roof
Onnume velangalaye dabaaluNothing worked out at all, Dabalu!
Male
Ye kabaaluHey Kabalu
Ye dabaaluHey Dabalu
Ye kabaaluHey Kabalu
Ye dabaaluHey Dabalu
Male
Palti adichu paakkuraYou try flipping acrobatically
Multi route-ah pudikkuraYou catch multiple routes
Kazhatti maatti maatti kazhattiDismantling, fitting, fitting and dismantling
Salichu poyi sariyuraGetting tired, you slide down and collapse
Male
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Male
Try mela try panni dry aaguraTrying repeatedly, you end up drained and dry
Un plan ellaam flop aaga fun aaguranAs all your plans flop, I get entertained
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Male
Love-aana love-aala run aaguraYou run driven by love when in love
Nee fear-aana fire-aala fry aaguraYou get fried in the fire of fear
Hey davvaacho danakkuchoHey davvaacho danakkucho (Playful rhythmic chant)
Maattikitta mallaachoYou got caught lying flat on your back
Kittaacho thottaachoGot close and touched it
Porattikiche machaasoThings got flipped over, my friend
Male
Daruki doll-uWooden doll
Dull-u feel-uDull feeling
Sola keluListen to what is said
Kolambum aaluA confused person
Thattaaru ketu pochuThe rhythm and order went wrong
Uthaaru enna aachuWhat happened to all the swagger?
Tata bye kaattiduchuIt waved tata and bye-bye
Male
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Male
Veyil illa kaathaadi polaaduraYou flutter like a kite with no wind
Nee bail illa jail-ukkul thindaaduraYou suffer inside a jail without bail
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Air illa tyre aattam thallaaduraYou wobble along like a flat tire without air
Oru hair-ukkum use illa yen oduraIt isn't useful for a single hair, why do you run?
Male
Hey davvaacho danakkuchoHey davvaacho danakkucho (Playful rhythmic chant)
Maattikitta mallaachoYou got caught lying flat on your back
Kittaacho thottaachoGot close and touched it
Porattikiche machaasoThings got flipped over, my friend
Male
Aakku pokkuAimless wandering
Veththala paakkuBetel leaves and betel nuts
Pora pokkuThe way things are going
Koppu maathuChange your branch / tack
Thattaaru kettu pochuThe rhythm and order went wrong
Uthaaru ennaachuWhat happened to all the swagger?
Tata bye kaattiduchuIt waved tata and bye-bye
Male
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr nakka nakka nakkaDurr nakka nakka nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Male
Pala pattra galla kattraLearn many skills, fill up the cash box
Silra thattra aana sedhura vudraTap out small change, scatter it around
Durr dinukunakka durrDurr dinukunakka durr (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Durr dinukunakka durrDurr dinukunakka durr (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Durr dinukunakka durrDurr dinukunakka durr (Rhythmic folk vocables)
Durr nakkaDurr nakka (Rhythmic folk vocables)

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Pala Pattra' is a vibrant, energetic Gaana-infused track from the film 'Good Night' (2023), composed by Sean Roldan and rendered in the iconic voice of 'Thenisai Thendral' Deva. The song humorously captures the struggles of a protagonist whose life plans keep failing despite endless efforts, strategic pivots, and hard work. Using colorful Chennai street slang and catchy rhythmic vocables, the lyricist Mohan Rajan pokes fun at the character's backfiring schemes, comparing his plight to a windless kite or a flat tire.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monal / Emonai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Pala pattra galla kattra

Matching consonant sound at the start of words across phrases, such as 'Pala pattra' and 'pudikkura' / 'Palti' in the opening and verse lines.

Edugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Pala pattra galla kattra / Silra thattra sedhura vudra

Rhyming second letter sound common in Tamil poetry, seen in 'Pala' / 'Silra' / 'Palti' / 'Multi'.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Silra thattra sedhura vudra

Consistent rhyming words at the end of consecutive lines, such as 'galla kattra' and 'sedhura vudra', or 'dull-u feel-u' and 'kolambum aalu'.

Metaphor

Veyil illa kaathaadi polaadura

Comparing the protagonist's helpless situations to vivid everyday metaphors like a kite without wind ('Veyil illa kaathaadi') or a tire without air ('Air illa tyre').

Did you know?

Trivia

This track features veteran composer-singer 'Thenisai Thendral' Deva, the undisputed king of Tamil Gaana music. Director Vinayak Chandrasekaran and composer Sean Roldan deliberately recruited Deva to deliver his signature high-energy Chennai Gaana style, which adds a lighthearted, comical layer to the protagonist's relatable real-life troubles in 'Good Night'.

Keep listening

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