Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pattanamthan Pogalamadi

From Enga Veettu Mahalaskhmi · 1957

Lyricist
Udumalai Narayanakavi
Singers
P. Susheela, Seerkazhi Govindarajan
Music director
Master Venu
Details
Enga Veettu Mahalaskhmi1957

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pattanam thaan pogalaamadi pombalaeOh woman, let us go to the city
Panangkaasu thedalaamadiWe can search for money and wealth
Nalla kattani muthae en kannatti neeyumMy fine solid pearl, my beloved darling
Vaadi pondaatti thaayaeCome along, my dear wife
Female
Townu pakkam pogathingha maapillaeDo not go towards the town, groom
Downaai poyiduvinghaYou will go down and suffer
Andha daambeegam ezhaikku thangaadhu PayanamThat pompous city lifestyle won't suit the poor, travel
Vendaanna kelu maamaListen to me when I say no, dear uncle
Male
Kettvanga pattanathaiBecause the city spoilt many people
Ottikonum enbadhaalaeAnd they clung onto it regardless
Kettvanga pattanathaiBecause the city spoilt many people
Ottikonum enbadhaalaeAnd they clung onto it regardless
Pattikattai vittu pottuLeaving their rural roots behind
Pala perum povadhaalaeBecause many people keep going
Male
Kattu sothai katti kolladi pombalaePack up the tied food bundles, woman
Thatti sonnaa kekka mattendiYou won't listen even if I tell you off
Nalla kattani muthae en kannatti neeyumMy fine solid pearl, my beloved darling
Vaadi pondaatti thaayaeCome along, my dear wife
Female
Velai yedhungha?Where is the job there?
Kooli yedhungha?Where are the proper wages?
Vetka kettai solren kelunghaListen while I tell you the shameless reality
Angae velai yedhungha?Where is the work there?
Kooli yedhungha?Where are the wages?
Vetka kettai solren kelunghaListen while I tell you the shameless reality
Female
College padipu kaappiyaathuthaamThey say college graduates make coffee there
B. A. padippu benchu thudaikkudhaamThey say B.A. degree holders wipe the benches
Aalai yeichu aalu polachukudhaamBy cheating people, folks manage to survive
Anjukku rendu kanjikalaiyudhaamOut of five, barely two get thin porridge
Melae ponadhu noothila onnaamOnly one out of a hundred rises high
Micham ulladhu lottery adikuthaamThe rest rely on playing the lottery
Male
EppadiHow is that?
Female
Onnaana saami ellam onnumaeEven educated ones struggle with nothing
Ennaama thavikaiyilae ..maapillaiLook at how terribly they suffer, dear groom
Onnaana saami ellam onnumaeEven educated ones struggle with nothing
Ennaama thavikaiyilae .Look at how terribly they suffer
Unnalae ennaagum ennama ponaaWhat will happen to you if you go there without thought?
Pinnalae kedu maamaIt will lead to ruin later, uncle
Male
Raathiri pagala rickshaw iluppenI will pull a rickshaw day and night
Naisa pesi paisa izhuppenI will speak nicely and extract money
Raathiri pagala rickshaw iluppenI will pull a rickshaw day and night
Naisa pesi paisa izhuppenI will speak nicely and extract money
Drama cinema circus paarppenI will watch plays, movies, and the circus
Raaja maadhiri cigarettum pidippenI will smoke cigarettes like a king
Male
Verthu puzhunguna beachuku povenWhen I feel hot and sweltering, I will go to the beach
Meendha panathjilae meenu vaanguvenWith the leftover money, I will buy fish
Aathaadi un kaiyilae kuduppenOh my, I will hand it over to your hands
Aakka solliyae sappitu paduppen..I will ask you to cook it, eat, and go to sleep
Female :MelaeWhat next?
Male
Ithukku melae solla mattenadi pomblaeI won't say anything beyond this, woman
Indha ooril irukka mattendiI will not stay in this village anymore
Naan ippodhae povonumI must leave right now
Ungappaavai kettuAsk your father
Yedhaachum vaanghi vaadiAnd bring back whatever money or items he gives
Male
Pattanam thaan pogalaamadi pombalaeOh woman, let us go to the city
Panangkaasu thedalaamadiWe can search for money and wealth
Nalla kattani muthae en kannatti neeyumMy fine solid pearl, my beloved darling
Vaadi pondaatti thaayaeCome along, my dear wife
Female
Townu pakkam pogathingha maapillaeDo not go towards the town, groom
Downaai poyiduvinghaYou will go down and suffer
Andha daambeegam ezhaikku thangaadhu PayanamThat pompous city lifestyle won't suit the poor, travel
Vendaanna kelu maamaListen to me when I say no, dear uncle
Female
Manushanai manushan izhukkura velaiA job where a human pulls another human
Vayiru kainjavan seiyura velaiA job done only by someone whose stomach is starving
Manushanai manushan izhukkura velaiA job where a human pulls another human
Vayiru kainjavan seiyura velaiA job done only by someone whose stomach is starving
Kanakkum meeri panam vandha podhuWhen money comes beyond count and limit
Manushanai summa irukk vidathuIt won't let a person sit quietly
Female
Ennai maranthu unnai maranthuForgetting oneself and forgetting you
Ella velaiyum seiyavae thuninjuDaring to do all kinds of questionable work
Iravu raanigal valaiyilae vizhundhuFalling into the traps of night queens
Emaanthu povae innum kelu…You will get cheated, listen further...
Male
AppuramWhat happens after?
Female
Police puli pudikkum maappilaeThe police will catch the tiger, groom
Purraavai peyrthedukkumThey will pluck out the gentle pigeon
Angae povadhae veenaaga saavadhae maamaGoing there and dying in vain is useless, uncle
Pen saadhi pechai keluListen to the words of your wife
Male :Appadiyaa aahaaIs that so? Ah ah!
Male
Nee ulagam arinja pomnaattiYou are a worldly-wise woman
Naan onnumae theriyaa kammunaattiAnd I am a foolish ignorant fellow
Nee ulagam arinja pomnaattiYou are a worldly-wise woman
Naan onnumae theriyaa kammunaattiAnd I am a foolish ignorant fellow
Ooru vittu ooru ponaa seeru kettu pogum innuThey say leaving one's hometown ruins one's status and pride
Ooru vittu ooru ponaa seeru kettu pogum innuThey say leaving one's hometown ruins one's status and pride
Unmaiyoda sonna solluThe word spoken with truth
Nanmaiyaga thonudhuFeels like good advice to me
Male
Pattanam poga mattendiI won't go to the city, woman
Unnaiyum payanamaaga solla mattendiI won't tell you to travel either
Nalla kattani muthae en kannai thorandhavaMy fine solid pearl, the one who opened my eyes
Nee dhaan pondaatti thaayaeYou are my true wife, my dear
Female :Maama..Male :Yemma?Uncle... / What is it, dear?
Female
Ennai thaniya vidave mattennuPromise me hitting on my head that you won't leave me alone
En thalai mel adichu sathiyam pannuBy my father, I swear, swear, swear!
Male :Engappanaanae sathiyam sathiyam sathiyam

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This classic musical dialogue song from the film 'Enga Veettu Mahalaskhmi' (1957) features a playful yet social debate between a husband wanting to migrate to the city (Madras/Chennai) and his practical wife advising him against it. The husband dreams of making quick money, smoking cigarettes, visiting the beach, and enjoying urban entertainment. His wife realistically counters his naive dreams by highlighting urban poverty, unemployment among educated youth, human exploitation (like hand-pulled rickshaws), and moral pitfalls in big cities.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Pattanam thaan pogalaamadi pombalae / Panangkaasu thedalaamadi

Matching second consonants across consecutive lines, such as 'Pattanam' and 'Panangkaasu' (tt/na harmony) or 'College' / 'B.A.' rhyming structures in folk style.

Monaai (Alliteration)

Townu pakkam pogathingha maapillae / Downaai poyiduvingha

Initial consonant matching, such as 'Townu' and 'Downaai' playing on sound parallelism.

Metaphor & Imagery

Manushanai manushan izhukkura velai

Comparing human-drawn rickshaws to extreme poverty and degradation ('manushanai manushan izhukkura velai').

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by the legendary rationalist reformer lyricist Udumalai Narayanakavi, this song reflects the 1950s rural-to-urban migration debate in Tamil Nadu, warning against urban disillusionment.

Keep listening

More from Enga Veettu Mahalaskhmi