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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pattu Ponnu Iva

From Kuppathu Ponnu · 1982

Lyricist
Muthulingam
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Kuppathu Ponnu1982

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
………………....
Female
Pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaaIf this silken girl touches, even
Kattu marangalum poopookkumthe wooden catamarans will bloom into flowers.
Male Chorus :Ailesa….Male Chorus: Ailesa...
Female Chorus :Ohho hoFemale Chorus: Ohho ho
Male Chorus :Ailesa….Male Chorus: Ailesa...
Female Chorus :Oo oo oo….Female Chorus: Oo oo oo...
Female
Pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaaIf this silken girl touches, even
Kattu marangalum poopookkumthe wooden catamarans will bloom into flowers.
Kuppaththu ponnu padham thottaaIf the feet of this coastal girl touch it,
Uppu kadalalai thaenaagumthe salty sea waves will turn into honey.
Vel vizhiyaal paththupputtaaIf she looks with her spear-like eyes,
Velichchaththukkum kann koosumeven light itself will wince and close its eyes.
Female
Yae….pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaaHey... if this silken girl touches, even
Kattu marangalum poopookkumthe wooden catamarans will bloom into flowers.
Female
Sendhoora vannam sinthiya kannamCheeks splashed with the color of vermillion,
Nilavu paarkkum kannaadiShe is a mirror that the moon gazes upon.
Kadalil karaiyil alaigal thodaAs the waves touch the shore in the ocean,
Malarntha poonkodiShe is a flowering creeper that has bloomed.
Female
Sendhoora vannam sinthiya kannamCheeks splashed with the color of vermillion,
Nilavu paarkkum kannaadiShe is a mirror that the moon gazes upon.
Kadalil karaiyil alaigal thodaAs the waves touch the shore in the ocean,
Malarntha poonkodiShe is a flowering creeper that has bloomed.
Female
Ival ezhunthaal kaarkaalamIf she rises, it becomes the monsoon season,
Ival siriththaal bhoopaalamIf she smiles, it becomes a morning raga.
Ival ezhunthaal kaarkaalamIf she rises, it becomes the monsoon season,
Ival siriththaal bhoopaalamIf she smiles, it becomes a morning raga.
Female
Yae…..pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaaHey... if this silken girl touches, even
Kattu marangalum poopookkumthe wooden catamarans will bloom into flowers.
Female
Viruppaththirkku parappatharkkuFor her desires to fly freely,
Virintha vaanam pothaathueven the expansive sky is not enough.
Thaavum kilikku thaavani sirgu aanathuFor the leaping parrot, her half-saree became wings.
Viruppaththirkku parappatharkkuFor her desires to fly freely,
Virintha vaanam pothaathueven the expansive sky is not enough.
Thaavum kilikku thaavani sirgu aanathuFor the leaping parrot, her half-saree became wings.
Female
Chinna kanavu kann melaeA tiny dream rests upon her eyes,
Solla therinthaal solvaalaeShe would tell it if she knew how to express it.
Chinna kanavu kann melaeA tiny dream rests upon her eyes,
Solla therinthaal solvaalaeShe would tell it if she knew how to express it.
Female
Oo…pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaaOo... if this silken girl touches, even
Kattu marangalum poopookkumthe wooden catamarans will bloom into flowers.
Kuppaththu ponnu padham thottaaIf the feet of this coastal girl touch it,
Uppu kadalalai thaenaagumthe salty sea waves will turn into honey.
Vel vizhiyaal paththupputtaaIf she looks with her spear-like eyes,
Velichchaththukkum kann koosumeven light itself will wince and close its eyes.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song 'Pattu Ponnu' from the 1982 film 'Kuppathu Ponnu' is a joyful celebration of the beauty, charm, and youthful spirit of a girl living in a coastal fishing village. Through hyperbole and seaside imagery, the lyricist describes her beauty as transformative—her touch turns wooden logs into flowers, her feet turn salty seawater into honey, and her radiant gaze blinks away even the brightest light. The song captures her inner world, where her ambitious dreams soar higher than the expansive sky and her half-saree acts like wings for a free-spirited parrot. With cheerful chorus chants like 'Ailesa', the track blends the folk rhythm of fisherfolk with playful romantic poetry.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Athi-ayorukthi (Hyperbole)

Kattu marangalum poopookkum / Uppu kadalalai thaenaagum

Exaggerating the girl's beauty and influence to poetic extremes where catamarans bloom and ocean salt turns to honey.

Uvamai (Metaphor)

Vel vizhiyaal paththupputtaa / Malarntha poonkodi

Comparing her sharp eyes to a spear ('Vel') and her beauty to a blooming creeper ('poonkodi').

Personification

Nilavu paarkkum kannaadi / Velichchaththukkum kann koosum

Attributing human traits to the moon (gazing at a mirror) and light itself (wincing/closing eyes).

Monai & Etukai (Alliteration & Rhyme)

Viruppaththirkku parappatharkku / Virintha vaanam pothaathu

Rhythmic repetition of initial consonant sounds and second-letter matching across poetic lines (e.g., Viruppaththirkku / Virintha).

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the duo Shankar-Ganesh and sung expressively by S. Janaki, this track belongs to the 1982 movie 'Kuppathu Ponnu' starring Vijayakanth and Saritha. The song incorporates 'Ailesa', a traditional chant used by Tamil fishermen during boat rowing, anchoring the cinematic narrative deeply within coastal folk culture.

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