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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pattu Ponnu Iva

From Kuppathu Ponnu · 1982

Lyricist
Muthulingam
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Kuppathu Ponnu
Movie release year
1982
Lyrics added on
21 Mar 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
……………….
Pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaa
Kattu marangalum poopookkum
Male Chorus :Ailesa….
Female Chorus :Ohho ho
Male Chorus :Ailesa….
Female Chorus :Oo oo oo….
Pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaa
Kattu marangalum poopookkum
Kuppaththu ponnu padham thottaa
Uppu kadalalai thaenaagum
Vel vizhiyaal paththupputtaa
Velichchaththukkum kann koosum
Yae….pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaa
Kattu marangalum poopookkum
Sendhoora vannam sinthiya kannam
Nilavu paarkkum kannaadi
Kadalil karaiyil alaigal thoda
Malarntha poonkodi
Sendhoora vannam sinthiya kannam
Nilavu paarkkum kannaadi
Kadalil karaiyil alaigal thoda
Malarntha poonkodi
Ival ezhunthaal kaarkaalam
Ival siriththaal bhoopaalam
Ival ezhunthaal kaarkaalam
Ival siriththaal bhoopaalam
Yae…..pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaa
Kattu marangalum poopookkum
Viruppaththirkku parappatharkku
Virintha vaanam pothaathu
Thaavum kilikku thaavani sirgu aanathu
Viruppaththirkku parappatharkku
Virintha vaanam pothaathu
Thaavum kilikku thaavani sirgu aanathu
Chinna kanavu kann melae
Solla therinthaal solvaalae
Chinna kanavu kann melae
Solla therinthaal solvaalae
Oo…pattu ponnu iva thottupputtaa
Kattu marangalum poopookkum
Kuppaththu ponnu padham thottaa
Uppu kadalalai thaenaagum
Vel vizhiyaal paththupputtaa
Velichchaththukkum kann koosum
……………….
If this silken girl touches them,
Even the wooden logs will blossom with flowers.
Male Chorus: Ailesa….
Female Chorus: Ohho ho
Male Chorus: Ailesa….
Female Chorus: Oo oo oo….
If this silken girl touches them,
Even the wooden logs will blossom with flowers.
If this slum girl's feet touch it,
The salty ocean wave turns into honey.
If she looks with her spear-like eyes,
Even the light itself will dazzle its eyes.
Hey... if this silken girl touches them,
Even the wooden logs will blossom with flowers.
Cheeks sprinkled with a vermilion shade,
A mirror that the moon looks into,
As the waves touch the shore in the sea,
A blossoming flowering creeper!
Cheeks sprinkled with a vermilion shade,
A mirror that the moon looks into,
As the waves touch the shore in the sea,
A blossoming flowering creeper!
If she arises, it is the monsoon season,
If she smiles, it is a morning ragam.
If she arises, it is the monsoon season,
If she smiles, it is a morning ragam.
Hey... if this silken girl touches them,
Even the wooden logs will blossom with flowers.
To fly according to her desire,
Even the vast sky is not enough.
For this leaping parrot, her half-saree has become wings.
To fly according to her desire,
Even the vast sky is not enough.
For this leaping parrot, her half-saree has become wings.
A little dream upon her eyes,
If she knew how to express it, she would tell.
A little dream upon her eyes,
If she knew how to express it, she would tell.
Oo... if this silken girl touches them,
Even the wooden logs will blossom with flowers.
If this slum girl's feet touch it,
The salty ocean wave turns into honey.
If she looks with her spear-like eyes,
Even the light itself will dazzle its eyes.
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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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