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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pattupoove Unnai Partha

From Naanum Oru Thozhilali · 1986

Lyricist
Vaali
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Naanum Oru Thozhilali1986

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Paattu paada aasaiI feel the desire to sing a song.
Male
Nadaiyor nadanam idaiyor nalinamYour gait is like a dance, your waist holds pure grace,
Nilavin rathi bimbam nee ulavum rathi vamsamYou are the reflection of the moon's beauty, belonging to the lineage of Goddess Rathi as you stroll.
Iru puruvamum koon vizhum vaan piraiYour two eyebrows are like the curved crescent moon in the sky,
Siru pani idhazh madal vidum thaamaraiYour delicate lips are like a lotus bearing dew drops.
Male
Un poomaeni paaladaiYour flower-like skin is soft like cream on milk,
Adhil naan thandha melaadaiAnd upon it rests the upper garment I gave you.
Ammammaa un angam sen thangamOh my, your body shines like pure red gold,
En kann koosudhae………My eyes dazzle looking at your beauty!
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Paattu paada aasaiI feel the desire to sing a song.
Male
Muzhangal alavu udaiyoo kuraivuYour outfit ending at the knees is short,
Adadaa adhu podhumOh my, yet even that is enough,
Mana kadalil alai modhumTo make waves crash violently in the ocean of my heart!
Indha dharisanam kedaithadhu baakiyamIt is my fortune to obtain this sacred vision of yours,
Idhai ezhudida ilai oru vakkiyamThere is no sentence written that can describe this.
Male
Nee moovaaru pathinettuYou are three times six, eighteen years old,
Innum thaandaadha poonjittuA tender bird that has not crossed that age yet.
Adiyamma en kannumOh my, both my eyes,
En nenjam un pinnodudhae…hae…ae…ae…And my heart keep running behind you!
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Paattu paada aasaiI feel the desire to sing a song.
Male
Inimel oruthi unnai pol azhagiFrom now on, another beauty like you,
Iyarkkai padaikkadhuNature itself cannot create,
Andha thiramai adharkkedhuFor where does Nature even have such skill?
Adi unai vida kuraindhaval oorvasiHey girl, even Oorvasi is inferior in beauty to you,
Undhan adimai endriruppaval menagaiAnd Menaka would remain as your mere maidservant.
Male
Nee thalaadum pallakkuYou are a swaying palanquin,
Thendral killadha poongothuA bunch of flowers untamed and unplucked by the breeze.
Adi amma en yogam un dhegamOh dear, my good fortune is your divine body,
En kann kondathae…….My eyes have beholdingly captured it!
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Paattu paada aasaiI feel the desire to sing a song.
Thannaalae kavi aanen unnaalaeI automatically became a poet because of you,
Oh my sweety oh dating beautyOh my sweety, oh dating beauty!
Oh my sweety oh dating beautyOh my sweety, oh dating beauty!
Male
Pattupoove unnai paarthaOh silken flower, having seen you,
Paattu paada aasaiI feel the desire to sing a song.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Pattupoove Unnai Paartha is a romantic, upbeat song sung by the protagonist expressing his deep admiration for his beloved's radiant beauty and youth. He affectionately calls her a 'silken flower' (Pattupoo) and praises every facet of her charm, comparing her eyebrows to the crescent moon, her soft lips to a dew-kissed lotus, and her grace to celestial maidens like Rathi, Oorvasi, and Menaka. He notes that seeing her fills his heart with poetic inspiration and joy, declaring that even Nature lacks the skill to craft another masterpiece like her.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Uvamaani / Metaphor & Simile (உவமை)

Iru puruvamum koon vizhum vaan pirai

Comparing eyebrows to the curved crescent moon ('koon vizhum vaan pirai') and lips to a lotus blossom ('idhal madal vidum thaamarai').

Monaai (Ethir-Monaai / Alliteration)

Pattupoove unnai paartha / Paattu paada aasai

Repetition of the initial letter 'P' ('Pattupoove', 'paartha', 'Paattu', 'paada') creating rhythmic flow.

Atiyethukai (Assonance / Second Letter Rhyme)

Nadaiyor nadanam idaiyor nalinam / Nilavin rathi bimbam nee ulavum rathi vamsam

Matching second character sound across lines ('Na-daiyor' and 'Ni-lavin').

Uyarvu Navortchi Ani (Hyperbole)

Adi unai vida kuraindhaval oorvasi / Undhan adimai endriruppaval menagai

Exaggerating the heroine's beauty by claiming celestial nymphs Oorvasi and Menaka are inferior or mere servants to her.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is composed by Ilaiyaraaja and featured in the 1986 Tamil action drama film 'Naanum Oru Thozhilali', starring Kamal Haasan and Ambika. SPB's vibrant vocals combined with Vaali's playful lyrical wordplay and modern English phrases ('Oh my sweety oh dating beauty') made it a popular youth track of the mid-1980s.

Keep listening

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