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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Pengaloda Potti Podum

From Friends · 2001

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singers
Hariharan, Sujatha Mohan
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Friends2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Thaam thakka thimiRhythmic vocal beat: Thaam thakka thimi
Thikki thikki thaaRhythmic vocal beat: Thikki thikki thaa
Thamm thakka thimiRhythmic vocal beat: Thamm thakka thimi
Thikki thaa thaaRhythmic vocal beat: Thikki thaa thaa
Thaam thakka thimiRhythmic vocal beat: Thaam thakka thimi
Thikki thikki thaaRhythmic vocal beat: Thikki thikki thaa
Thamm thakka thimiRhythmic vocal beat: Thamm thakka thimi
Thaaa….Rhythmic vocal beat: Thaaa….
Female
Pengaloda potti podumWho are the men here
Aangal inga yaaruTo compete with women?
Male :Aa..haa …aaa..haaa…Male: Aa..haa …aaa..haaa…
Female
Koondhaloda mallu kattumA mustache wrestling with long hair
Meesai jeyukathuWill never win!
Male :Hey heyhey hey hey ehhMale: Hey heyhey hey hey ehh
Female
Mallika poo.. vachu vanthaWhen she comes wearing jasmine flowers,
Unga manasu kaathil aadumYour heart sways in the breeze.
Pattu vizhi.. suttu vittaIf silk eyes shoot a glance,
Aambaliku valiyum.. valiyum..A man will feel pain and ache..
Ballae ballae ballae ballaeBravo, bravo, bravo, bravo!
Vaa pakkalam vaaCome, let us see, come!
Male
Aankaloda potti podumWho are the women here
Pengal inga yaaruTo compete with men?
Female :Aa..ahaaa..aaa..ahaaaFemale: Aa..ahaaa..aaa..ahaaa
Male
Meesaiyoda mallu kattumLong hair wrestling with a mustache
Koondhal jeyukathuWill never win!
Female :Aa..ahaaa..aaa..ahaaaFemale: Aa..ahaaa..aaa..ahaaa
Male
Manappathu malliga thanOnly jasmine smells sweet,
Ungalukoru vasamillaYou men have no fragrance of your own.
Suttathellam appalamthanEverything you roast is just papad,
Adupadiyil therium…theriumIt shows in the kitchen... it shows!
Ballae ballae ballae ballaeBravo, bravo, bravo, bravo!
Vaa pakkalam vaaCome, let us see, come!
Female
Pengaloda potti podumWho are the men here
Aangal inga yaaruTo compete with women?
Male :Aa..haa …aaa..haaa…Male: Aa..haa …aaa..haaa…
Male
Meesaiyoda mallu kattumLong hair wrestling with a mustache
Koondhal jeyukathu..heyyyy….Will never win.. heyyy…
Male
Eppa yeppa yeppaHey hey hey!
Pombalainga neengaYou women are
Veththu dappaJust empty tins!
Chorus :Hey ballae ballaeChorus: Hey bravo bravo
Hey ballae ballaeHey bravo bravo
Hey ballae ballaeHey bravo bravo
Ballae ballae heyyy…Bravo bravo heyyy…
Female
Eppa yeppa yeppaHey hey hey!
Sikkikitta neethanYou are the ones caught
Ekku thappaIn a terrible trap!
Male
Aangal ennalumae osthiyenaThat men are superior always,
Manasil vachikanumYou must keep in your mind!
Female :Pengal illavital aambalaingaFemale: If women aren't there, men
Suvaril muttikanumWill end up banging their heads on walls!
Male
Hei pengalai seraamalaeHey, aren't there sages who lived
Vaazhnthidum rishi illaiyaWithout ever associating with women?
Female : Yogiar aanalumaeFemale: Even if one is a great yogi,
Pettraval pen illaiyaIs not the mother who gave birth a woman?
Male
Pombala ilamai sila varushamA woman's youth lasts a few years,
Aambalaiku athu pala varushamFor a man, it lasts for many years!
Female : Arae ballae ballaeFemale: Hey bravo bravo
Ballae ballaeBravo bravo
Vaa pakkalam vaa..heiiiCome, let us see, come.. heii!
Male
Aangaloda potti podumWho are the women here
Pengal inga yaaruTo compete with men?
Female :Aha aha aha ahaFemale: Aha aha aha aha
Female
Koondhaloda mallu kattumA mustache wrestling with long hair
Meesa jeyukathuWill never win!
Male :Aha aha aha ahaMale: Aha aha aha aha
Male
Hmmm ..hmmm..Hmmm ..hmmm..
Female
Nenaicha padi mudikkum ponnuA woman can accomplish whatever she desires!
Male :Athuku pinna irukku irukkuMale: Behind that, there is
Kadhai onnuAnother story!
Female :Siragadikkum paranthuFemale: Flapping wings and flying,
Paruva chinna chittuA youthful little bird!
Male :Kaiyara kattu aduppilMale: Tied up tight with hands,
Alanthu kattu pattuMeasured and bound on the cooking stove!
Female
Ponnu sirippil valiyura thaaruTar oozes from a girl's smile!
Male :Iduppa vetti neliyura thaaruMale: Tar twists and bends at the waist line!
Female :Round adikkum satellitin mottuFemale: A satellite bud making rounds,
Male :Power ippo cuttuMale: Power is cut now!
Female :Suttu vidum pottuFemale: The bindi that scorches!
Male :Anachiduvom thottuMale: We will extinguish it with a touch!
Female
Pengal kova pattalIf women get angry,
Aambalainga vaala vetti vappaThey will cut off men's tails!
Chorus :Hey ballae ballaeChorus: Hey bravo bravo
Hey ballae ballaeHey bravo bravo
Hey ballae ballaeHey bravo bravo
Ballae ballae heyyy…Bravo bravo heyyy…
Male
Pennin kovam ellamAll of a woman's anger
Mutham vaithuWith a kiss,
Aambala maathi vappanA man can transform!
Female
Kattil thalli vachaIf pushed away from the bed,
Aambalainga nenjai bathikumaeA man's heart gets affected!
Male :Kattil thalli vaikumMale: A woman who pushes him off the bed
Pombalaiya thendral sothikumaeWill be tested by the cool breeze!
Female
Raathiri oodalgalilIn nighttime lovers' spats,
Yaaridam yaar thorpathuWho loses to whom?
Male :Oodalil thotral avaiMale: If defeated in love play,
Tholviyai yaar solvathuWho counts that as a defeat?
Female
Suthuma odanjaA vessel broken into pieces,
Sothu pathiramA spell cast by women
Pombalainga aati vaikkumTo rule and swing things around!
ManthiramHey bravo bravo
Arae ballae ballaeBravo bravo
Ballae ballaeCome, let us see, come!
Vaa pakkalam vaaWho are the men here
Female
Pengaloda potti podumTo compete with women?
Aangal inga yaaruMale: Aha aha aha aha
Male :Aha aha aha ahaLong hair wrestling with a mustache
Male
Meesaiyodu mallu kattumWill never win!
Koondhal jeyukathuMale: Aha aha aha aha
Male :Aha aha aha ahaHei hei hei
Male
Hei hei heiFemale: When she comes wearing jasmine flowers,
Female :Mallika poo.. vachu vanthaYour heart sways in the breeze..
Unga manasu kaathil aadum..Hei hei hei…
Hei hei hei…Male: Everything you roast is just papad,
Male :Suttathellam appalamthanIt shows in the kitchen... it shows!
Adupadiyil therium…theriumHey bravo bravo
Female
Arae ballae ballaeBravo bravo
Ballae ballaeCome, let us see, come!
Vaa pakkalam vaaWho are the women here
Male
Aangaloda potti podumTo compete with men?
Pengal inga yaaruFemale: Aha aha aha aha
Female :Aha aha aha ahaA mustache wrestling with long hair
Female
Koondhaloda mallu kattumWill never win!
Meesa jeyukathuMale: Aha aha aha aha
Male :Aha aha aha aha

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

'Pengaloda Potti Podum' from the movie Friends (2001) is a playful and energetic battle-of-the-sexes song. The male and female characters engage in a witty back-and-forth lyrical duel, boasting about the strengths and virtues of their respective genders while lightheartedly mocking the other.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamanai)

Koondhaloda mallu kattum Meesai jeyukathu

Comparing long hair ('koondhal') and mustache ('meesai') to symbolize women and men in a wrestling match.

Rhyme / Alliteration (Monai / Ethirai)

Pengaloda potti podum Aangal inga yaaru

Use of repetitive rhythmic sounds and end-rhymes (e.g., 'potti podum', 'ballae ballae') typical of folk song duels.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song is composed by maestro Ilaiyaraaja for the superhit comedy-drama Friends (2001), starring Vijay, Suriya, Devayani, and Vijayalakshmi. Sung by Hariharan, Sujatha, and others, it serves as a fun group dance duel sequence in the movie.

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