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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Ponnumani Ponnumani

From Poonthottam · 1998

Lyricist
Vasan
Singers
Mano, Gangai Amaran, Vadivelu, Others
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Poonthottam1998

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Dialogue……Dialogue...
Male
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Haan haan haan han haan haanHaan haan haan han haan haan
Ponnumani …ponnumani ponnumaniPonnumani... Ponnumani Ponnumani
Male
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Male
Hae aadudhippo aalwaarpaettaHey, Alwarpet is dancing now!
Ahaa asaiyudhu teynaampaettaAha, Teynampet is swaying!
Male
Hae nadakkudhu saidhaappaettaHey, Saidapet is strutting!
Yammaa sokku podi potta pottaOh my, she has cast a spell with her magic powder!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Yammaa ..ahaaaa…achakkOh my... aha... achakk
Ahaa …dhinakAha... dhinak
Ahaa…achakk…aahaaAha... achakk... aahaa
Dhinakku thakku thakku thaaDhinakku thakku thakku thaa
Dhinakku thakku thakku thaaDhinakku thakku thakku thaa
Male
Discount saelakkaariA woman wearing a discount saree,
Ponnu thaeni aduppukkaariA girl who cooks using a stove,
Male
Ava purushan vaelakkaariHer husband is a maid,
Vaelai kettaa thirumba sorryIf asked to work, he says sorry again!
Male
Daaladikum ponnukkittaNear the girl who shines brightly,
Daavadichu maattikkinaFlirting and getting caught,
Songi paiyan somaariThe lazy, sluggish guy,
Ichu ichu kissadichuKissing with 'ichu ichu' sound,
Ishthukkinu odip ponaEloping while dragging her along,
Kaena paiyan kaepmaariThe silly, rogue guy!
Male
Marikkozhundhu kaiya pudidaaHold the sweet marjoram herb hand,
Adhukku malliya poo vaangi kodudaaBuy and give jasmine flowers for it!
Male
Chinna pulla sola poridaaLittle girl is like popped corn,
Avalukku vekkaadha yelip poridaaDon't set a rat trap for her!
Male
Yappaa dance kuthugira johnsOh man, Johns who dances with energy,
Yappaa thaa thaa enakkoru chanceOh man, give me a chance!
Male
Andha sokku sundhari dance laIn that alluring beauty's dance,
Nejil shock adichadhadaaMy heart felt an electric shock!
Male
Yappaa stanley ava romba costlyOh man, Stanley, she is very expensive,
Male
Ava pona varusham thaali aruthaThe husband whose knot she untied last year,
Purshan naan thaan daaThat husband is me, man!
Male
Hae ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeHey, golden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Male :Haan haaMale: Haan haa
Chorus :Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeChorus: Through my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Male
Hae aadudhippo aalwaarpaettaHey, Alwarpet is dancing now!
Ahaa asaiyudhu teynaampaettaAha, Teynampet is swaying!
Male
Hae nadakkudhu saidhaappaettaHey, Saidapet is strutting!
Yammaa sokku podi potta pottaOh my, she has cast a spell with her magic powder!
Male
Hae ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeHey, golden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Male :Haan haaMale: Haan haa
Chorus :Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeChorus: Through my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Male
Kothu kari kuthum podhuWhen mincing the meat,
Kooda varudhu sounduA pounding sound accompanies it,
Male
Bodha konjam erangiduchuThe intoxication has come down a bit,
Oothu innoru rounduPour another round!
Male
Dhutta vechu dhutteduppaenI will gamble and win money with money,
Podu moonu seatta haePlay the three-card game, hey!
Male
Hae naanum kooda paakka venumHey, I also want to see,
Naattuppura paattuThe folk song!
Male
Hittu paatta kelu uchari raasaaListen to the hit song and pronounce it well, King,
Adhap padichadhaaru namma ilaiyaraajaaWho composed that? Our Ilaiyaraaja!
Male
Aei ennadaa sonnaeHey, what did you say?
Male
Yammaa yendaa adichaeOh man, why did you hit me?
Male
Aei thanni adichutuHey, after drinking alcohol,
Yaar pera daa sonnaeWhose name did you utter, man?
Male
Theriyaama sollitten paaI said it without realizing, boss!
Male
Andha raaga dhevan pera chonnaaIf you utter that Music God's name,
Bigil adikkanum daaYou must blow a whistle in respect, man!
Male
Otha roobaa rendu roobaaOne rupee, two rupees,
Odi varudhu urunduRolling and running towards us,
Male
Aei oodha kaatthu adikkudhadaaHey, the cold wind is blowing,
Oothu innoru rounduPour another round!
Male
Odi varudhu urunduRolling and running towards us,
Male
Haa oothu innoru rounduHaa, pour another round!
Male
Odi varudhu urunduRolling and running towards us,
Male
Haa oothu innoru rounduHaa, pour another round!
Male
Hae ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeHey, golden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Male :HaanMale: Haan
Chorus :Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeChorus: Through my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Male
Hae aadudhippo aalwaarpaettaHey, Alwarpet is dancing now!
Ahaa asaiyudhu teynaampaettaAha, Teynampet is swaying!
Male
Hae nadakkudhu saidhaappaettaHey, Saidapet is strutting!
Yammaa sokku podi potta pottaOh my, she has cast a spell with her magic powder!
Male
Hae ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeHey, golden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Chorus
Ponnumani ponnumani poraalaeGolden girl Ponnumani is walking by,
Kannu vazhi nenjukkulla vaaraalaeThrough my eyes, she is entering my heart!
Ae ae achakthaa ae ae janakthaaAe ae achakthaa ae ae janakthaa
Ae ae achakthaa ae ae janakthaaAe ae achakthaa ae ae janakthaa
Achakthaa janakthaaAchakthaa janakthaa
Janakku janakku janakku janakkuthaaJanakku janakku janakku janakkuthaa

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This high-energy folk-gana track from the movie 'Poonthottam' celebrates the vibrant street culture and local flavors of Chennai. The speaker expresses admiration for 'Ponnumani', a captivating woman whose charm energizes neighboring localities like Alwarpet, Teynampet, and Saidapet. The song captures playful urban banter, dance moves, street humor, and night drinking sessions accompanied by local delicacies and card games. A notable meta-moment in the song pays homage to maestro Ilaiyaraaja, where the characters humorously demand respect and whistles whenever 'Raaga Devan' (The God of Melodies) is mentioned.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second letter rhyming)

Ponnumani / Kannu vazhi

Matching second consonants across consecutive lines, typical of Tamil poetry.

Place Metonymy & Personification

Hae aadudhippo aalwaarpaetta / Ahaa asaiyudhu teynaampaetta / Hae nadakkudhu saidhaappaetta

Chennai neighborhoods (Alwarpet, Teynampet, Saidapet) are personified as dancing and swaying to represent the widespread impact of the woman's beauty.

Onomatopoeia

Janakku janakku janakku janakkuthaa

Use of rhythmic beat sounds like 'Achakthaa' and 'Janakku' to create an infectious dance cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

Poonthottam (1998) featured music composed by Deva, known as the 'Gana King' of Tamil cinema. The lyrics feature local Chennai Tamil slang ('Gana') incorporating humor, localized neighborhood names, and popular culture references including an affectionate tribute to Ilaiyaraaja.

Keep listening

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