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Lyrics & meaning

Punnagai Raniye (Duet)

From Kaalam Maari Pochu · 1996

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Mano, K. S. Chitra, Krishnaraj
Music director
Deva
Details
Kaalam Maari Pochu1996

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Punnagai raaniyaeQueen of smiles,
Poovizhi deviyae vaa vaaFlower-eyed goddess, come, come!
Un ponnagai punnagaiYour gold jewelry and your smile,
Rendumae thevaiyae thaa thaaI need both, give them, give them!
Male
Punnagai raaniyaeQueen of smiles,
Poovizhi deviyae vaa vaaFlower-eyed goddess, come, come!
Un ponnagai punnagaiYour gold jewelry and your smile,
Rendumae thevaiyae thaa thaaI need both, give them, give them!
Male
Kadhal malarae kadhal malaraeO flower of love, flower of love,
Kalanguthintha nenjamMy heart is agitated.
Karnan magalae karnan magalaeDaughter of Karna, daughter of Karna,
Alli thaadi konjamGather and give me a little generosity.
Antha thirumagal thirumagal neethaanYou are that goddess Lakshmi herself,
En thevaikkenna panjam….hoi…What scarcity could there be for my needs... hoi!
Male
Hoi punnagai raaniyaeHoi, queen of smiles,
Poovizhi deviyae vaa vaaFlower-eyed goddess, come, come!
Un ponnagai punnagaiYour gold jewelry and your smile,
Rendumae thevaiyae thaa thaaI need both, give them, give them!
Male
Pengal sirikkum oli kettaalIf one hears the sound of women laughing,
Entha poottum saaviyindri thirakkumAny lock will open without a key.
Manaivi manasu vaikka vendumIf the wife sets her mind to it,
Entha malattu pasuvum paal karakkumEven a barren cow will yield milk.
Male
Pengal sirikkum oli kettaalIf one hears the sound of women laughing,
Entha poottum saaviyindri thirakkumAny lock will open without a key.
Manaivi manasu vaikka vendumIf the wife sets her mind to it,
Entha malattu pasuvum paal karakkumEven a barren cow will yield milk.
Male
Ponnu konjam kuilrnthirunthaalIf the bride stays a bit cool and pleasant,
Purusan kaiyil kaasu varumMoney will flow into the husband's hands.
Pachchaikili paarvaiyilaeIn the gaze of that green parrot,
Panjamum theernthu pogumEven poverty and famine will come to an end.
Male
Ennadi ennadiWhat is it, what is it,
Purusan pugazhvathu edhukkuWhy is the husband praising so much?
Adi ennamo ennamoHey, something, something...
Idhula ragasiyam irukkuThere is a secret hidden in this!
Male
Uma mageshwariO Uma Mageshwari,
Varanum varanum nee varanumYou must come, must come, you must come!
Kannae un kaaladiMy dear, at your feet,
Saranam saram ivan saranamRefuge, refuge, he surrenders in refuge!
Kannaalan ketpathaiWhat your groom asks for,
Tharanum tharanum nee tharanumYou must give, must give, you must give!
Male
Veesum thendralai niruththiStopping the blowing gentle breeze,
Un veettil kaattaraadi vidavaaShall I install a windmill in your house?
Paayum alaigalai thoguththuGathering the rushing ocean waves,
Un paadha kolusaakki tharavaaShall I make anklets for your feet?
Male
Aa….veesum thendralai niruththiAh... stopping the blowing gentle breeze,
Un veettil kaattaraadi vidavaaShall I install a windmill in your house?
Paayum alaigalai thoguththuGathering the rushing ocean waves,
Un paadha kolusaakki tharavaaShall I make anklets for your feet?
Male
Kannae nee mugam parkkaMy dear, for you to see your reflection,
Vennilava naan tharavaaShall I give you the full moon?
Natchaththiram kondu vanthuBringing down a star,
Mookkuththi maatti vidavaaShall I place it as a nose-ring for you?
Male
Punnagai raaniyaeQueen of smiles,
Poovizhi deviyae vaa vaaFlower-eyed goddess, come, come!
Un ponnagai punnagaiYour gold jewelry and your smile,
Rendumae thevaiyae thaa thaaI need both, give them, give them!
Male
Kadhal malarae kadhal malaraeO flower of love, flower of love,
Kalanguthintha nenjamMy heart is agitated.
Karnan magalae karnan magalaeDaughter of Karna, daughter of Karna,
Alli thaadi konjamGather and give me a little generosity.
Antha thirumagal thirumagal neethaanYou are that goddess Lakshmi herself,
En thevaikkenna panjamWhat scarcity could there be for my needs!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Punnagai Raaniyae is a lighthearted and humorous song from the 1996 Tamil film Kaalam Maari Pochu. In the song, the male protagonist playfully flatters his wife with dramatic compliments, hyperbolic promises, and mythological comparisons. He extols the virtues of a happy wife, humorously claiming that her cheerfulness brings prosperity, unlocks doors, and fills the house with wealth. Beneath the affectionate praise lies his cheeky motive—he wants both her smile and her gold jewelry to solve his financial troubles, which the wife suspicioning responds to with playful skepticism.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

Punnagai raaniyae / Poovizhi deviyae vaa vaa

Matching initial consonant/vowel sounds across consecutive words or lines (e.g., 'Punnagai' and 'Poovizhi').

Atiyethirai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Veesum thendralai niruththi / Paayum alaigalai thoguththu

Matching second letter rhyming across lines ('Veesum' and 'Paayum' feature similar syllabic weight in line structures).

Uvamai / Metaphor

Karnan magalae karnan magalae

Comparing the wife's generosity to the legendary philanthropist Karna ('Karnan magalae') and equating her presence to Goddess Lakshmi ('Thirumagal neethaan').

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Natchaththiram kondu vanthu mookkuththi maatti vidavaa

Using playful impossible promises like turning the moon into a mirror and a star into a nose-ring to woo her.

Ponnagai / Punnagai Wordplay (Pun)

Un ponnagai punnagai / Rendumae thevaiyae thaa thaa

Clever homophonic wordplay contrasting 'ponnagai' (gold jewelry) with 'punnagai' (smile).

Did you know?

Trivia

Kaalam Maari Pochu (1996) is a classic Tamil family comedy-drama directed by V. Sekhar, with music composed by Deva and lyrics written by Vairamuthu. The film revolves around traditional family dynamics, financial struggles, and gender roles, which this song humorously encapsulates.

Keep listening

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