Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Salangai Satham Kekkuthadi

From Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu · 1991

Lyricist
Isaignani Ilayaraja
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu
Movie release year
1991
Lyrics added on
8 Oct 2020

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Salangai satham ketkudhadi
Sarala kallu saalaiyilae
Kulungum vandi paadudhadi
Kuthaalathu paadhaiyilae
Malaiyoram adivaaram
Mayiloda parivaram
Kathiraadum sathi podum
Puvi yaalum kummaalam
Sariyaana neramadi idhu sariyaana neramadi
Salangai satham ketkudhadi
Sarala kallu saalaiyilae
The sound of bells is heard, my girl,
along the gravel road.
The swaying cart sings along,
on the road to Courtallam.
By the mountain slopes and foothills,
amidst a gathering of peacocks,
the swaying crops dance to the rhythm,
with a joy that sweeps over the earth.
This is the right time, my girl, this is the perfect time.
The sound of bells is heard, my girl,
along the gravel road.
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This lively folk composition captures the joyful spirit of a journey through the scenic rural countryside leading to Courtallam. The lyrics vividly describe the rhythmic sounds of anklets and a swaying cart traveling along a rugged gravel road, blending seamlessly with the sights and sounds of nature. The song paints a picture where nature itself becomes a performer: peacocks gather like a royal retinue, and swaying crops keep time with the music. It celebrates a perfect, joyful moment in time where rural life and natural beauty come together in a grand, festive harmony.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Salangai satham ketkudhadi / Sarala kallu saalaiyilae

Repetition of the initial consonants or sound patterns in consecutive lines, such as 'Salangai' and 'Sarala'.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Malaiyoram adivaaram / Mayiloda parivaram

Agreement of the second letter across lines ('la' sound in Malaiyoram and Mayiloda).

Personification

Kulungum vandi paadudhadi

Attributing human actions like singing to inanimate objects (the cart) and keeping rhythm to crops.

Repetition (Anaphora)

Sariyaana neramadi idhu sariyaana neramadi

Repeating the phrase 'sariyaana neramadi' for rhythmic emphasis and urgency.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu' (1991) marked the directorial venture of Bharathiraja that introduced several prominent actors to Tamil cinema, including Sukanya and Napoleon. The soundtrack was composed by Ilaiyaraaja, blending authentic Tamil rural folk idioms with orchestral arrangements.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

From the same album

More songs from Pudhu Nellu Pudhu Naathu

View album

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.