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Lyrics & meaning

Sengala Thookkura Thangam

From Veedu Manaivi Makkal · 1988

Lyricist
Idhaya Chandran
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, Uma Ramanan
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Movie name
Veedu Manaivi Makkal
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
3 Feb 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Sengala thookkura thangam
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam
Aambila singam….
Sengala thookkura thangam
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam
Aambila singam….
Thannikkulla mungaama
Muththu vanthu saeraathu
Sontha veedu kattaama
Kannu rendum moodaathu
Vaetti thunda viththu kooda
Veettai kattiduvaen….
Sengala thookkura thangam
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam
Aambila singam….
Enna thottathaalae
Enna kanda Yogam
Naalu pullaththaanae neeyum kanda laabam
Enna thottathaalae
Enna kanda Yogam
Naalu pullaththaanae neeyum kanda laabam
Laaba nashtam paaththalae
Pombalaikku paavam
Neenga vangi thanthaalae
Manjal kooda laabam
Uchchiyila ice vachchathu pothum
Kaaichchal vanthaachchu aa….
Female :Ada kaaichchala solli
Saainjadhu pothum vayasu ennaachchu
Sengala thookkura thangam
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam
Aambila singam….
Thannikkulla mungaama
Muththu vanthu saeraathu
Sontha veedu kattaama
Kannu rendum moodaathu
Male :Vaetti thunda viththu kooda
Veettai kattiduvaen….
Veedu katti neega paalu kaaichcha venum
Kooda vanthu naanum dheepam yaeththa venum
Male :Vaakkappatta naalaa nee ketkkalaiyae yaedhum
Laddu vadai bondaavum vaangi tharala naanum
Ponnukku naalanaa malligai poovae
Podhum en rasa
Male :Antha naalanaa poovum vaangiyum tharala
Thuppu ketta rasa
Intha thuppu ketta rasa…..
Sengala thookkura thangam
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam
Aambila singam….
Veedu kattum munaala
Unna konjam kattikkiraen
Female :Kattikitta rasavae
Kattalaikku oththukkiraen
Aiyaiyyo venaam
Kettathu thappu naadi thalarnthaachchu
Unakku naadi thalarnthaachchu
Female :Aang…..
Male :Aaha han enakku thaadi valarnthaachchu
My precious girl who carries bricks,
Hey girl, I am your mighty lion,
A true manly lion...
My precious girl who carries bricks,
Hey girl, I am your mighty lion,
A true manly lion...
Without diving into deep water,
You can never gather pearls.
Without building a home of our own,
These eyes will never close in peace.
Even if I must sell my dhoti and towel,
I will definitely build our home...
My precious girl who carries bricks,
Hey girl, I am your mighty lion,
A true manly lion...
Ever since you married me,
What great fortune did you ever get?
Four children are the only gain you ever saw!
Ever since you married me,
What great fortune did you ever get?
Four children are the only gain you ever saw!
Counting profit and loss,
Is a sin for a woman.
As long as it is bought by your hands,
Even simple turmeric is a blessing.
Enough of buttering me up like that,
I have already caught a fever, ah...
Female: Oh, making an excuse of a fever,
Enough of leaning on me—look at your age!
My precious girl who carries bricks,
Hey girl, I am your mighty lion,
A true manly lion...
Without diving into deep water,
You can never gather pearls.
Without building a home of our own,
These eyes will never close in peace.
Male: Even if I must sell my dhoti and towel,
I will definitely build our home...
You must build our home and boil the milk,
And I will stand beside you to light the sacred lamp.
Male: Ever since you married me, you never asked for a thing,
And I never even bought you snacks or sweets.
For a woman, just a four-anna string of jasmine
Is more than enough, my king.
Male: I didn't even buy you that cheap flower,
What a useless king I am,
This utterly good-for-nothing king...
My precious girl who carries bricks,
Hey girl, I am your mighty lion,
A true manly lion...
Before we build that house,
Let me hold you close in my arms!
Female: Oh, my wedded king,
I give in to your command.
Oh no, stop it!
Acting naughty is wrong, our pulse has grown weak with age!
Your strength has already faded!
Female: What?...
Male: Aha-han, but my beard has only grown bolder!
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from 'Veedu Manaivi Makkal' (1988) is a playful and affectionate duet between a working-class husband and wife. The husband, a laborer involved in construction work, vows to build a home of their own no matter the sacrifice, comparing his determination to diving for pearls. The wife lovingly responds with humility, stating that simple gestures mean the world to her and that material profits or losses do not matter in marriage.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Sengala thookkura thangam / Adi naanthaandi unnoda singam

Comparing the hardworking wife to 'thangam' (gold) and the husband to 'singam' (lion).

Analogy / Simile

Thannikkulla mungaama / Muththu vanthu saeraathu

Comparing the effort needed to build a house to diving underwater to fetch pearls.

Rhyme (Edhukai / Monnai)

Thannikkulla mungaama / Sontha veedu kattaama

Use of matching internal rhyme and sounds in consecutive lines like 'thannikkulla' and 'sontha veedu'.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Veedu Manaivi Makkal' (1988), directed by Pandiarajan, focuses heavily on the struggles and dreams of a middle/working-class family striving to own a home, making this song a central thematic piece of the movie.

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