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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Sengala Thookkura Thangam

From Veedu Manaivi Makkal · 1988

Lyricist
Idhaya Chandran
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, Uma Ramanan
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Veedu Manaivi Makkal1988

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Sengala thookkura thangamOh my precious gold who lifts red bricks
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singamHey, I am indeed your lion
Aambila singam….A male lion....
Sengala thookkura thangamOh my precious gold who lifts red bricks
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singamHey, I am indeed your lion
Aambila singam….A male lion....
Male
Thannikkulla mungaamaWithout diving deep into the water
Muththu vanthu saeraathuPearls cannot be gathered
Sontha veedu kattaamaWithout building our own house
Kannu rendum moodaathuMy two eyes will not close in sleep
Vaetti thunda viththu koodaEven if I have to sell my waist-cloth and towel
Veettai kattiduvaen….I will definitely build a home....
Male
Sengala thookkura thangamOh my precious gold who lifts red bricks
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singamHey, I am indeed your lion
Aambila singam….A male lion....
Male
Enna thottathaalaeBy touching me in marriage
Enna kanda YogamWhat fortune did you really gain?
Naalu pullaththaanae neeyum kanda laabamFour children are the only gain you got!
Enna thottathaalaeBy touching me in marriage
Enna kanda YogamWhat fortune did you really gain?
Naalu pullaththaanae neeyum kanda laabamFour children are the only gain you got!
Female
Laaba nashtam paaththalaeIf you calculate profit and loss
Pombalaikku paavamIt is a sin for a woman
Neenga vangi thanthaalaeIf you buy and give me anything
Manjal kooda laabamEven turmeric is a gain for me
Male
Uchchiyila ice vachchathu pothumEnough of putting ice on my head with sweet talk
Kaaichchal vanthaachchu aa….I have gotten a fever, ah....
Female :Ada kaaichchala solliFemale: Oh, making excuses about a fever
Saainjadhu pothum vayasu ennaachchuEnough of leaning on me, look at your age!
Male
Sengala thookkura thangamOh my precious gold who lifts red bricks
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singamHey, I am indeed your lion
Aambila singam….A male lion....
Female
Thannikkulla mungaamaWithout diving deep into the water
Muththu vanthu saeraathuPearls cannot be gathered
Sontha veedu kattaamaWithout building our own house
Kannu rendum moodaathuMy two eyes will not close in sleep
Male :Vaetti thunda viththu koodaMale: Even if I have to sell my waist-cloth and towel
Veettai kattiduvaen….I will definitely build a home....
Female
Veedu katti neega paalu kaaichcha venumWhen you build a house, you must boil milk there
Kooda vanthu naanum dheepam yaeththa venumI must come along and light the sacred lamp
Male :Vaakkappatta naalaa nee ketkkalaiyae yaedhumMale: Since the day you were married to me, you never asked for anything
Laddu vadai bondaavum vaangi tharala naanumI haven't even bought you laddu, vadai, or bonda
Female
Ponnukku naalanaa malligai poovaeFor a woman, even a four-anna jasmine flower
Podhum en rasaIs more than enough, my king
Male :Antha naalanaa poovum vaangiyum tharalaMale: I didn't even buy and give you that four-anna flower
Thuppu ketta rasaWhat a good-for-nothing king I am
Intha thuppu ketta rasa…..This good-for-nothing king.....
Male
Sengala thookkura thangamOh my precious gold who lifts red bricks
Adi naanthaandi unnoda singamHey, I am indeed your lion
Aambila singam….A male lion....
Male
Veedu kattum munaalaBefore building the house
Unna konjam kattikkiraenLet me hug you a little bit
Female :Kattikitta rasavaeFemale: Oh my wedded king
Kattalaikku oththukkiraenI obey your command
Male
Aiyaiyyo venaamOh no, don't do that
Kettathu thappu naadi thalarnthaachchuIt was wrong to ask, your pulse has become weak!
Unakku naadi thalarnthaachchuYour pulse has grown weak
Female :Aang…..Female: Huh?...
Male :Aaha han enakku thaadi valarnthaachchuMale: Aha, it's just my beard that has grown!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

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.

Keep listening

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