Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Suttithanam Panna Eli

From Enga Veetu Ramayanam · 1987

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Malaysia Vasudevan, S. P. Shailaja
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Enga Veetu Ramayanam1987

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Sindhu nadhiyin misai nilavinilaeIn the moonlight over the Indus River
Cheranan naattilam pengaludanaeAlong with young women of the Chera country
Sundhara telungunil paattisaiththiSinging songs in beautiful Telugu
Thonigal ootti vilaiyaadi varuvomLet us row boats and play along
Chorus
…………………...
Male
Adi needhaanaa antha kuyilHey, are you that cuckoo?
Yaar veettu sontha kuilWhose house's own cuckoo is it?
Aaththaadi manasukkulla kaaththaadiOh my, inside my heart a kite
Paranthathae ulagamae marathathaeFlew away, forgetting the whole world!
Female
Suttithanam panna eliThe mouse that did mischief
Pettiyilae sikkiduchu paaruLook, it got trapped in the box!
Male :Natta nadu maththiyilaeMale: Right in the very middle
Vachchiruntha aamai vadai joruThe tortoise-shaped vadai kept there is grand!
Female
Yaenguthu mochchuMy breath yearns...
Male :Enakku ippo mogam vanthaachchuMale: Now passion has come over me!
Female :Naai vaalaeFemale: Dog's tail...
Male :NimirnthaachchuMale: It has straightened up!
Female
Ha Suttithanam panna eliHa, the mouse that did mischief
Pettiyilae sikkiduchu paaruLook, it got trapped in the box!
Male :Natta nadu maththiyilaeMale: Right in the very middle
Vachchiruntha aamai vadai joruThe tortoise-shaped vadai kept there is grand!
Male
Thalli thalli paduththathu naeththuYesterday you slept far away
Neeyum naanum nalliravil sandaigalai pottuYou and I picked fights in the dead of night
Female :Kitta kitta nikkuriyae paarththuFemale: You are standing so close, watch out!
Thendral vanthu killaththaanae kaaththirukku naaththuThe sapling is waiting for the gentle breeze to pinch it
Male
PaaradiLook here!
Female :AhFemale: Ah!
Male :PaingiliMale: Young parrot!
Female :AahFemale: Aah!
Male :Yaarunnu naanum kaattuvaenMale: I will show who I am!
Paaradi paingili yaarunnu naanum kaattuvaenLook here, young parrot, I will show who I am!
Female
Appappaa ippaththaan aasai vanthathaaOh my, has desire arrived only now?
Appappaa ippaththaan aasai vanthathaaOh my, has desire arrived only now?
Female
Suttithanam panna eliThe mouse that did mischief
Pettiyilae sikkiduchu paaruLook, it got trapped in the box!
Male :Natta nadu maththiyilaeMale: Right in the very middle
Vachchiruntha aamai vadai joruThe tortoise-shaped vadai kept there is grand!
Female
Yaenguthu mochchuMy breath yearns...
Male :Enakku ippo mogam vanthaachchuMale: Now passion has come over me!
Female :Naai vaalaeFemale: Dog's tail...
Male :NimirnthaachchuMale: It has straightened up!
Female
Kotti kotti kidakkuthu azhaguBeauty lies heaped and overflowing
Neeyum vanthu thatta thatta thiranthidum kadhavuAs you approach and knock, the door will open
Male :Otti otti urasattum maeniMale: Let our bodies brush close together
Poovai pola unnai thinnum naanumoru thaeneeI am a honeybee that will consume you like a flower
Female
Thevaiyaa thaedi vaaIs it needed? Come seeking it!
Thaagaththai naanum theerkkiraenI shall quench your thirst
Thevaiyaa thaedi vaaIs it needed? Come seeking it!
Thaagaththai naanum theerkkiraenI shall quench your thirst
Male
Allaththaan killaththaan velai vanthathaaHas the time come to scoop and pinch?
Female :AahFemale: Aah!
Male :Allaththaan killaththaan velai vanthathaaMale: Has the time come to scoop and pinch?
Female
Suttithanam panna eliThe mouse that did mischief
Pettiyilae sikkiduchu paaruLook, it got trapped in the box!
Male :Natta nadu maththiyilaeMale: Right in the very middle
Vachchiruntha aamai vadai joruThe tortoise-shaped vadai kept there is grand!
Female
Yaenguthu mochchuMy breath yearns...
Male :Enakku ippo mogam vanthaachchuMale: Now passion has come over me!
Female :Naai vaalaeFemale: Dog's tail...
Male :NimirnthaachchuMale: It has straightened up!
Both :Laal laa laal laa laallaaBoth: Laal laa laal laa laallaa

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

The song begins with an homage to Mahakavi Subramania Bharati's famous poem celebrating national unity before shifting into a playful, romantic duet. The couple exchanges teasing banter filled with humor, comparing love and attraction to everyday metaphors such as a mischievous mouse caught in a trap or enjoying a crisp vada. Across the verses, the male and female leads playfully argue and confess their growing romantic desire for each other through witty folk-style rhymes.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Literary Allusion

Sindhu nadhiyin misai nilavinilae

The intro lines are directly quoted from Subramania Bharati's patriotic poem 'Sindhu Nadhiyin Misai'.

Metaphor

Poovai pola unnai thinnum naanumoru thaenee

Compares the male lover to a bee consuming nectar from the heroine, who is compared to a flower.

Repetition (Adukkuthodar)

Kotti kotti kidakkuthu azhagu

Repeating words like 'Kotti kotti' and 'Thalli thalli' for rhythmic playfulness and emphasis.

Proverbial Humor

Female :Naai vaalae / Male :Nimirnthaachchu

Plays on the famous Tamil proverb about a dog's tail being impossible to straighten.

Did you know?

Trivia

The opening lines of the song pay tribute to Subramania Bharati's iconic verse 'Sindhu Nadhiyin Misai', which envisioned a unified cultural landscape across different regions of India.

Keep listening

More from Enga Veetu Ramayanam