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Thiruchitrabalam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Thaai Kelavi

From Thiruchitrabalam · 2022

Lyricist
Dhanush
Singer
Dhanush
Music director
Anirudh Ravichander
Movie name
Thiruchitrabalam
Movie release year
2022
Lyrics added on
19 May 2022

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
En mukka thuthu
Kappa kelangae
Male :Appadi paadu maappala
Male :Akka petha achu murukkae
Ava anbula thaayi
Male :Ahaa ahaa
Male :Buthila kelavi
Male :Haan
Male :Mothathula avaddhan
Male :Yaaru
Male :Thai kelavi
Male :Ye kochitu poriyaa
En mukka thuttu kappa kelangae
En akka petha achu murukkae
Ye athu vitta motha kirukkae
Ye athanaiyum konjam niruthaen
En nirma why this kuruma
Mella nadamma
Naan dhaan un maamaa
En munima konjam panima
Route-u thanima
Ayyo yen drama?…
Ye vaayaadi meenbody
Vaadi pappom velayaadi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Paatha
Chorus :Ivadhaan pambarakatta
Sippikuul mutta
Male :Ye aathaa unnapola varumma?
Thaniya
Chorus :Nadakkum sandhana thaeru
Pathikkum ooru
Male :Thonaya naanum kooda varavaa…
Adiyae pappaali
Manakkum thakkaali
Madiyil saanjaakkaa aii jolly…
Azhaga half saree
Pudhusaa love story
Aadichu paathaakka naan gaali…
Ye siruchaalum ye morachaalum
Ye siruchaalum ye morachaalum
Nee en usuru thaai kelavi…
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
En mukka thuttu kappa kelangae
En akka petha achu murukkae
Ye athu vitta motha kirukkae
Ye athanaiyum needhaan enakkae
En nirma why this kuruma
Mella nadamma
Naan dhaan un maamaa
En munima konjam panima
Route u thanima
Ayyo en drama?…
Ye vaayaadi meenbody
Vaadi pappom velayaadi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi
Thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi thaai kelavi….
My three-cent
tapioca root!
[Male]: Sing it like that, my friend!
[Male]: Crisp little snack born to my sister!
She has a mother's loving heart,
[Male]: Aha, aha!
[Male]: But the mind of an old woman!
[Male]: Haan!
[Male]: Altogether, she is...
[Male]: Who?
[Male]: Thaai Kelavi (my wise little grandma)!
[Male]: Hey, are you walking away in a huff?
My three-cent tapioca treat!
Crisp little snack born to my sister!
Aside from that, a total crazy girl!
Hey, tone down all that madness a little!
My fair Nirma girl, why this boiling anger?
Walk gently, girl!
I am your Mama (eligible suitor)!
My Muniyamma, soften up a bit!
My route is one of a kind!
Oh, why all this drama?
Hey chatterbox, my singing songbird!
Come on, let's play and see!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
To look at,
[Chorus]: She is a shapely spinning top!
A pearl tucked inside an oyster shell!
[Male]: Hey girl, can anyone ever match you?
All on her own,
[Chorus]: A sandalwood chariot walking by,
Leaving the whole town in awe!
[Male]: Shall I come along as your companion?
Hey you, sweet papaya!
Fragrant, fresh tomato!
Resting on your lap is pure joy!
Looking gorgeous in a half-saree,
A brand new love story!
If you strike my heart, I am finished!
Whether you smile or whether you glare,
Whether you smile or whether you glare,
You are my very life, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
My three-cent tapioca treat!
Crisp little snack born to my sister!
Aside from that, a total crazy girl!
Yet despite all that, you belong to me!
My fair Nirma girl, why this boiling anger?
Walk gently, girl!
I am your Mama!
My Muniyamma, soften up a bit!
My route is one of a kind!
Oh, why all this drama?
Hey chatterbox, my singing songbird!
Come on, let's play and see!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi!
Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi, Thaai Kelavi...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Thaai Kelavi is a high-energy folk-pop track from the 2022 movie Thiruchitrambalam, composed by Anirudh Ravichander and written/sung by Dhanush. The song playfully affectionate terms to tease and endear a young woman who possesses both a motherly heart and an old woman's mature wisdom. The protagonist affectionately calls her 'Thaai Kelavi' (an endearing term blending motherly care with old-world bossiness/wisdom) and showers her with rural, quirky colloquial metaphors like tapioca tuber, achu murukku, papaya, and sandalwood chariot.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Male :Akka petha achu murukkae

Comparing the heroine to local delicacies and cultural items like 'pambarakatta' (spinning top), 'sippikuul mutta' (egg inside a shell), and 'achu murukku' to highlight her sweetness and uniqueness.

Rhyme / Monai (Initial Alliteration)

En nirma why this kuruma / Mella nadamma

Rhythmic repetition of initial consonant sounds across adjacent phrases like 'nirma', 'kuruma', 'munima', and 'panima'.

Edhugai (Second letter agreement)

Adiyae pappaali / Manakkum thakkaali

Matching second consonants across lines ('pappaali' and 'thakkaali') to create folk song cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

The track marked the return of the iconic 'DnA' (Dhanush and Anirudh) combination after a gap of nearly seven years. Written and sung by Dhanush himself, the song became a massive chartbuster and viral trend across social media platforms upon release.

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