Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thandattikarupaiyee

From Kaadhal · 2004

Lyricist
Na. Muthu Kumar
Singers
Pop Shalini, Vidya, Malar, Maalaiamma
Music director
Joshua Sridhar
Details
Kaadhal2004

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Thana nanananaeThana nanananae
Nanae nanae na nae………Nanae nanae na nae...
Nanae nannae naanae…Nanae nannae naanae...
Nanae nannae naanae…Nanae nannae naanae...
Female
Thandatti karupaiyeeKarupayi who wears heavy ear ornaments (Thandatti),
Thaalai oooru maruthaayiMaruthayi of Thaalai village,
Thandatti karupaiyeeKarupayi who wears heavy ear ornaments (Thandatti),
Thaalai oooru maruthaayiMaruthayi of Thaalai village,
Pechiyamaa sadangayiPechiyamaa's puberty ritual (sadangu),
Kuchukulla vaaraallaeShe is entering into the hut!
Thananae thanae………..Thananae thanae...
Podu thanae nanae naanae….Play it out, thanae nanae naanae...
Female
Armoniyam potti pollaLike a harmonium box,
Avaru satham pannuvalaeHe/she makes a lot of noise!
Armoniyam potti pollaLike a harmonium box,
Avaru satham pannuvalaeHe/she makes a lot of noise!
Keezhathooru maellam polaLike the drum beats of Keezhathoor,
Keeridudhoo onga raagamYour musical melody screeches out!
Vanthaalum vaangaIf you come, welcome!
Marutha sunnambu thaangaGive us Madurai betel-lime (sunnambu).
Ponaalum ponga pongalodaIf you leave, go ahead with the Pongal festival,
Poto-va thaangaAnd hand over the photograph!
Chorus
Thandatti karupaiyeeKarupayi who wears heavy ear ornaments (Thandatti),
Thaalai oooru maruthaayiMaruthayi of Thaalai village,
Thandatti karupaiyeeKarupayi who wears heavy ear ornaments (Thandatti),
Thaalai oooru maruthaayiMaruthayi of Thaalai village,
Pechiyamaa sadangayiPechiyamaa's puberty ritual,
Kuchukulla ponaallaeShe went inside the hut!
Chorus
Gollusunga sathmidaAs the anklets make sound,
Kal udaiya man udaiyaBreaking stones and breaking earth,
Kuthiyaatam potapullaThe girl who used to dance around merrily,
Kumari pulla aanaalaeHas now become a young maiden!
Chorus
Aayirankaal mandabathaThose who saw the thousand-pillared hall,
Aranaanil paathavagaThrough a tiny slit in a ring,
Unazhaga paakanunaaIf they want to fully take in your beauty,
Oru maasam pudikkumadiIt will take them a whole month, girl!
Chorus
Uchanooru maamanugaUncles from Uchanur village,
Kuchu katta vanthirukaaanHave come to build the ceremonial hut.
Usulambatti maaman kaarenThe maternal uncle from Usilampatti,
uchu kotta vanthurikanae..Has come to click his tongue in awe!
Chorus
Kallu vacha kammalaiyumStone-studded ear studs,
Ganamaana sangiliyumAnd a heavy gold chain,
Kallupati maamankaranThe uncle from Kallupatti,
Kaaladiyil vachurikaanHas placed them right at her feet!
Aasaikku pottu azhagenna kaatuPut them on for your desire and showcase your beauty,
Aathaadi athukuthaan kaathirukaanOh my! That is what he has been waiting for!
Chorus
Moi ezhuthi vantha nagaThe jewelry brought as gift contributions,
Eda pottu maaluthadiIs being weighed and exchanged!
Vellaatu kutti vettiSacrificing white goat kids,
Veethiyellaam rombuthadiFilling up the entire street!
Sothukulla kariya karikulla soraIs there meat inside the rice or rice inside the meat?
Panthiyila saathisanam kozhambudhadiIn the feast, the relatives are totally confused!
Female
Maamarathu melarindhuClimbing up the mango tree,
Maamarathu melarindhuClimbing up the mango tree,
Nethu samancha pullaThe girl who came of age yesterday,
Maala mudiyayillaCould not weave a garland,
Maala mudiyayillaCould not weave a garland!
Maalaikku aasapattuDesiring that marriage garland,
Mayangunaru maaman maganThe maternal uncle's son swooned,
Maalaikku aasapattuDesiring that marriage garland,
Mayangunaru maaman maganThe maternal uncle's son swooned!
Suba mangala nitha suba mangalamAuspicious goodness, perpetual auspiciousness!
Chorus
Vayadi pechellaamAll your talkative, outspoken chatter,
Yera kattikkoPack it up and put it away!
Vaalaatum vellaiyellaamAll your tail-wagging playful antics,
Moota katikoBundle them up and store them away!
Poovunna vandu varumIf you are a flower, bees will come;
Purunji nadanthukoUnderstand this and behave accordingly!
Ponnunna vetkkam venumIf you are a woman, you need bashfulness;
Therinju nadanthukoKnow this and conduct yourself!
Female
Aaaa…aaaa…aaaa.haaa…Aaaa...aaaa...aaaa.haaa...
Aaa…aaaa…aaa..haaa…aaaa….Aaa...aaaa...aaa..haaa...aaaa....
Aaaa…aaaa…aaaa.haaa…Aaaa...aaaa...aaaa.haaa...
Aaa…aaaa…aaa..haaa…aaaa….Aaa...aaaa...aaa..haaa...aaaa....
Female
{Avan paarthadhumaeThe moment he looked at me,
Naan poothuvitenI blossomed like a flower.
Andha oru nodiyaiThat single precious moment,
Nenjil ozhithu vaithenI hid away safely inside my heart.
Female
Naan kuzhandhai endruThat I was just a child,
Nethu nianithirundhenI thought until yesterday.
Avan kangalilaeLooking into his eyes,
En vayadharindhen} (2)I realized my true age.
Female
Aaaa…aaaa…aaaa.haaa…Aaaa...aaaa...aaaa.haaa...
Aaa…aaaa…aaa..haaa…aaaa….Aaa...aaaa...aaa..haaa...aaaa....
Aaaa…aaaa…aaaa.haaa…Aaaa...aaaa...aaaa.haaa...
Aaa…aaaa…aaa..haaa…aaaa….Aaa...aaaa...aaa..haaa...aaaa....
Aaaaaa…aaaa..haaa…aaa…aaaaa….Aaaaaa...aaaa..haaa...aaa...aaaaa....
Chorus
Pamparakka suthamaSpinning like a top constantly,
Adakki vechukkoControl yourself and calm down.
Palaankuzhi aada ennaTo play the board game (Pallaanguzhi),
Thonaiku vechukkoKeep someone for company.
Othaiyilla padukkaathaDo not sleep all alone,
Manasil vechukkoKeep this firmly in your mind.
Namma kollasaami thunooruApply the sacred ash (thiruneeru) of our family deity,
Thalaiku vechukkoOnto your forehead!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song depicts a traditional Tamil village 'Sadangu' (puberty ceremony/coming-of-age ritual) in the Madurai/Usilampatti cultural setting. Relatives gather to celebrate the young girl entering womanhood, building the traditional ceremonial hut (kuchu), bringing grand gifts, sacrificing livestock, and serving a lavish feast. Elders offer humorous advice about how she must now transition from a mischievous child to a modest young woman, while her maternal cousin (maaman magan) swoons with hopes of marrying her in the future. In the interlude, the girl expresses her inner awakening—realizing she is no longer a child the moment she exchanged a romantic look with her lover.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Armoniyam potti polla

Compares a noisy/talkative person to a screeching harmonium box ('Armoniyam potti polla avaru satham pannuvalae').

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

Avan paarthadhumae Naan poothuviten

The young girl describes her emotional transformation upon meeting her lover's gaze as blossoming like a flower ('Naan poothuviten').

Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)

Unazhaga paakanunaa Oru maasam pudikkumadi

Exaggerates her beauty by claiming it would take a full month to take in all her beauty ('Unazhaga paakanunaa Oru maasam pudikkumadi').

Rhyme / Assonance (Monai & Ethirai)

Poovunna vandu varum Purunji nadanthuko

Matching sound patterns and starting consonants across lines, e.g., 'Poovunna' / 'Ponnunna' and 'Vayadi' / 'Vaalaatum'.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track from Balaji Sakthivel's critically acclaimed film 'Kaadhal' (2004) marked the debut of composer Joshua Sridhar. The song authentically captures the rustic folk traditions and unique dialect of rural Madurai district, showcasing regional customs like giving 'Moi' (financial gifts) and uncles gifting traditional heavy gold jewelry ('Thandatti').

Keep listening

More from Kaadhal