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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thangamey

From Paava Kadhaigal · 2020

Lyricist
Shan Karuppusamy
Singer
Justin Prabhakaran
Music director
Justin Prabhakaran
Details
Paava Kadhaigal2020

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thumbara thumbara thumbara thumba….Thumbara thumbara thumbara thumba...
Thumbara thumbara thumbaThumbara thumbara thumba
Thumbara thumbara thumbara thumba….Thumbara thumbara thumbara thumba...
Thumbara thumbara thumbaThumbara thumbara thumba
Male
Kanney…..mavarasan thonai venundaa….My dear... I need the protection of a king...
Ninnu vali paaththu naanumStanding and watching the path, I too
Konjam elaichenada….Have grown a bit thin, my dear...
Male
Kanney…..unaithaandi enakkaaru daa….My dear... who else do I have besides you?
Chinnu mogam paakka nooru jenmamTo look at your sweet little face, I need to be born
Porakkonundaa…..For a hundred lifetimes...
Male
Unakkaga karaiyonumI should dissolve for your sake
Melukaaga eriyonumI should burn down like wax
Vaareney onna thediI am coming in search of you
Aasai theera pesi pogaTo speak to my heart's content before leaving
Male
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Thangamey….My gold...
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Male
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Thangamey….My gold...
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Male
Kanney…..mavarasan thonai venundaa….My dear... I need the protection of a king...
Ninnu vali paaththu naanumStanding and watching the path, I too
Konjam elaichenada….Have grown a bit thin, my dear...
Male
Kanney…..unaithaandi enakkaaru daa….My dear... who else do I have besides you?
Chinnu mogam paakka nooru jenmamTo look at your sweet little face, I need to be born
Porakkonundaa…..For a hundred lifetimes...
Male
Natta nadu raathiriyilIn the middle of the night
Vethalaiya pottukittuChewing on betel leaves
Un ninaippa melluraneyI am chewing on your memories
Naan sugamaa….So pleasantly...
Male
Enna korai en porappilWhatever flaw there is in my birth
Aththanaikkum naan poruppaaAm I responsible for all of it?
Unna vitta enakkuIf I leave you, for me
Yaar irukkaaWho else is there?
Male
Onna suthi vaaren…..ae…I come around you... oh...
Onna suthi vaarenI come around you
Moochiraikka naaumEven until I am breathless
Kannaaloru saadai pothumA single glance from your eyes is enough
Usura katti koththaaga thaarenI will bundle up my life and give it to you
Male
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Thangamey….My gold...
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Male
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Thangamey….My gold...
Thangamey thangameyMy precious gold, my gold
Embada thangameyMy very own gold
Male
……………………....

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song from the Paava Kadhaigal anthology expresses pure, selfless, and tender love. The speaker lovingly refers to their cherished companion as 'Thangamey' (My Gold) and longs for their presence, expressing a willingness to burn like a candle and surrender their entire life just to see them happy. Amidst deep devotion, the lyrics reflect on existential pain and social rejection with lines questioning the flaws of one's birth, highlighting how the beloved remains their sole solace in a harsh world.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai / Uruvagam)

Melukaaga eriyonum

Compares self-sacrificing love to wax burning and melting down completely for the beloved's warmth and light.

Repetition / Anaphora (Pinvarunilai Ani)

Thangamey thangamey / Embada thangamey

Continuous repetition of the term 'Thangamey' (Precious Gold) emphasizes deep affection, warmth, and intimacy.

Metaphorical Imagery

Vethalaiya pottukittu / Un ninaippa melluraney

Directly compares the physical act of chewing betel leaves in late-night solitude to ruminating over sweet memories.

Rhyme / Assonance (Etukai)

Unakkaga karaiyonum / Melukaaga eriyonum

Uses matching end-rhymes (karaiyonum / eriyonum) to create a folk-style lyrical flow.

Did you know?

Trivia

This track belongs to the 'Thangam' episode of the Netflix Tamil anthology film Paava Kadhaigal (2020), directed by Sudha Kongara. The song captures the heartbreaking, selfless affection of Sathar (played by Kalidas Jayaram), a transgender protagonist in a 1980s rural village who harbors deep, unrequited love for his childhood friend.

Keep listening

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