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Lyrics & meaning

Thattaan Thattaan

From Karnan (2021 Film) · 2021

Lyricist
Yugabharathi
Singers
Dhanush, Meenakshi Elayaraja
Music director
Santhosh Narayanan
Movie name
Karnan (2021 Film)
Movie release year
2021
Lyrics added on
26 Jan 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Thattaan thattaan vandikatti
Parandhen kozhi thoovattam
Yei sokkapana mela ninnu
Adicha soora kaathattam
Mottapaara poova vedichenae
Uchi theana vaari kudichenae
En kairega paatha pechi
Kadhai sonnalae neeyae saatchi
Naan pora vara paadhayila
Nerinji mulla othukkum umpaarvai
Hey thattaan thattaan vandikatti
Parandhen kozhi thoovattam…hey
Yei sokkapana mela ninnu
Adicha soora kaathattam
Kuthilula nellattam
Kumiyudhae un vaasam
Aasaiya nee paaka
Soru pongum
Theruvula ponalum
Chorus :Yelelele
Male :Puzhudhiya vandhaalum
Chorus :Yelelele
Male :Thavani raasava maatha sollum
Senthanala nenjirukka
Un nenappae thooral addikkum
Oor nezhala naan irukka
En nesamae neethaandi
Muthatha thaayen raasathi
Mothamum thaaren kaimaathi
Hey thattaan thattaan vandikatti
Parandhen kozhi thoovattam
Yei sokkapana mela ninnu
Adicha soora kaathattam
Uzhavan vayalula irangi
Koora naathaiyum pirichu
Ponna nelathaiyae kaakkum
Perungudiyaam uzhakkudiyaam
Pootan punjaya tholaichaan
Paatan nanjaiya tholaichaan
Kalla kadavulum kedakka
Kaadanom koolikkudiyanom
Jeichidu kannu…jeichidu kannu
Kaaka kuruvi nedham kootampottu
Namma kadhaiya pesa
Megam kettu yengutha
Mazha oonguthae
Odampeduthu theekozhuthu
Uyir eriya nananjae kedappom
Thattaan thattaan
Hey thattaan thattaan
Hey thattaan thattaan vandikatti
Parandhen kozhi thoovattam
Ada sokkapana mela ninnu
Adicha soora kaathattam
Soora kaathattam
Soora kaathattam
Thattaan thattaan
Thattaan thattaan
Hey thattaan thattaan………………
Hitching a ride on a dragonfly cart,
I flew light as a chicken's feather!
Hey, standing on top of the festival bonfire tower,
like a whirling storm wind that blew!
I bloomed like a flower on a barren rock,
I scooped and drank honey from the treetop heights!
Pechi, who read my palm,
told my fortune, and you are the witness!
Along the path where I come and go,
your glance sweeps away every sharp thorn!
Hey, hitching a ride on a dragonfly cart,
I flew light as a chicken's feather... hey!
Hey, standing on top of the festival bonfire tower,
like a whirling storm wind that blew!
Like grain heaped in a granary,
your scent gathers all around!
When you look at me with longing,
the rice pot boils over with joy!
Even when walking down the street,
Chorus: Yelelele
Male: Even if you come swirling as dust,
Chorus: Yelelele
Male: your half-sari commands this king to yield!
While my heart glows like red-hot embers,
the thought of you falls like a gentle drizzle!
While I stand as a shade for our village,
you are my only love, my girl!
Give me a kiss, my queen,
and I will give you everything in return!
Hey, hitching a ride on a dragonfly cart,
I flew light as a chicken's feather!
Hey, standing on top of the festival bonfire tower,
like a whirling storm wind that blew!
The farmer steps into the field,
separates the bunches of seedlings,
and guards this golden land—
a proud clan, the farming clan!
Great-grandfather lost the drylands,
grandfather lost the wetlands,
and while God lay silent like a stone,
we were driven to the wilds, turned into daily laborers!
Win this fight, my dear child... win it!
Crows and sparrows gather every day
to talk about our story...
Do the clouds listen and ache with longing?
The rain comes pouring down!
Take this body and set it on fire,
we will lie soaked in rain while our souls burn!
Dragonfly, dragonfly...
Hey, dragonfly, dragonfly...
Hey, hitching a ride on a dragonfly cart,
I flew light as a chicken's feather!
Standing on top of the festival bonfire tower,
like a whirling storm wind that blew!
Like a whirling storm wind,
like a whirling storm wind!
Dragonfly, dragonfly...
Dragonfly, dragonfly...
Hey, dragonfly, dragonfly...
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

Thattaan Thattaan from the film Karnan (2021) is a soulful folk composition by Santhosh Narayanan, sung by Dhanush and Meenakshi Ilayaraja with lyrics by Yugabharathi. The song initially opens with carefree, romantic rural imagery where the protagonist describes his lighthearted love using vivid metaphors of dragonflies, feathers, and gentle rain over burning embers. His love offers him comfort against the harsh realities of daily life. As the song progresses, it shifts into a deeper socio-political commentary about ancestral land loss, rural struggle, and systemic oppression faced by marginalized working-class communities over generations. The lyrics urge resilience and victory over hardship, blending personal intimacy with collective identity and social justice.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

“Parandhen kozhi thoovattam”

Comparison using 'attam' or 'pol' to depict lightness and intensity, such as 'kozhi thoovattam' (like a chicken feather) and 'soora kaathattam' (like a whirlwind).

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Senthanala nenjirukka / Un nenappae thooral addikkum”

Comparing longing thoughts to a refreshing shower on hot embers ('senthanala nenjirukka... un nenappae thooral addikkum').

Rhyme and Parallelism (Ethirai & Monai)

“Pootan punjaya tholaichaan / Paatan nanjaiya tholaichaan”

Rhythmic pairing of generational loss using matching structures: 'Pootan punjaya tholaichaan / Paatan nanjaiya tholaichaan'.

Did you know?

Trivia

Sung by lead actor Dhanush alongside young singer Meenakshi Ilayaraja, the song showcases Santhosh Narayanan's signature folk-fusion soundscapes. Director Mari Selvaraj used this track to establish both the protagonist's innocent past and the deep-rooted historical oppression of the fictional village Podiyankulam in the movie Karnan.

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From the same album

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