Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Theriyamal Matti

From Maamiyar Veedu · 1993

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Mano, S. N. Surendar, Deepan Chakravarthy, Sunanda
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Maamiyar Veedu1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Chorus
Adadada theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeOh my, O husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Oru naal mattum sumangalikku dheivangalaeGods to married women for just a single day!
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Oru naal mattum sumangalikku dheivangalaeGods to married women for just a single day!
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Aa… aa… aa… oi…Ah… ah… ah… oi…
Chorus
Dhinam dhinamum poraadi parithavippaaiEvery single day you struggle and suffer helplessly!
Konda manaiviyarin pudavaigalai nee thuvaippaaiYou end up washing the sarees of the wife you married!
Kari kaaigal vaangi vandhu samaitthiruppaaiYou bring home vegetables and cook them yourself!
Aval varum podhu paai eduthu nee virippaaiWhen she arrives, you spread out a mat for her to rest!
Adithaalum poruthu asadaattam sirithuEven if she hits you, bearing it and foolishly smiling,
Idi thaangum angi yena nimirndhu nirppaaiYou stand tall like a lightning rod absorbing shocks!
Manaivikku surrender maavaattum grinderTotally surrendered to the wife, acting like a batter grinder,
Avar pona pinnaalum kunindhu nirppaaiEven after she leaves the room, you stand bent over in fear!
Chorus
Purushan uzhaikkira maadaaIs a husband merely an ox born to labor endlessly?
Indha poojai namakkoru kaedaaIs this ritualistic worship actually a curse for us?
Aval vaesham kalaikka rosham pirakkaLet her facade fall, let your self-respect awake,
Ezhundhu nadandhu nimirndhu veli varaRise up, walk tall, and step out into freedom!
Chorus
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Oru naal mattum sumangalikku dheivangalaeGods to married women for just a single day!
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Oru naal mattum sumangalikku dheivangalaeGods to married women for just a single day!
Theriyaamal maatti konda kanavargalaeO husbands who unwittingly got trapped!
Female
Aa… aa…aa….aa….aa….aa…aa…aa…aa…Ah… ah… ah… ah… ah… ah… ah… ah… ah…
Chorus
…………………………….....
Female
Kallaaga irundhaalum kanavan endruEven if he is like a cold stone, he is still the husband;
Dhinam full aaga vandhaalum purushan endruEven if he returns fully drunk every night, he is still the husband;
Ellaamum andraadam porutthu nindruTolerating everything on a daily basis,
Thollai thaangaamal sila naeram veruthadhunduUnable to bear the agony, there were moments she felt despair.
Beach endru undaa park endru undaaDid she ever demand outings to the beach or the park?
Aanaalum mugam thannai sulithadhundaaYet, did her face ever display a frown of resentment?
Illaamal irundhaalum virundhaali vandhaalEven with nothing at home, when a guest arrived unexpectedly,
Samaalikka theriyaamal vizhithadhundaaDid she ever panic without knowing how to host them?
Thaaikku pin thaaramAfter one's mother comes one's life partner;
Ummai kaappadhu sumangali thaaramThe devout wife is the guiding star that protects you!
Ungal aayum nilaikka vaazhvum thazhaikkaFor your lifespan to endure and your life to blossom,
Nonbu irukkum kudumba pengalaiLook at these family women observing holy fasts!
Female
Puriyaamal pesugindra kanavargalaeO husbands who speak harshly without understanding!
Idhu umakkaaga nadathugindra poojaigalaeThese sacred rituals are being conducted entirely for your well-being!
Puriyaamal pesugindra kanavargalaeO husbands who speak harshly without understanding!
Idhu umakkaaga nadathugindra poojaigalaeThese sacred rituals are being conducted entirely for your well-being!
Female
Puriyaamal paesugindra kanavargalaeO husbands who speak harshly without understanding!
Ae… ae… ae…Hey… hey… hey…

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This track presents a humorous battle-of-the-sexes perspective on marital life and domestic dynamics. The initial section speaks from the viewpoint of overworked husbands who feel henpecked and reduced to doing daily household chores like cooking, washing sarees, and grinding batter. It calls on men to reclaim their dignity and stand up against exaggerated domestic servitude.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Upamai)

Idi thaangum angi yena nimirndhu nirppaai

Compares the long-suffering husband to a lightning conductor ('Idi thaangum angi') that silently absorbs shock and anger.

Metaphor & Tanglish Internal Rhyme

Manaivikku surrender maavaattum grinder

Compares the submissive husband to a kitchen appliance ('grinder') while rhyming English 'surrender' with 'grinder'.

Ethirai (Second-letter Rhyme) & Tanglish Wordplay

Kallaaga irundhaalum kanavan endru / Dhinam full aaga vandhaalum purushan endru

Matches 'Kallaaga' (even if stone-like) with 'Full aaga' (drunk full) using comedic phonetic matching.

Did you know?

Trivia

Written by lyricist Vaali for the 1993 film 'Maamiyar Veedu' (starring Sarathkumar and Jayachitra), this track showcases Vaali's trademark ability to blend lighthearted Tanglish slang with traditional Tamil cultural adages regarding marriage.

Keep listening

More from Maamiyar Veedu