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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thottu Kattiya Mappillai

From 47 Natkal · 1981

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Details
47 Natkal1981

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thottu kattiya maapillaiThe groom who tied the sacred knot,
Thozhil saainthathu pen pillai kondaattamThe bride leaning on his shoulder was a moment of celebration.
Katti kondavan sariyillaiThe husband who tied the knot is not a good man,
Kaadhal enbathu muraiyillai porattamWhat was called love is now unjust and a struggle.
Male
Oru manadhukkul ragasiya mul veliInside one's mind lies a secret fence of thorns,
Adhil maraikindra unmaigal pala kodiHiding tens of millions of hidden truths within.
Avan avalukku koduthathu oru thaaliAll he gave her was a sacred thread,
Aval avanudan vaazhndhathum oru naazhiAnd the time she actually lived with him was merely a short moment.
Male
Thottu kattiya maapillaiThe groom who tied the sacred knot,
Thozhil saainthathu pen pillai kondaattamThe bride leaning on his shoulder was a moment of celebration.
Katti kondavan sariyillaiThe husband who tied the knot is not a good man,
Kaadhal enbathu muraiyillai porattamWhat was called love is now unjust and a struggle.
Female
Katti kondavan poi sonnaalIf the husband who wed her lies,
Kattil kondaval ennaavaalWhat becomes of the woman on the marital bed?
Katti kondavan poi sonnaalIf the husband who wed her lies,
Kattil kondaval ennaavaalWhat becomes of the woman on the marital bed?
Aadhaaram yaedhu aval vaazhvilWhat foundation or support remains in her life?
Aval idhayam pesinaal adhu edhaiyum pesalaamIf her heart speaks out, it could express anything,
Ivan kadhaiyum pesuma aval kaneer maarumaWill his story ever justify it, and will her tears ever dry?
Male
Thottu kattiya maapillaiThe groom who tied the sacred knot,
Thozhil saainthathu pen pillai kondaattamThe bride leaning on his shoulder was a moment of celebration.
Katti kondavan sariyillaiThe husband who tied the knot is not a good man,
Kaadhal enbathu muraiyillai porattamWhat was called love is now unjust and a struggle.
Male
La la la laLa la la la
La la la laLa la la la
La la la laLa la la la
La la la laaLa la la laa
Female
Sandithaal adhu inbam thaanWhen they meet, it feels like happiness,
Sindhithaal idhu thunbam thaanWhen reflected upon, it turns into pure sorrow.
Sandithaal adhu inbam thaanWhen they meet, it feels like happiness,
Sindhithaal idhu thunbam thaanWhen reflected upon, it turns into pure sorrow.
Thaayagum aasaiyil vaazhnthaalShe lived with the yearning desire to become a mother,
Aval pazhamai kannagi ivan pudhumai kovalanShe is like the classic Kannagi, while he is a modern Kovalan.
Kadal pirikkum mannilae aval thudikkum devadhaiIn a distant land across the sea, she is an agonizing angel.
Male
Thottu kattiya maapillaiThe groom who tied the sacred knot,
Thozhil saainthathu pen pillai kondaattamThe bride leaning on his shoulder was a moment of celebration.
Katti kondavan sariyillaiThe husband who tied the knot is not a good man,
Kaadhal enbathu muraiyillai porattamWhat was called love is now unjust and a struggle.
Male
Manjal kunguma pennaagaAs a traditional woman adorned with turmeric and vermilion,
Konjum mangala kannagaAs an endearing, auspicious young maiden,
Manjal kunguma pennaagaAs a traditional woman adorned with turmeric and vermilion,
Konjum mangala kannagaAs an endearing, auspicious young maiden,
Mel naadu naadiya paavai pala kanavil vandhavalThe maiden who sought a foreign land came in many dreams,
Pudhu ulagam kandaval sila thavarum paarkiraalHaving seen a new world, she witnesses terrible wrongs,
Adhai thamizhan seigiraanAnd it is a Tamilian who is committing them.
Male
Thottu kattiya maapillaiThe groom who tied the sacred knot,
Thozhil saainthathu pen pillai kondaattamThe bride leaning on his shoulder was a moment of celebration.
Katti kondavan sariyillaiThe husband who tied the knot is not a good man,
Kaadhal enbathu muraiyillai porattamWhat was called love is now unjust and a struggle.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Thottu Kattiya Maapillai from the 1981 film 47 Natkal depicts the tragic plight of a newlywed bride who travels abroad expecting a happy marital life, only to discover her husband's deceitful and abusive nature. The song captures the profound pain of betrayal, contrasting the joyful expectations of traditional marriage with the harrowing reality of living with an unfaithful partner in a foreign land. Kannadasan's lyrics express the protagonist's emotional turmoil, isolation, and loss of dignity as her dreams turn into a desperate struggle for survival.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Ethirsoal (Antithesis / Contrast)

Sandithaal adhu inbam thaan / Sindhithaal idhu thunbam thaan

Contrasts the initial joy of meeting with the agonizing sorrow that comes upon reflecting on the relationship's reality.

Epic Allusion (Purana Uriuchol)

Aval pazhamai kannagi ivan pudhumai kovalan

Compares the innocent wife to Kannagi and the flawed husband to Kovalan from the Tamil epic Silappatikaram.

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme / Assonance)

Katti kondavan poi sonnaal / Kattil kondaval ennaavaal

Uses matching second consonants 'tti' in Katti and Kattil to create rhythmic flow and dramatic emphasis.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film '47 Natkal' (47 Days) was directed by legendary filmmaker K. Balachander, starring Chiranjeevi and Jaya Prada. Based on a novel by Sivasankari, the story heavily critiques the exploitation of young Indian women lured into marriages abroad by deceitful men. The music was composed by M. S. Viswanathan with lyrics penned by Kannadasan.

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