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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thulli Thulli Nee Paadamma

From Sippikkul Muthu · 1985

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Sippikkul Muthu1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Nisarima panisariSolfège musical notes (Ni Sa Ri Ma Pa Ni Sa Ri)
Niri ri sani pamaSolfège musical notes (Ni Ri Ri Sa Ni Pa Ma)
Panisaaaaa ni pama rimareeSolfège musical notes (Pa Ni Sa Ni Pa Ma Ri Ma Ri)
Nee saaSolfège musical notes (Ni Sa)
Thaa nananaa… thaa naRhythmic vocalizations (Thaa nananaa... thaa na)
Naaa…thadhareee….naaaa..aaaaa..aaa..Rhythmic vocalizations (Naaa... thadharee... naaa... aaaaa... aaa..)
Male
Idhu nammaThis is our
Thiruvizhavula paaduraSong sung at the village festival
Seethamma paattuSong of Mother Seetha
Male
Thulli thulli nee paadammaaLeap with joy and sing, dear
SeethaiyammaaMother Seetha
Female :Ahaan haaFemale: Ahaan haa
Male :Nee kanneer vittaalMale: If you shed tears
Female : HmmmmFemale: Hmmmm
Male :Chinna manam thaangaadhammaaMale: My innocent heart cannot bear it, dear
Female :HahahahaFemale: Hahahaha
Male
Thulli thulli nee paadammaaLeap with joy and sing, dear
Female :Mmm…aaa…aaaFemale: Mmm...aaa...aaa
Male :SeethaiyammaaMale: Mother Seetha
Male
NeeYou
Female :Kanneer vittaalFemale: If you shed tears
Chinna manam thaangaadhammaaMy innocent heart cannot bear it, dear
Male :Aaa…Female :Aaaa…Male: Aaa... Female: Aaaa...
Aaaaaaa….aaaa…..aaaVocalizing melody (Aaaaaaa....aaaa.....aaa)
Female
Thulli thulli nee paadammaaLeap with joy and sing, dear
SeethaiyammaaMother Seetha
Male
Thulli thulli thulliLeap and bound, leap and bound
Thulli thulli thulliLeap and bound, leap and bound
Female :Thulli thulli thulliFemale: Leap and bound, leap and bound
Male
Thulli thulliFemale :HmmLeap and bound, Female: Hmm
Male & Female :Male & Female:
Nee paadammaaYou sing, dear
SeethaiyammaaMother Seetha
Male
……………………………...
Male
Kattiya thaali unmai endruBelieving that the sacred wedding thread was true
Nee andru raamanai nambi vandhaaiYou trusted Lord Rama and followed him back then
Female :Kattiya thaali unmai endruFemale: Believing that the sacred wedding thread was true
Nee andru raamanai nambi vandhaaiYou trusted Lord Rama and followed him back then
Male
Mannavan unnai marandhadhennaWhy did the king forget you?
Un kanneeril kaanagam nanaindhadhennaWhy did the vast forest get drenched in your tears?
Female
Mannavan unnai marandhadhennaWhy did the king forget you?
Male
Mannavan unnai marandhadhennaWhy did the king forget you?
Un kanneeril kaanagam nanaindhadhennaWhy did the vast forest get drenched in your tears?
Male
Thaayae theeyil moozhgi ….Oh Mother, though submerged in fire...
Ada thanneeril thaamaraiAh, like a lotus untouched in water
Pola nee vanththaaiLike that you emerged pure
Needhi mattum urangaadhuJustice alone never sleeps
Nenjae nenjae nee thoonguOh heart, oh heart, you may sleep
Female
Needhi mattum urangaadhuJustice alone never sleeps
Nenjae nenjae nee thaanguOh heart, oh heart, you endure
Female
Thulli thulli thulliLeap and bound, leap and bound
Thulli thulli thulliLeap and bound, leap and bound
Male :Thulli thulli nee paadammaaMale: Leap with joy and sing, dear
SeethaiyammaaMother Seetha
Male
{Thunbam endrum aanukkallaSorrow is never meant for men
Adhu andrum indrum pengalukkae} (2)It has always been for women, then and now
Male
{Nee andru sindhiya kanneerilIn the tears that you shed back then
Indha boomiyum vaanamumThis earth and the sky
Nanaindhadhamma} (2)Were drenched, oh mother
Male
Iravendraal marunaalae vidiyumIf night falls, dawn will surely follow the next day
Un thottathil appodhu pookkal malarumFlowers will bloom in your garden then
Male
Anbu kondu nee aaduDance with love in your heart
Kaalam koodum pooppoduWhen time ripens, shower flowers
Female
Anbillai naan aada huh..I have no love to dance, huh..
Thol illai naan poopodaI have no shoulder to shower flowers
Male
Thulli thulli thulliLeap and bound, leap and bound

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This song uses the mythological grief of Goddess Sita as a poignant allegory for the suffering of women, particularly a young widow in the film's narrative. The lyrics reflect on how societal norms and misfortunes unfairly burden women across ages, drawing parallels between Sita's exile in the forest and the protagonist's quiet endurance of societal stigma.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Ada thanneeril thaamarai Pola nee vanththaai

Compares Sita's purity after the trial by fire to a lotus remaining untainted and serene in water.

Hyperbole / Emotional Imagery

Un kanneeril kaanagam nanaindhadhenna

Exaggerates the sorrow by stating that Sita's tears drenched the entire forest, earth, and sky, emphasizing the magnitude of her grief.

Contrast / Hope Imagery

Iravendraal marunaalae vidiyum Un thottathil appodhu pookkal malarum

Uses the natural cycle of night turning into dawn as a poetic promise that sorrow will pass and happiness will return.

Anaphora (Repetition for Emphasis)

Thulli thulli thulli Thulli thulli thulli

Repeats 'Thulli thulli' to induce a lively, rhythmic, and innocent tone contrasting with the deep melancholy of the lyrics.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Sippikkul Muthu' (1986) is the Tamil dubbed version of K. Viswanath's classic Telugu masterpiece 'Swathi Muthyam', starring Kamal Haasan and Radhika. The soundtrack was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja with Tamil lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. The song's sequence features an innocent, developmentally challenged protagonist (Kamal Haasan) trying to cheer up a young grieving widow (Radhika) using folk drama tropes.

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