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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Thullum Ilamai

From Anbe Odi Vaa · 1984

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singer
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Anbe Odi Vaa1984

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhuClapping hands and making joyful noise.
Ingae maanavan maanavi raajiyam thaanHere, male and female students rule supreme.
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhu yeahClapping hands and making joyful noise, yeah!
Chorus
………………………………..
Male
Kattu kaaval kadandhuCrossing all strict security and control,
Kittappaa kaadhal paadam padichaanaeKittappa learned the lesson of love!
Mottu pola malarndhuBlossoming like a tender bud,
Pattammaa poova pola sirichaalaePattamma smiled like a flower!
College irukku kaadhalikkaCollege exists for us to fall in love,
Teen age irukku daavadikkaTeenage exists for us to romance,
Matinee irukku meet pannalaamThere are matinee shows to meet up,
Laila majnu love pannalaamWe can love like Laila and Majnu!
Paappaa kooda poppaaTogether with girls and pop music,
Onna thaan paappaaLet us look at it together, dear,
Yaar keppaa jolly thaan paaWho is going to question us? It is pure fun, friend!
Thagu thugu thugu thagu thugu thuguThagu thugu thugu thugu thugu thugu
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhuClapping hands and making joyful noise.
Ingae maanavan maanaviHere, male and female students...
Raajiyam thaan yeah...rule supreme, yeah!
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhu heiClapping hands and making joyful noise, hei!
Male
Vakkeel ponnu vanajaaVanaja, the lawyer's daughter,
Appappaa vaasam ulla pudhu rojaaAha, she is a fragrant new rose!
Doctor ponnu kamalaaKamala, the doctor's daughter,
Kannaalae sight adichaa varuvaalaaWill she come if we check her out with our eyes?
Vendaam kannaa sundhari thaanDon't go there, my dear, avoid Sundhari,
Sundhari appaa mandhiri thaanSundhari's father is a government minister!
Kindal pannaa kelvi varumIf you tease her, questioning will follow,
Vambu thumbu vazhakku varumTroubles, fights, and legal cases will come!
Rosy romba easy kitta poyi naesiRosy is very easy, go close and love her,
Yaar keppaa jolly thaan paa hoiWho is going to question us? It is pure fun, friend, hoi!
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhuClapping hands and making joyful noise.
Ingae maanavan maanaviHere, male and female students...
Raajiyam thaan raappaa raapaa haa...rule supreme, raappaa raapaa haa!
Male
Thullum ilamai idhuThis is bounding youthfulness,
Yaar katti adakkuvadhuWho can tie down or control it?
Palli paruvam idhuThis is the school age,
Kai kotti muzhakkidudhu yeahClapping hands and making joyful noise, yeah!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Thullum Ilamai Idhu from Anbe Odi Vaa (1984) is an upbeat youth anthem celebrating student freedom, teenage exuberance, and lighthearted campus romance. Lyricist Vairamuthu captures the uninhibited spirit of college students who claim their campus as their own kingdom where societal rules do not apply.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhukai (Second Letter Assonance)

Kattu kaaval kadandhu / Mottu pola malarndhu

Matching second letter 'tt' across consecutive lines creating rhythmic cadence.

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

College irukku kaadhalikka / Teen age irukku daavadikka

End-rhyming with 'irukku' establishing parallelism across lines.

Simile (Upama)

Mottu pola malarndhu / Pattammaa poova pola sirichaalae

Comparing the girl's smile to a blossoming flower ('poova pola').

Alliteration (Moonaai)

Sundhari appaa mandhiri thaan

Repetition of the 'Su' and 'Ma' consonant sounds creating poetic flow.

Did you know?

Trivia

Anbe Odi Vaa (1984) is a romantic comedy film starring Mohan and Urvashi, with music composed by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. Lyricist Vairamuthu popularized blending contemporary 1980s college slang (like 'daavadikka', 'sight adichaa', and 'teen age') into mainstream Tamil film lyrics through songs like this.

Keep listening

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