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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Usilampatti Penkutti

From Gentleman · 1993

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
Shahul Hameed, Swarnalatha
Music director
A. R. Rahman
Details
Gentleman1993

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Usilampatti penkuttiUsilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu (pearl-spoken girl),
Un osarampaathu en kazhuthuLooking at your height, my neck
Suluki pochugot sprained!
Male
Usilampatti penkuttiUsilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu,
Un osarampaathu en kazhuthuLooking at your height, my neck
Suluki pochugot sprained!
Male
Koodamelae koodavechuCarrying basket upon basket,
Kuchanooru poravalaeoh girl going to Kuchanoor,
Medhuvaaga chellendigo slowly!
Male
Un koodaiyila vecha poovuThe flower kept in your basket,
Goodalooril veesuthadiits fragrance wafts all the way to Gudalur!
Kuri pottu vanthendiI came aiming right at you!
Chorus
Usilampatti penkuttiUsilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu,
Un osarampaathu en kazhuthuLooking at your height, my neck
Suluki pochugot sprained!
Chorus
Usula usula usulampattiUsula usula Usilampatti,
Usula usula usulampattiUsula usula Usilampatti,
Male
Kandamanooru mai tharenI will give you kohl from Kandamanoor,
Kannula vecha agaathawon't you let me apply it on your eyes?
Female :Maiya vekkum sakka vechuFemale: Using the excuse of applying kohl,
Kaiyya veppa theriyaathadon't I know you will lay your hands on me?
Male
Alanganalloor jallikattuIf we go together to the Alanganallur bullfight,
Sernthuponaal agaathawon't that be great?
Female :Madupudichu mudicha kaiyyilFemale: Hands that finished taming a bull,
Mayila pudippa theriyaathadon't I know they will easily catch a peacock?
Male
Mayilae mayilaeOh peacock, oh peacock,
Chorus :Iragonnu poduChorus: Drop a feather!
Female :Vanam vizhunthaFemale: If the sky falls,
Chorus :Athuvum podumChorus: Even that will fall,
Male
Iragu edhukkadiwhy just a feather, girl?
Thogaiyae kedaikkumYou will get the entire plumage!
Athukkum kalam varumThe time for that will come too.
Female
{Usilampatti penkutti{Usilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu,
Nee ora kannal parthalaeif you look at me with a side glance,
Naan pulla thaachi} (2)I become pregnant!} (2)
Female
Koodamelae koodavechuCarrying basket upon basket,
Kuchanooru poravalagirl going to Kuchanoor,
Thuruvithan ketkathaedon't probe and question me!
Female
Koodaiyilae vecha poovuSaying the flower in the basket
Goodalooril veesuthunusmells all the way in Gudalur,
Uruvithaan paakathaedon't pull it out to look!
Chorus
Hei ching ching (6)Hey ching ching (6)
Thananaa nana naanaThananaa nana naana
Thananaa nana naana naaThananaa nana naana naa
Thananaa nana naanaThananaa nana naana
Thana naa naa naa naa naaThana naa naa naa naa naa
Male
Vedala ponnu nuninakkuFor a young girl, the tip of the tongue
Vethalaiyalae sevanthirukkuhas turned red because of betel leaf.
Female :Vepamarathu kili mookkuFemale: Like a parrot's beak on a neem tree,
Vethala pota sevanthirukkuit turned red after chewing betel leaf!
Male
Iduppu sela idaiveliyilIn the gap near the saree waist,
Enakku mattum edamirukkuthere is space reserved only for me!
Female :Asapatta mamanukkuFemale: For the uncle who desired me,
Andippatti madamirukkuthere is a monastery in Andipatti!
Male
Thaniyum thaniyumQuenching and cooling down,
Chorus :Thana thaniyumChorus: Completely cooling down,
Female :Thadiyal adichaFemale: If struck with a stick,
Chorus :Kodiya malarumChorus: even a creeper will bloom!
Male
Manasa selaikkulInside the heart under the saree,
Maraippathu olippathuhiding and concealing thoughts,
Athuthaan pennin gunamthat is the true character of a woman!
Male
Usilampatti penkuttiUsilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu,
Un osarampaathu en kazhuthuLooking at your height, my neck
Suluki pochugot sprained!
Female
{Usilampatti penkutti{Usilampatti girl,
Muthu pechuMuthu Pechu,
Nee ora kannal parthalaeif you look at me with a side glance,
Naan pulla thaachi} (2)I become pregnant!} (2)
Female
Koodamelae koodavechuCarrying basket upon basket,
Kuchanooru poravalagirl going to Kuchanoor,
Thuruvithan ketkathaedon't probe and question me!
Female
Koodaiyilae vecha poovuSaying the flower in the basket
Goodalooril veesuthunusmells all the way in Gudalur,
Uruvithaan paakathaedon't pull it out to look!
Chorus
Thananaa nana naanaThananaa nana naana
Thananaa nana naana naaThananaa nana naana naa
Thananaa nana naanaThananaa nana naana
Thana naa naa naa naa naaThana naa naa naa naa naa
Chorus
Usula usula usulam pattiUsula usula Usilampatti
Usula usula usula pattiUsula usula Usilampatti
Usulam patti andi pattiUsilampatti Andipatti
Andi patti usula usulaAndipatti usula usula
Usaulam patti usulam pattiUsilampatti Usilampatti
Kaali patti usula usulaKaalipatti usula usula
Andi patti usulam pattiAndipatti Usilampatti

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Usilampatti Penkutti is a lively folk duet from the 1993 Tamil movie Gentleman, composed by A. R. Rahman with lyrics by Vairamuthu. Sung playfully by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Swarnalatha, the song features humorous romantic banter between a young man and a spirited village woman named Muthu Pechu. The hero teases her with playful exaggerations about her beauty, tall stature, and captivating side glances, while she sharply matches his wit and holds her ground with clever retorts.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Hyperbole (Exaggeration)

Un osarampaathu en kazhuthu / Suluki pochu

Playful overstatement used to emphasize the heroine's tall stature and captivating beauty.

Metaphor & Imagery

Vepamarathu kili mookku / Vethala pota sevanthirukku

Comparing the red betel-stained lips to a parrot's beak resting on a neem tree.

Anaphora & Regional Allusion

Usilampatti andi patti / Andi patti usula usula

Rhythmic repetition of real Madurai/Theni regional town names (Usilampatti, Andipatti, Kuchanoor, Alanganallur) to build authentic local color and cadence.

Did you know?

Trivia

Though listed in the prompt context as unknown, the music was composed by A. R. Rahman for S. Shankar's directorial debut 'Gentleman' (1993), with vocals by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and Swarnalatha. The song gained immense popularity across Tamil Nadu for combining traditional rural Madurai folk rhythms with contemporary synthesizer arrangements.

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