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Lyrics & meaning

Vetri Yaarukku

From Puthiya Manithan · 1974

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Kovai Soundararajan, L. R. Anjali
Music director
Shankar Ganesh
Details
Puthiya Manithan1974

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Vetri yaarukku parpomaLet us see who wins,
Vanjiyarukka illa vaalibarukkaIs it for the women or for the young men?
Chorus :Vetri yaarukku parpomaChorus: Let us see who wins,
Vanjiyarukka illa vaalibarukkaIs it for the women or for the young men?
Male :Suttri varum sakkarathai suttri vidadaMale: Spin the turning wheels, spin them fast!
Suttri varum sakkarathai suttri vidadaSpin the turning wheels, spin them fast!
Nee vetri enum ellai kottai ettividada..ettividadaReach the finish line of victory.. reach it!
Female
Vetri yaarukku parpomaLet us see who wins,
Vaalibarukka illa vanjiyarukkaIs it for the young men or for the women?
Chorus :Vetri yaarukku parpomaChorus: Let us see who wins,
Vaalibarukka illa vanjiyarukkaIs it for the young men or for the women?
Female :Suttri varum sakkarathai suttri vidadiFemale: Spin the turning wheels, spin them fast!
Suttri varum sakkarathai suttri vidadiSpin the turning wheels, spin them fast!
Nee vetri enum ellai kottai ettividadi..ettividadiReach the finish line of victory.. reach it!
Male
Ammi midhikkum pengal idhai madhichaIf women who step on grinding stones attempt this,
Ammammadi moochu vaangum kaalu valichaaOh my, they will pant for breath and their legs will ache!
Ammi midhikkum pengal idhai madhichaIf women who step on grinding stones attempt this,
Ammammadi moochu vaangum kaalu valichaaOh my, they will pant for breath and their legs will ache!
Sambar samaikkum pengalWomen who cook sambar,
Handbaar thanai pidichaIf they grab onto the handlebar,
Veembha mudiyumadi ponnaeIt will end stubbornly in vain, girl!
Udambhu weekaai irukkumadi ponnaeYour body will become weak, girl!
Male
Ada cycle ottura sellappa neeHey Sellappa riding the cycle,
Sight adikkaama sellappaGo on without checking out women!
Naduvar sonnadhai kelappa neeListen to what the referee says,
Naduvula nuzhaiyura aalappaYou guy who cuts in through the middle!
Appappa ..adhu thappappaOh dear.. that is wrong!
Female
Puliyai murathaal thurathinavaShe who chased away a tiger with a winnowing fan,
Indha kozhai pasangalukka payabaduvaWill she be afraid of these cowardly boys?
Pombalaiya paarthaale kathu pogumJust looking at a woman makes them lose their steam;
Indha aambalainga kumbal ingae thoththu pogumThis group of men will lose here!
Chorus
Vetri yaarukku parpomaLet us see who wins,
Vaalibarukka illa vanjiyarukkaIs it for the young men or for the women?
Female
Bellu adikaathae veena pallai ilikkaadhaeDo not ring the bell unnecessarily, do not grin uselessly!
Ella payalum unnai paarpaanEvery boy will stare at you,
Yera eranga ennai paarpaanScanning me from head to toe!
Paadhai paarthu ottadiLook at the path ahead and ride!
Nee pottiyil jeyichu kattadiWin the competition and prove it!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful, competitive duet from the 1974 Tamil movie 'Puthiya Manithan' centers on a lively bicycle race between young men and young women. The male and female leads exchange witty banter and tease each other about their gender roles, strength, and endurance. The male singer mocks the female contestants by suggesting that domestic duties like cooking and grinding spices will render them too weak for cycling. In response, the female singer invokes Tamil cultural pride by referencing brave women of history who chased tigers away with winnowing fans, warning the men that their arrogance will lead to defeat.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Edhugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Suttri varum sakkarathai / Nee vetri enum ellai

Matching second consonants in successive lines (e.g., 'Suttri' and 'Nee vetri', 'Ammi' and 'Ammammadi').

Monaai (Alliteration)

Vanjiyarukka illa vaalibarukka

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in the same line ('Vanjiyarukka' and 'Vaalibarukka').

Cultural Allusion

Puliyai murathaal thurathinava

Refers to the ancient Sangam literary motif of a Tamil woman driving away a tiger with a winnowing fan ('Muram'), emphasizing female bravery.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by the renowned duo Shankar-Ganesh, this track showcases Kovai Soundararajan and L. R. Anjali in a fast-paced 'potti paattu' (competition song). The lyricist Vaali cleverly weaves modern colloquial English terms like 'handbaar', 'weekaai', and 'sight adikkaama' into traditional Tamil verse structure, reflecting the emerging urban pop culture of 1970s Tamil cinema.

Keep listening

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