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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Baby Baby O My Baby

From Bandham · 1985

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
T. M. Soundararajan, S. Janaki
Music director
Sankar Ganesh
Details
Bandham1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Baby baby oh my babyBaby, baby, oh my baby
Kutty kadhai sollavaShall I tell you a short story?
Baby baby oh my babyBaby, baby, oh my baby
Kutty kadhai sollavaShall I tell you a short story?
Kannae aasha kanmani aashaMy dear darling child, my precious child
Kannae aasha kanmani aashaMy dear darling child, my precious child
Nee romba sutti pennallavaYou are a very naughty girl, aren't you?
Female
Uncle uncle big uncleUncle, uncle, big uncle
Yaanai kadhai sollungaTell me an elephant story!
Male :AhaanMale: Ah haan!
Female :Uncle uncle big uncleFemale: Uncle, uncle, big uncle
Yaanai kadhai sollungaTell me an elephant story!
Thoongaama thaan joraa ketppenI will listen enthusiastically without sleeping
Yaanainaa rombha thaan pudikkumI love elephants so much!
Male
Baby baby oh my babyBaby, baby, oh my baby
Kutty kadhai sollavaShall I tell you a short story?
Female :SollungaFemale: Tell me!
Male
Aiyappan kovililaeIn the Lord Ayyappan temple
Yaanai onnu irunthuchuThere was an elephant
Male
Dingu dingu nu mani osaiMaking ding-ding bell sounds
Ketkkum badi nadanthuchuIt walked along gracefully
Male
Kadai veedhi pakkam ponaaWhen it went towards the market street
Suthi suthi paakumaamIt would look around continuously
Male
Thumbikkaiyai neeti neetiExtending its trunk outward
Thuttukalai serkumaamIt would collect coins
Male
Pazham koduthaal vanakkam sollumIf given fruit, it would greet with respect
Pillaigalai sumanthu sellumIt would carry children on its back
Female
Uncle uncle big uncleUncle, uncle, big uncle
Yaanai kadhai joru thaanThe elephant story is awesome!
Thoongaama thaan joraa ketppenI will listen enthusiastically without sleeping
Yaanainaa rombha thaan pudikkumI love elephants so much!
Male
Paavadai sattai thaikkumThere was a tailor
Thaiyal kaaran irundhaanWho stitched skirts and shirts
Panbaana yaanaikkittaWith the well-behaved elephant
Vambhu panna nenachaanHe wanted to play a mean prank
Thengaai moodi ullarathaanInside a coconut shell
Oosi onna maattinaanHe stuck a sharp needle
Thalaiyattum yaanaikittaTo the head-nodding elephant
Thinga solli neetinaanHe handed it over, asking it to eat
Female
Aiyaiyoo oosi kuthidumaeOh no, the needle will prick!
Male
HaanAhaan
Yaanai adhai purinjikkichaamThe elephant understood the trick
Manasukkullae pottukkichaamAnd kept it in its mind
Male
Baby baby oh my babyBaby, baby, oh my baby
Kutty kadhai sollavaShall I tell you a short story?
Female :Yaana kadhaFemale: The elephant story!
Male
Aaththoram yaanai poyiThe elephant went by the riverbank
Saetha alli urinjuchuAnd sucked up muddy water
Aathadi tailor melaeOh my, right onto the tailor
Thoo thoonnu thuppiduchuIt sprayed it all over!
Female :Acachoo thuni ellam alukkagidumaeFemale: Oh dear, all the clothes will get dirty!
Male :AamaamMale: Yes!
Pongalukku theichu vecha thuni kettu ponadhaamThe clothes stitched for Pongal festival were ruined
Ammadi solla ponaa naanum adhu polathaanMy dear, to tell you the truth, I am just like that too
Vambhu senja vanjam veippenIf someone picks a fight, I will hold a grudge
Anbiruntha adangi nippenIf there is love, I will be humble and yields
Female
Uncle uncleUncle, uncle
Male :HahahMale: Ha ha!
Female :Big uncleFemale: Big uncle
Male :HahahahMale: Ha ha ha!
Female :Yaanai kadhai joru thaanFemale: The elephant story is awesome!
Thoongaama thaan joraa ketppenI will listen enthusiastically without sleeping
Yaanainaa rombha thaan pudikkumI love elephants so much!
Male
Laalaalaa laalaalaa lallallaaLa la laa, la la laa, lal lal laa
Female :Laalaalaa laalaalaa lallallaaFemale: La la laa, la la laa, lal lal laa
Both :Laalaalaa laalaalaa lallallaaBoth: La la laa, la la laa, lal lal laa
Laalaalaa laalaalaa lallallaaLa la laa, la la laa, lal lal laa

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful storytelling song from the movie Bandham features a loving uncle entertaining a young girl with a classic fable about a temple elephant and a mischievous tailor. The uncle narrates how a disciplined elephant collected coins and blessed children, until a naughty tailor tried to trick it with a needle in a coconut shell. The elephant cleverly remembers the trick and squirts muddy river water back onto the tailor and his freshly stitched festival clothes.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Thumbikkaiyai neeti neeti / Thuttukalai serkumaam

The initial letter sound 'Thu' (Thum- / Thut-) is repeated at the start of adjacent lines.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Pazham koduthaal vanakkam sollum / Pillaigalai sumanthu sellum

Both lines end with matching rhyming suffixes ('sollum' and 'sellum').

Onomatopoeia

Dingu dingu nu mani osai

The sound 'Dingu dingu' mimics the ringing sound of the temple elephant's neck bell.

Moral Parable / Analogy

Vambhu senja vanjam veippen / Anbiruntha adangi nippen

The speaker draws a direct moral lesson from the story, comparing his own nature to the elephant: retaliating against malice while bowing to true love.

Did you know?

Trivia

Bandham (1985) is a emotional drama film starring Sivaji Ganesan and Kamal Haasan, directed by K. Vijayan. Vaali's lyrics cleverly weave a popular moral fable into a child-friendly song format that highlights the bond between the elder protagonist and the young child.

Keep listening

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