Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Yei Pulla Mappilla

From Neethiyin Marupakkam · 1985

Lyricist
Muthulingam
Singers
S. P. Sailaja, B. S. Sasirekha
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Neethiyin Marupakkam1985

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Chorus
…………………………………
Female
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.
Female
Aathorama andha thoppukullaeBy the riverbank, inside that grove,
Kaathoduthae oru thennam pullaA coconut sapling sways in the wind.
Female
Pakkamalae adhu paartha ennaSo what if it looked without seeing?
Ketkaamalae adhu ketta ennaSo what if it asked without asking?
Chorus
Naala kalyanamTomorrow is the wedding!
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.
Female
Thangaratham kondu varumThe one who brings the golden chariot,
Mannavarum ivarthaanaeIs this noble king himself.
Chorus :Hae haeChorus: Hae hae
Female :Thairiyama unna thedi vanthaFemale: The sister-in-law who bravely came looking for you,
Anni oru radham thaaneIs like a magnificent chariot herself, isn't she?
Chorus :Hae haeChorus: Hae hae
Female
Rosavoo rosava penn paartha raasavooO rose, O king who came looking for a rose-like bride!
Female :Raasavoo rassathi kai meedhu koojavooFemale: O king, is that a water pot placed upon the queen's hand?
Female
Ennaachu penn pillai naanamaeWhat happened to the maiden's shyness?
Female :Yenpochu aan pillai veermaeFemale: Why did the young man's bravery vanish?
Female
Aanaachi nenjukkullaeIt has settled deeply inside the heart,
Eppodhum thaappa illaiThere is never any doubt or flaw.
Chorus
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.
Chorus
……………………………
Female
Pachaarasi palazhagi sithiram pol kedachaalaeShe who is fair as raw rice and milk, like a fine picture, was found!
Chorus :Hoi hoiChorus: Hoi hoi
Female :Achadicha manmadhana kai valaichu pudichaanaeFemale: She captured the picture-perfect Cupid by wrapping her arms around him!
Chorus :Hoi hoiChorus: Hoi hoi
Female :Naalaachu naalagi naalagi noolaachuFemale: As days passed, she grew slender as a thread,
Female
Noolaachu noolaagi noolaagi aalaachuFrom a thread, she grew into a blooming young woman!
Female
Thangathil theronnu poottuvenI will hitch a chariot made of gold,
Kalyana vaibogam kaattuvenI will put on a grand wedding celebration!
Female
Poovodu pottu vechaa yaar nenja thottu vechaaAdorned with flowers and a bindi, whose heart did she touch?
Chorus
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.
Female
Aathorama andha thoppukullaeBy the riverbank, inside that grove,
Kaathoduthae oru thennam pullaA coconut sapling sways in the wind.
Female
Pakkamalae adhu paartha ennaSo what if it looked without seeing?
Ketkaamalae adhu ketta ennaSo what if it asked without asking?
Chorus
Naala kalyanamTomorrow is the wedding!
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.
Yei pulla mappillaHey girl, hey groom!
Raavellam thoongalaDidn't sleep all night.

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

"Yei Pulla Mappilla" is a festive and cheerful Tamil folk-style song that expresses the excitement, sleepless anticipation, and romantic teasing prior to a wedding. The song captures the lively dialogue and playful banter between the bride, groom, and their surrounding family and friends. Through evocative imagery of natural rural settings—such as swaying coconut saplings by the riverbank—it paints a picture of eager lovers caught in the whirlwind of pre-wedding joy. The lyrics contrast the bride's natural shyness with the groom's melting pride, celebrating how love matures into a lifelong bond. With upbeat rhythms, playful choruses, and traditional Tamil cultural motifs like golden chariots, flowers, and auspicious ceremonies, the song serves as a joyful pre-wedding anthem celebrating beauty, union, and love.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)

Pachaarasi palazhagi sithiram pol kedachaalae

The initial 'Pa' sound repeats across 'Pachaarasi' and 'palazhagi', establishing a pleasing rhythmic Monai.

Ethugai (Second Letter Rhyme)

Pakkamalae adhu paartha enna / Ketkaamalae adhu ketta enna

The second consonant sound 'kka' rhymes in 'Pakkamalae' and 'Ketkaamalae'.

Iyaipu (End Rhyme)

Naalaachu naalagi naalagi noolaachu / Noolaachu noolaagi noolaagi aalaachu

The recurring end word suffix '-aachu' creates an end-rhyming effect (Iyaipu) across both lines.

Simile (Uvamai Ani)

Pachaarasi palazhagi sithiram pol kedachaalae

The bride's fair and delicate beauty is explicitly compared to raw rice, milk, and a fine painting ('sithiram pol').

Did you know?

Trivia

This song features in the 1985 Tamil action-drama film 'Neethiyin Marupakkam', directed by S. A. Chandrasekhar and starring Vijayakanth and Radhika. The lyrics were written by prominent Tamil poet Muthulingam, renowned for incorporating authentic Tamil folk flavor and traditional metaphors into film songs. The soundtrack for the film was composed by maestro Ilaiyaraaja.

Keep listening

More from Neethiyin Marupakkam