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En Jeevan Paduthu album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaadhal Vaanile

From En Jeevan Paduthu · 1988

Lyricist
Isaignani Ilayaraja
Singer
S. Janaki
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
En Jeevan Paduthu
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
6 Jul 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Thoothu sellavae
Unnai thedinen
Kanavu pola
Malarnthu vantha
Azhagai paaduthae
Kavithai pola
Ninaivu nindra
Uravai theduthae
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Thoothu sellavae
Unnai thedinen
{Malaiyil aadi
Mannil odi
Kadalinai serum
Nadhiyum undu} (2)
Nadhiyin moolam
Theriyathu
Anbin aazham
Puriyaathu
Mun jenma bantham
Yedho adhu
Ennullam kanda
Kaadhal idhu
Engae neeyo
Angae naanum
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Thoothu sellavae
Unnai thedinen
{Moongil meedhu
Thendral veesa
Paadal ondru
Kaatril serum} (2)
Ondril ondru
Seraamal
Nenjil inbam
Vaaraathu
En kovil deepam
Neeyaagalaam
Unn chozhai geedham
Naanagalam
Engae neeyo
Angae naanum
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Thoothu sellavae
Unnai thedinen
Kanavu pola
Malarnthu vantha
Azhagai paaduthae
Kavithai pola
Ninaivu nindra
Uravai theduthae
Kaadhal vaanilae
Odum megamae
Thoothu sellavae
Unnai thedinen
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
To carry my message,
I searched for you.
Like a dream
that bloomed into life,
my heart sings of this beauty.
Like a poem
lingering in memory,
it longs for our bond.
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
To carry my message,
I searched for you.
Dancing down the mountains,
flowing across the earth,
to merge with the sea,
there flows a river.
The source of a river
remains unknown;
the true depth of love
cannot be understood.
A bond from a past birth,
whatever it may be,
is this very love
that my heart has found.
Wherever you may be,
there I will be too.
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
To carry my message,
I searched for you.
As across the bamboo
the gentle breeze blows,
a sweet melody
joins the air.
Without merging
one into the other,
joy in the heart
will never arise.
The lamp in my temple,
you could be;
the melody in your garden,
I could be.
Wherever you may be,
there I will be too.
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
To carry my message,
I searched for you.
Like a dream
that bloomed into life,
my heart sings of this beauty.
Like a poem
lingering in memory,
it longs for our bond.
In the sky of love,
O drifting cloud,
To carry my message,
I searched for you.
Female
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Female

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song expresses deep romantic longing and poetic devotion, addressing a passing cloud as a messenger to reach the beloved. Drawing rich metaphors from nature, the lyrics compare love to rivers originating in mountains and traveling across the earth to merge into the vast sea, emphasizing that just as a river's true source remains mystery, the true depth of love is unfathomable and rooted in connections from past births. It further illustrates union through the image of the breeze playing upon bamboo flutes to generate music, asserting that true joy arises only when two souls unite completely. The protagonist offers a vision of complete harmony where one partner becomes the guiding lamp of the temple and the other becomes the song echoing in the grove.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

“Kanavu pola / Kavithai pola”

'Kanavu pola' (Like a dream) and 'Kavithai pola' (Like a poem) use 'pola' (like) to compare love and memories to dreams and poetry.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“Kaadhal vaanilae”

'Kaadhal vaanilae' translates love into an expansive sky across which clouds wander as messengers.

Monai (Initial Alliteration)

“Malaiyil aadi / Mannil odi”

Repetition of initial consonants or vowels in adjacent words like 'Malaiyil' and 'Mannil'.

Metaphor (Uruvagam)

“En kovil deepam / Neeyaagalaam”

'En kovil deepam' (The lamp in my temple) metaphorically elevates the beloved to a sacred, guiding light.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song 'Kaadhal Vaanilae' is from the 1988 Tamil feature film 'En Jeevan Paduthu', directed by R. Sundarrajan. The film's soundtrack was composed by Isaignani Ilaiyaraaja, who also wrote the lyrics for this composition.

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