Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Kaadhal Vandhadhum

From Poovellam Un Vasam · 2001

Lyricist
Vairamuthu
Singers
K. J. Yesudas, Sadhana Sargam
Music director
Vidyasagar
Details
Poovellam Un Vasam2001

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana naaVocal rhythm and humming (Nana nana...)
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana naaVocal rhythm and humming (Nana nana...)
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana naaVocal rhythm and humming (Nana nana...)
Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana naaVocal rhythm and humming (Nana nana...)
Female
{ Kaadhal vandhadhum kanniyin ullWhen love arrives inside a young maiden's heart,
Kaadhalai yaarukum solvadhillaiShe does not reveal her love to anyone.
Puthagam moodiya maiyil iragaiLike a peacock feather hidden inside a closed book,
Buthiyil maraipaal therivadhillai } (2)She hides it in her mind, keeping it unnoticed.
Nenjae en nenjae sellaayo avanoduOh heart, my heart, won't you go with him?
Sendraal varamaatai athudhaanae perumpaaduIf you go, you won't return, and that is the real trouble!
Female
Thananaanana thananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana thananaanana)
Thananaanana thananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana thananaanana)
Female
Kaadhal vandhadhum kanniyin ullWhen love arrives inside a young maiden's heart,
Kaadhalai yaarukum solvadhillaiShe does not reveal her love to anyone.
Puthagam moodiya maiyil iragaiLike a peacock feather hidden inside a closed book,
Buthiyil maraipaal therivadhillaiShe hides it in her mind, keeping it unnoticed.
Aaa aaaaaaaaaaaVocalizing melody (Aaa aaaaaaaaaaa)
Female
Thoongatha kaatrae thunai thedi odiO sleepless wind, run searching for a companion,
En saarbil endhan kaadhal solvaayaaWill you convey my love on my behalf?
Male
Nillaadha kaatru sollaadhu thozhiThe unstopping wind will not speak, my friend,
Neeyaga undhan kaadhal solvaayaaWill you speak of your love by yourself?
Female
Ullae ennam arumbaanadhuThe feeling inside bloomed like a bud,
Unnaal indru rudhuvaanadhuBecause of you, today it has matured.
Male
Naan adhai sodhikum naal vandhadhuThe day has come for me to test it.
ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
Kaadhal vandhadhum kanniyin ullWhen love arrives inside a young maiden's heart,
Kaadhalai yaarukum solvadhillaiShe does not reveal her love to anyone.
Puthagam moodiya maiyil iragaiLike a peacock feather hidden inside a closed book,
Buthiyil maraipaal therivadhillaiShe hides it in her mind, keeping it unnoticed.
Female
Nee vandhu ponaal en thottam engumIf you come and go, across my entire garden,
Un swaasa vaasam veesum poovellamAll the flowers carry the fragrance of your breath.
Male
Nee vandhu ponaal en veedu engumIf you come and go, across my entire home,
Un kolusin osai ketkum naal ellamI hear the sound of your anklets all day long.
Female
Kanaa vandhaal mei solgiraaiWhen he appears in your dream, you speak the truth,
Kannil vandhaal poi solgiraaiWhen he appears before your eyes, you tell lies.
Male
Po ennum vaarthaiyal vaavengiraaiWith the word 'Go', you actually mean 'Come'.
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
ThananaananaMale :ThananaananaRhythm syllables (Thananaanana / Male vocals)
Female
Kaadhal vandhadhum kanniyin ullWhen love arrives inside a young maiden's heart,
Kaadhalai yaarukum solvadhillaiShe does not reveal her love to anyone.
Puthagam moodiya maiyil iragaiLike a peacock feather hidden inside a closed book,
Buthiyil maraipaal therivadhillaiShe hides it in her mind, keeping it unnoticed.
Nenjae en nenjae sellaayo avanoduOh heart, my heart, won't you go with him?
Sendraal varamaatai athudhaanae perumpaaduIf you go, you won't return, and that is the real trouble!

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kaadhal Vandhadhum from Poovellam Un Vasam expresses the sweet innocence and secrecy of a young woman's first love. Lyricist Vairamuthu beautifully compares a maiden's hidden feelings to a peacock feather tucked between the pages of a favorite book—a cherished secret held close to her heart and concealed from the rest of the world. The song captures her internal conflict between the longing to confess her feelings and her bashful hesitation.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Simile (Uvamai)

Puthagam moodiya maiyil iragai / Buthiyil maraipaal therivadhillai

Compares secret love in a girl's mind to a peacock feather hidden inside a closed book.

Personification

Thoongatha kaatrae thunai thedi odi / En saarbil endhan kaadhal solvaayaa

Addresses the sleepless wind as a messenger to carry a message of love.

Paradox / Oxymoron (Muran)

Kanaa vandhaal mei solgiraai / Kannil vandhaal poi solgiraai / Po ennum vaarthaiyal vaavengiraai

Highlights the contradictory behaviors of a coy lover who tells the truth in dreams but lies in person, and uses 'go' to mean 'come'.

Second-letter Rhyme (Edukku / Ethirai)

Kanaa vandhaal mei solgiraai / Kannil vandhaal poi solgiraai

Matching second consonants across consecutive lines for poetic harmony (e.g., 'Kanaa' and 'Kannil', 'Ullae' and 'Unnaal').

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Vidyasagar for the 2001 romantic drama 'Poovellam Un Vasam' starring Ajith Kumar and Jyothika, this song features vocals by P. Unnikrishnan and Sadhana Sargam. The metaphor of the peacock feather ('Mayil Iragu') became one of the most iconic romantic imagery references in 2000s Tamil cinema lyrics.

Keep listening

More from Poovellam Un Vasam