Kaathal Kiliye
From Kaadhal Kiligal · 1980
- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Details
- Kaadhal Kiligal1980
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
| Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai | Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing? |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
| Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai | Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing? |
| Male | |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
| Male | |
| Kangalil naan itta mai karaiya | For the kohl I applied in your eyes to smudge, |
| Kanneer vidalaamo….aa….aa….aa…. | Should you shed tears? Ah... ah... ah... |
| Kaigalil naan itta valai kazhala unnai | For the bangles I put on your wrists to slip off, |
| Sogam thodalaamo | Should sadness touch you? |
| Male | |
| Niththamum thamarai padhangalai | Every day, your lotus-like feet, |
| Intha nenjam sumanthathadi | This heart of mine bore lovingly. |
| Niththamum thamarai padhangalai | Every day, your lotus-like feet, |
| Intha nenjam sumanthathadi | This heart of mine bore lovingly. |
| Nenjinil vaazhnthidum oviyamaai | As a painting living inside my heart, |
| Unnai kangal varainthathadi | My eyes drew your picture. |
| Male | |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
| Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai | Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing? |
| Male | |
| Atchaya paaththiram naai thottathaal | Just because a dog touched the divine inexhaustible bowl, |
| Adhai yaarum veruppathundo | Does anyone abhor or discard it? |
| Anthiyil chandhiran karaipattathaal | Just because the moon in the night sky has a stain, |
| Adhai vaanam marupathundo | Does the sky reject it? |
| Male | |
| Chiththirai maathaththi muzhu nilavaai | Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai, |
| Intha thegam kidakkuthadi | This pure body lies before us. |
| Chiththirai maathaththi muzhu nilavaai | Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai, |
| Intha thegam kidakkuthadi | This pure body lies before us. |
| Eththanai jenmangal maaridinum | No matter how many lifespans change, |
| Namm kadhal nilaikkumadi…. | Our love will endure forever... |
| Male | |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
| Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai | Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing? |
| Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai | Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak? |
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
நாதஸ்வரமே நீ ஏன் பாட மறந்தாய்
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
நாதஸ்வரமே நீ ஏன் பாட மறந்தாய்
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
கண்களில் நான் இட்ட மை கரைய
கண்ணீர் விடலாமோ......ஆ.......ஆ......ஆ....
கைகளில் நான் இட்ட வளைக் கழல உன்னை
சோகம் தொடலாமோ
For the kohl I applied in your eyes to smudge,
Should you shed tears? Ah... ah... ah...
For the bangles I put on your wrists to slip off,
Should sadness touch you?
நித்தமும் தாமரை பாதங்களை
இந்த நெஞ்சம் சுமந்ததடி
நித்தமும் தாமரை பாதங்களை
இந்த நெஞ்சம் சுமந்ததடி
நெஞ்சினில் வாழ்ந்திடும் ஓவியமாய்
உன்னை கண்கள் வரைந்ததடி.......
Every day, your lotus-like feet,
This heart of mine bore lovingly.
Every day, your lotus-like feet,
This heart of mine bore lovingly.
As a painting living inside my heart,
My eyes drew your picture.
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
நாதஸ்வரமே நீ ஏன் பாட மறந்தாய்
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
அட்சயப் பாத்திரம் நாய் தொட்டதால்
அதை யாரும் வெறுப்பதுண்டோ
அந்தியில் சந்திரன் கறைப்பட்டதால்
அதை வானம் மறுப்பதுண்டோ
Just because a dog touched the divine inexhaustible bowl,
Does anyone abhor or discard it?
Just because the moon in the night sky has a stain,
Does the sky reject it?
சித்திரை மாதத்து முழு நிலவாய்
இந்த தேகம் கிடக்குதடி
சித்திரை மாதத்து முழு நிலவாய்
இந்த தேகம் கிடக்குதடி
எத்தனை ஜென்மங்கள் மாறிடினும் நம்
காதல் நிலைக்குமடி.......
Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai,
This pure body lies before us.
Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai,
This pure body lies before us.
No matter how many lifespans change,
Our love will endure forever...
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
நாதஸ்வரமே நீ ஏன் பாட மறந்தாய்
காதல் கிளியே நீ ஏன் பேச மறந்தாய்
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Kangalil naan itta mai karaiya
For the kohl I applied in your eyes to smudge,
Kanneer vidalaamo….aa….aa….aa….
Should you shed tears? Ah... ah... ah...
Kaigalil naan itta valai kazhala unnai
For the bangles I put on your wrists to slip off,
Sogam thodalaamo
Should sadness touch you?
Niththamum thamarai padhangalai
Every day, your lotus-like feet,
Intha nenjam sumanthathadi
This heart of mine bore lovingly.
Niththamum thamarai padhangalai
Every day, your lotus-like feet,
Intha nenjam sumanthathadi
This heart of mine bore lovingly.
Nenjinil vaazhnthidum oviyamaai
As a painting living inside my heart,
Unnai kangal varainthathadi
My eyes drew your picture.
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Atchaya paaththiram naai thottathaal
Just because a dog touched the divine inexhaustible bowl,
Adhai yaarum veruppathundo
Does anyone abhor or discard it?
Anthiyil chandhiran karaipattathaal
Just because the moon in the night sky has a stain,
Adhai vaanam marupathundo
Does the sky reject it?
Chiththirai maathaththi muzhu nilavaai
Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai,
Intha thegam kidakkuthadi
This pure body lies before us.
Chiththirai maathaththi muzhu nilavaai
Like the full moon of the month of Chithirai,
Intha thegam kidakkuthadi
This pure body lies before us.
Eththanai jenmangal maaridinum
No matter how many lifespans change,
Namm kadhal nilaikkumadi….
Our love will endure forever...
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Nadhaswaramae nee yaen paada maranthaai
Oh Nadaswaram music, why did you forget to sing?
Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai
Oh parrot of love, why did you forget to speak?
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This emotional song is a protagonist's heartfelt plea to his beloved who has gone silent from intense grief or trauma. He tenderly addresses her as a sweet lovebird and a melodic Nadaswaram, asking why she has stopped speaking and singing. He urges her not to let her tears ruin the kohl in her eyes or let sorrow cause her body to waste away until her bangles loosen. In powerful philosophical lines, he consoles her by affirming that external misfortunes or societal blemishes do not diminish her intrinsic purity. Using metaphors like the divine Akshaya Patra or the spotted moon accepted by the grand sky, he reassures her that his love remains untainted, divine, and immortal across many rebirths.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Kadhal kiliyae nee yaen pesa maranthaai”
Addressing the beloved as 'Kadhal kiliyae' (Parrot of love) and 'Nadhaswaramae' (Nadaswaram music) to symbolize sweet speech and divine music.
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Niththamum thamarai padhangalai / Intha nenjam sumanthathadi”
Comparing her feet to lotus blossoms ('thamarai padhangalai') and describing her memory as a painting drawn by his eyes in his heart.
Analogy & Symbolism (Uvamai)
“Atchaya paaththiram naai thottathaal / Adhai yaarum veruppathundo”
Using deep cultural metaphors (Akshaya Patra touched by a dog, or the spotted moon in the night sky) to argue that external incidents cannot diminish intrinsic inner purity and value.
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navortchi)
“Eththanai jenmangal maaridinum / Namm kadhal nilaikkumadi”
Declaring that their love will endure beyond mortal limitations across countless reincarnations.
Did you know?
Trivia
This classic song features music composed by K. V. Mahadevan with poignant lyrics by Pulamaipithan. Sung masterfully by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, the track is renowned for its deep emotional resonance, gentle classical backing, and powerful philosophical consolations.
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