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Anbukku Naan Adimai album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kaattiloru Singakuttiyam

From Anbukku Naan Adimai · 1980

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Chorus
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Anbukku Naan Adimai
Movie release year
1980
Lyrics added on
29 Oct 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Vevevee
Veveveveveveve….
Veve veve ve veve veve ve
Veveveveveveveveveve…..vevevee
Kaatiloru singakuttiyaam
Chorus :Vevevee vevevee veveveeveee
Male :Vilayatil athu romba suttiyaam
Chorus :Vevevee vevevee veveveeveee
Peththa amma appava
Athu vittu pirinju
Ada thananthaniya
Thaththi thaavi thirinju
Athu kaadu malai medugala
Thaandi vanthudicham
Kaatiloru singakuttiyaam
Chorus :Vevevee vevevee veveveeveee
Kulla nari kootathilae
Kutti singam sendhukichaam
Koodatha gunatha ellaam
Thaanum kathukichaam
Kulla nari kootathilae
Kutti singam sendhukichaam
Koodatha gunatha ellaam
Thaanum kathukichaam
Kona vazhi kurukku vazhi
Poga ennikichaam
Poi purattu kola thiruttu
Naalum pannidichaam
Palavarusham poiyiduchaam
Male :Singam perisu aayiduchaam
Male :Atha vedar ellaam thedarappo
Odi vanthuducham hoi
Kaatiloru singakuttiyaam
Chorus :Vevevee vevevee veveveeveee
Vantha idam nalla idam
Vanna maan vaazhum idam
Maan thola pothikittu
Singam vandhudichaam
Vantha idam nalla idam
Vanna maan vaazhum idam
Maan thola pothikittu
Singam vandhudichaam
Appavi maangal ellam
Anbu pannidichaam
Atha kandu singathukku
Kaneer vandhudichaam
Athan kodumai ponathada
Anbukadimai aanathada
Athu maangalukku raapagalaa
Kaaval ninndrathada hoi
Kaatiloru singakuttiyaam
Chorus :Vevevee vevevee veveveeveee
Kaaval nindra singathukku
Kaalam seitha sodhanai pol
Kutti maan kooda oru
Thaayum vanthiduchaam
Kaaval nindra singathukku
Kaalam seitha sodhanai pol
Kutti maan kooda oru
Thaayum vanthiduchaam
Kaadhal maan thannai ingae
Kaana vanthudicham
Antha maan jodiyai thaan
Singam konnudichaam
Thappai maraikka vazhi illa
Thappi nadakka mudiyala
Mana ulaichalilae alaichalilae
Singam urumichaam hoi
Roarrrrrrrrrrrrrr……….
Veh-veh-vee
Veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh…
Veh-veh veh-veh veh veh-veh veh-veh veh
Veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh-veh…..veh-veh-vee
Once in a forest, there lived a lion cub.
Chorus: Veh-veh-vee veh-veh-vee veh-veh-veev-vee-vee
Male: In playful games, it was very smart!
Chorus: Veh-veh-vee veh-veh-vee veh-veh-veev-vee-vee
Leaving behind the parents who gave it birth,
It parted and wandered away.
Ah, all alone,
Stumbling, leaping, and roaming around,
Across forests, hills, and high mounds,
It made its way and arrived.
Once in a forest, there lived a lion cub.
Chorus: Veh-veh-vee veh-veh-vee veh-veh-veev-vee-vee
Into a pack of cunning jackals,
The little lion cub joined in.
All their wicked habits and evil ways,
It learned them too.
Into a pack of cunning jackals,
The little lion cub joined in.
All their wicked habits and evil ways,
It learned them too.
Crooked paths and cunning shortcuts,
It chose to take.
Lies, deceit, murder, and theft—
It committed all four.
Many years passed by,
Male: The lion grew big and strong.
Male: When all the hunters came looking for it,
It ran away and escaped, hey!
Once in a forest, there lived a lion cub.
Chorus: Veh-veh-vee veh-veh-vee veh-veh-veev-vee-vee
The place it reached was a wonderful place,
A place where gentle deer lived.
Covering itself in a deer's skin,
The lion slipped inside.
The place it reached was a wonderful place,
A place where gentle deer lived.
Covering itself in a deer's skin,
The lion slipped inside.
All the innocent deer
Showered it with love.
Seeing that pure affection,
Tears welled up in the lion's eyes.
Its cruelty melted away,
It became a slave to love.
Day and night for those deer,
It stood as a guard, hey!
Once in a forest, there lived a lion cub.
Chorus: Veh-veh-vee veh-veh-vee veh-veh-veev-vee-vee
For the lion standing guard,
As if fate was putting it to the test,
Along with a little fawn,
A mother deer also arrived.
For the lion standing guard,
As if fate was putting it to the test,
Along with a little fawn,
A mother deer also arrived.
The deer that loved its mate
Came searching here.
And that deer's partner
Was the one this lion had killed!
There was no way to hide the guilt,
No way to escape and run.
In deep agony and restless torment,
The lion let out a roar, hey!
Roarrrrrrrrrr….
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

'Kaatiloru Singakuttiyaam' is an allegorical story-song from the film 'Anbukku Naan Adimai' (1980), written by poet Vaali. Performed in a folk storytelling format, the song tells the metaphorical tale of a lion cub that abandons its parents, joins a pack of foxes, and learns bad habits like stealing and killing. When hunted down, it escapes disguised in deer hide into a community of peaceful deer.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Allegory / Metaphor

Kaatiloru singakuttiyaam

The song uses the fable of a lion cub, sly foxes, and innocent deer to mirror human moral decline, redemption through genuine love, and the tragic return of inherent flaws.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Kulla nari kootathilae / Koodatha gunatha ellaam

The second consonant sound matches across adjacent lines ('lla' in Kulla / Koodatha), creating a classic Tamil rhythmic flow.

Alliterative Imagery (Monaai)

Poi purattu kola thiruttu

Use of matching initial consonants ('P' sound in Poi, Purattu) to accentuate evil deeds.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song uses an ancient fable structure common in Tamil folk theatre (Katha Kalakshepam or Villu Paattu style), where a lead singer narrates a moral tale while a chorus responds with rhythmic refrains.

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