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Lyrics & meaning

Kaaviya Kadhal

From Gomathiyin Kaadhalan · 1955

Lyricist
Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam
Singers
A. M. Raja, Jikki
Music director
G. Ramanathan
Details
Gomathiyin Kaadhalan1955

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Female
Kaaviya kadhal vaazhvinIn this life of epic love,
Oviyam naamae oviyam naamaeWe are the portrait, we are the portrait!
Kaaviya kadhal vaazhvinIn this life of epic love,
Oviyam naamae oviyam naamaeWe are the portrait, we are the portrait!
Male
Poovuzhagil entha oru paavalanum paadaathaUnsung by any poet in this earthly world,
Poovulagil entha oru paavalanum paadaathaUnsung by any poet in this earthly world,
Male
Kaaviya kadhal vaazhvinIn this life of epic love,
Oviyam naamae oviyam naamaeWe are the portrait, we are the portrait!
Female
Vil valaiththu maalaiyidumWithout the pain of bending a heavy bow
Vedhanai illaamalaeTo win my hand with a garland,
Vil valaiththu maalaiyidumWithout the pain of bending a heavy bow
Vedhanai illaamalaeTo win my hand with a garland,
Sollazhagaal en manaththaiWith the beauty of your words,
Kollai konda raamaraeOh Rama, you stole my heart!
Male
Maan ootti vaaraamal kaar ootti vanthaenI did not come driving a chariot of deer, I arrived driving a car!
Maan ootti vaaraamal kaar ootti vanthaenI did not come driving a chariot of deer, I arrived driving a car!
Thaen thinai maa tharaamal thiruvarul thanthaaiWithout offering honey or foxtail millet flour, you granted your divine grace.
Female
Aa….aa…kaaviya kadhal vaazhvinAh... ah... in this life of epic love,
Oviyam naamae oviyam naamaeWe are the portrait, we are the portrait!
Female
Varumai vanthaalum vanaththilae ennaiEven if poverty meets me in the forest,
Varumai vanthaalum vanaththilae ennaiEven if poverty meets me in the forest,
Pirinthodi pogaatha nalamagarajaOh King Nala, who will never desert me and run away!
Male
Nalamaga samaiyalae theriyaatha ennaiTo me, who does not even know how to cook well,
Naayaganaai yaettrarulum thamayanthi rojaOh Damayanti rose, who accepts me as your lord!
Female :NalamagarajaFemale: King Nala!
Male :Thamayanthi rojaMale: Damayanti rose!
Female :NalamagarajaFemale: King Nala!
Male :Thamayanthi rojaMale: Damayanti rose!
Female
Kadhalai marakkaatha thushyanthan neeraeYou are Dushyanta, who never forgets his love!
Male :Mothiram tholaikaatha sagunthalai neeyaeMale: You are Shakuntala, who never loses her ring!
Female :Erumpaiyum kollaatha saththiyavaan neeraeFemale: You are Satyavan, who would not even harm an ant!
Male :Emanaiyum kenjaatha saaviththiri neeyaeMale: You are Savitri, who does not need to beg Lord Yama!
Saaviththiri neeyae….You are Savitri...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful duet features a modern couple humorously comparing their romance to legendary pairs from classical Indian epics, including Rama and Sita, Nala and Damayanti, Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and Satyavan and Savitri. While invoking these timeless tales, the song updates them with clever contemporary twists, celebrating a love that is modern yet ideal.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Allusion (Purana Kathai Kurippu)

Vil valaiththu maalaiyidum Vedhanai illaamalae

Extensive mythological references to famous pairs like Rama, Nala-Damayanti, Dushyanta-Shakuntala, and Satyavan-Savitri, subverting their classic tragic/difficult moments into modern lighthearted scenarios.

Ethukai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Sollazhagaal en manaththai / Kollai konda raamarae

Rhyming of the second consonant sound across words, such as 'Sollazhagaal' and 'Kollai'.

Moonaai (Initial Alliteration)

Poovuzhagil entha oru paavalanum paadaatha

Repetition of initial consonant sounds across words in a line ('Poovuzhagil', 'paavalanum', 'paadaatha').

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Kaaviya kadhal vaazhvin / Oviyam naamae oviyam naamae

Describing the couple's legendary romance metaphorically as a living artwork or portrait.

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Trivia

From the 1955 film 'Gomathiyin Kaadhalan' starring T. R. Ramachandran and Savitri, this track showcases lyricist Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam's wit by poking fun at mythological hardships—such as Shakuntala losing her ring or Damayanti facing exile—and presenting a modern romance where the hero arrives in a car instead of a chariot.

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