Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Shanthi Nilayam album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kadavul Oru Naal

From Shanthi Nilayam · 1969

Lyricist
Kannadasan
Singer
P. Susheela
Music director
M. S. Vishwanathan
Movie name
Shanthi Nilayam
Movie release year
1969
Lyrics added on
26 Jun 2019

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kadavul oru naal
Ulagai kaana thaniyae vandhaaraam
Kannil kanda manidharai ellaam
Nalamaa endraaraam
Kadavul oru naal
Ulagai kaana thaniyae vandhaaraam
Kannil kanda manidharai ellaam
Nalamaa endraaraam
Oru manidhan
Vaazhvai inimai endraan
Oru manidhan adhuvae
Kodumai endraan
Padaithavano udanae sirithu vittaan
La la lalla lallaa
La la lalla lallaa
Oh ho oh ho oh
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
GaChorus: Ga
Female :MaChorus :Ma
Female :PaChorus :Pa
Female :DhaChorus :Dha
Female :NeeChorus :Nee
Sa pa dha nee dha pa dha pa ma ga
Ma pa ma ga ma ga ri
Sa ri ga ri sa ri nee sa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma aa
Kadavul oru naal
Ulagai kaana thaniyae vandhaaraam
Kannil kanda manidharai ellaam
Nalamaa endraaraam
Kallam ilaa pillai ullam
Naan thandhadhu
Kaasum panamum aasaiyum ingae
Yaar thandhadhu
Kallam ilaa pillai ullam
Naan thandhadhu
Kaasum panamum aasaiyum ingae
Yaar thandhadhu
Ellai illaa neerum nilamum
Naan thandhadhu
Endhan sondham ennum ennam
Yen vandhadhu
Oru manidhan
Vaazhvai inimai endraan
Oru manidhan adhuvae
Kodumai endraan
Padaithavano udanae sirithu vittaan
La la lalla lallaa
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa la la lallal la lala laa
SaChorus :Sa
Female :RiChorus :Ri
Female :GaChorus :Ga
Female :MaChorus :Ma
Ma pa dha ni sa pa dha pa ma
Ga ma pa ma ga ma ga ri
Sa ri ga ri sa ri ni sa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma aa
Palli koodam sellum vazhiyil
Kadavul nindraanaam
Pachchai pillai mazhalai mozhiyil
Thannai kandaanaam
Palli koodam sellum vazhiyil
Kadavul nindraanaam
Pachchai pillai mazhalai mozhiyil
Thannai kandaanaam
Ullam engum vellam pongum
Anbai kandaanaam
Unmai kanden podhum endru
Vaanam sendraanaam
Kadavul oru naal
Ulagai kaana thaniyae vandhaaraam
Kannil kanda manidharai ellaam
Nalamaa endraaraam
La la lallal la lala laa La la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa La la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa La la lallal la lala laa
La la lallal la lala laa La la lallal la lala laa
One day, God
came down alone to see the world.
To all the people He met,
He asked, "Are you well?"
One day, God
came down alone to see the world.
To all the people He met,
He asked, "Are you well?"
One man
said life is sweet.
Another man said
it is cruel.
Hearing this, the Creator simply laughed!
La la lalla lalla
La la lalla lalla
Oh ho oh ho oh
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
Ga (Chorus: Ga)
Female: Ma (Chorus: Ma)
Female: Pa (Chorus: Pa)
Female: Dha (Chorus: Dha)
Female: Ni (Chorus: Ni)
Sa pa dha ni dha pa dha pa ma ga
Ma pa ma ga ma ga ri
Sa ri ga ri sa ri ni sa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma aa
One day, God
came down alone to see the world.
To all the people He met,
He asked, "Are you well?"
"An innocent child's heart
is what I gave.
Who gave all this money,
wealth, and greed here?
An innocent child's heart
is what I gave.
Who gave all this money,
wealth, and greed here?
Limitless water and boundless land
are what I gave.
Then why did this feeling
of 'This is mine' arise?"
One man
said life is sweet.
Another man said
it is cruel.
Hearing this, the Creator simply laughed!
La la lalla lalla
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
Sa (Chorus: Sa)
Female: Ri (Chorus: Ri)
Female: Ga (Chorus: Ga)
Female: Ma (Chorus: Ma)
Ma pa dha ni sa pa dha pa ma
Ga ma pa ma ga ma ga ri
Sa ri ga ri sa ri ni sa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma pa
Dha ni pa dha ma pa ga ma aa
On the way to school,
God stood and watched.
In the innocent babble of little children,
He saw Himself.
On the way to school,
God stood and watched.
In the innocent babble of little children,
He saw Himself.
In their overflowing hearts,
He saw boundless love.
Saying, "I have seen the truth, it is enough,"
He returned to the heavens.
One day, God
came down alone to see the world.
To all the people He met,
He asked, "Are you well?"
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
La la lallal la lala la la la lallal la lala la
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Chorus
Female
Chorus
Female
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus
Chorus
Female
Female
Male
Female
Female
Female
Female
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

The song 'Kadavul Oru Naal' from the 1969 Tamil film Shanthi Nilayam is a philosophical, fable-like song composed by M. S. Viswanathan, written by Kannadasan, and sung by P. Susheela. It tells the story of God coming down to Earth disguised as a traveler to see how human beings are living. When God asks people about their lives, one man praises life as sweet while another laments it as cruel. Hearing these contrasting views, the Creator laughs at human perception, pointing out that He created an innocent heart and infinite nature, whereas humans created greed, money, and possessiveness. While walking along the road, God encounters innocent school children. Listening to their sweet babbling and witnessing the pure love overflowing from their hearts, God sees His own divine reflection in them. Reassured that truth and purity still exist in childlike innocence, God returns satisfied to heaven.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Anthesis (Contrast)

“Vaazhvai inimai endraan / Kodumai endraan”

Contrasts the opposing perceptions of human existence ('inimai' / sweetness vs 'kodumai' / cruelty).

Edukai (Second-letter rhyme)

“Kallam ilaa pillai ullam / Ellai illaa neerum nilamum”

The second consonant sound 'lla' (ள்ள/ல்ல) rhymes across lines to create rhythmic harmony.

Iyaibu (End rhyme)

“Naan thandhadhu / Yen vandhadhu”

The line endings 'Naan thandhadhu' and 'Yen vandhadhu' rhyme with identical suffix structures.

Personification / Narrative Parable

“Kadavul oru naal ulagai kaana thaniyae vandhaaraam”

God is personified as a physical visitor walking on Earth, interacting with humans and school children.

Did you know?

Trivia

The song was composed by M. S. Viswanathan and sung by P. Susheela for the 1969 film 'Shanthi Nilayam', starring Gemini Ganesan and Kanchana. The movie is an adaptation of Charlotte Brontë's novel 'Jane Eyre'. The track uniquely integrates Western choral arrangements and solfège (swara) exercises alongside Kannadasan's philosophical lyricism.

Keep listening

Songs with a similar feeling

Paar Magaley Paar 21963
Paar Magaley PaarNatureContemplative
Ammavil Thodanguthu1974
Orey SaatchiContemplativeInnocence
Kanne Ulagame1978
KannamoochiNatureChildhood
Irukkum Idatthai Vittu1967
ThiruvarutchelvarSpiritualityContemplative
Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum1965
Kuzhandaiyum DeivamumInnocenceSpirituality
Unnai Nenacha Konjam1972
Meendum VazhvenContemplativeTime

From the same album

More songs from Shanthi Nilayam

View album
Iraivan Varuvaan1969
Shanthi NilayamDevotional
Selvangale1969
Shanthi NilayamTender

Spot an issue?

Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.