Kadavule Song Lyrics – Red Sandal Wood
From Red Sandal Wood · 2023
- Lyricist
- Yugabharathi
- Singer
- Vijay Prakash
- Music director
- Sam C. S
- Details
- Red Sandal Wood2023
Lyrics & meaning
| ♫ Tanglish lyrics | ↻ English translation |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Kadavule.. kadavule.. | Oh God.. Oh God.. |
| Unakkume kannillai | Even you do not have eyes to see. |
| Pasiyile madigirom | We are dying in starvation. |
| Vaazhave vazhi illai | There is no way left for us to live. |
| Male | |
| Kai kodukkadha | You are the sinner |
| Or paavi neethane | Who refuses to offer a helping hand. |
| Kaal adhai vaarum | You are the traitor |
| Dhrogi neethane | Who pulls the rug from under our feet. |
| Male | |
| Naadana naadu | In a land that claims to be civilized, |
| Naai pola vazhvu | We lead a life like that of a dog. |
| Yean endru ketka | To question why this happens, |
| Aalillaiye .. | There is no one around.. |
| Male | |
| Vazhvangu vaazha | To live a full and proper life, |
| Ennadha naangal | What fault did we commit? |
| Vaayara vunna | To eat until our stomachs are full, |
| Sorillaiye | There is no rice or food. |
| Male | |
| Or vazhi theriyaamale | Without knowing any path forward, |
| Kaattodu theeyagirom | We turn into a raging fire in the forest. |
| Kaatrile or pidi sambalai | As a handful of ashes in the wind, |
| Naangal palagirom | We become accustomed to living. |
| Male | |
| Kan moodinaalum | Even if we close our eyes, |
| Man moodinaalum | Even if we are covered in earth, |
| Oor povadheno kanaamale | Why does our village disappear without a trace? |
| Mandradum naangal | Though we beg and plead, |
| Thindadinaalum | And struggle endlessly, |
| Maratha vazhvo kannirile | Is our unchanging life doomed to remain in tears? |
| Male | |
| Vedhanai vilagamale | Without the pain ever leaving us, |
| Veenagum ore koottame | We are a community wasting away in vain. |
| Naalellam sudum needhiyal | Driven by a system of justice that burns us daily, |
| Vazhvil porattame | Life remains a constant struggle. |
| Male | |
| Hooo oo hoo ooo | Hooo oo hoo ooo |
கடவுளே கடவுளே
உனக்குமே கண்ணில்லை
பசியிலே மடிகிறோம்
வாழவே வழி இல்லை
Oh God.. Oh God..
Even you do not have eyes to see.
We are dying in starvation.
There is no way left for us to live.
கை கொடுக்காத
ஒர் பாவி நீதானே
கால் அதை வாரும்
துரோகி நீதானே
You are the sinner
Who refuses to offer a helping hand.
You are the traitor
Who pulls the rug from under our feet.
நாடான நாடு
நாய் போல வாழ்வு
ஏன் என்று கேட்க
ஆள் இல்லையே
In a land that claims to be civilized,
We lead a life like that of a dog.
To question why this happens,
There is no one around..
வாழ்வாங்கு வாழ
என்னாத நாங்கள்
வாயார உண்ண
சோறில்லையே
To live a full and proper life,
What fault did we commit?
To eat until our stomachs are full,
There is no rice or food.
ஓர் வழி தெரியாமலே
காட்டோடு தீயாகிறோம்
காற்றிலே ஓர் பிடி சாம்பலாய்
நாங்கள் பாழாகிறோம்
Without knowing any path forward,
We turn into a raging fire in the forest.
As a handful of ashes in the wind,
We become accustomed to living.
கண் மூடினாலும்
மண் மூடினாலும்
ஊரே போவதேனோ
காணாமலே
மன்றாடும் நாங்கள்
திண்டாடினாலும்
மாறாதோ வாழ்வோ
கண்ணீரிலே
Even if we close our eyes,
Even if we are covered in earth,
Why does our village disappear without a trace?
Though we beg and plead,
And struggle endlessly,
Is our unchanging life doomed to remain in tears?
வேதனை விலகாமலே
வீணாகும் ஓர் கூட்டமே
நாளெல்லாம் சுடும் நீதியால்
வாழ்வில் போராட்டமே
Without the pain ever leaving us,
We are a community wasting away in vain.
Driven by a system of justice that burns us daily,
Life remains a constant struggle.
ஹோ ஓ ஓ ஹோ ஓ
Hooo oo hoo ooo
Kadavule.. kadavule..
Oh God.. Oh God..
Unakkume kannillai
Even you do not have eyes to see.
Pasiyile madigirom
We are dying in starvation.
Vaazhave vazhi illai
There is no way left for us to live.
Kai kodukkadha
You are the sinner
Or paavi neethane
Who refuses to offer a helping hand.
Kaal adhai vaarum
You are the traitor
Dhrogi neethane
Who pulls the rug from under our feet.
Naadana naadu
In a land that claims to be civilized,
Naai pola vazhvu
We lead a life like that of a dog.
Yean endru ketka
To question why this happens,
Aalillaiye ..
There is no one around..
Vazhvangu vaazha
To live a full and proper life,
Ennadha naangal
What fault did we commit?
Vaayara vunna
To eat until our stomachs are full,
Sorillaiye
There is no rice or food.
Or vazhi theriyaamale
Without knowing any path forward,
Kaattodu theeyagirom
We turn into a raging fire in the forest.
Kaatrile or pidi sambalai
As a handful of ashes in the wind,
Naangal palagirom
We become accustomed to living.
Kan moodinaalum
Even if we close our eyes,
Man moodinaalum
Even if we are covered in earth,
Oor povadheno kanaamale
Why does our village disappear without a trace?
Mandradum naangal
Though we beg and plead,
Thindadinaalum
And struggle endlessly,
Maratha vazhvo kannirile
Is our unchanging life doomed to remain in tears?
Vedhanai vilagamale
Without the pain ever leaving us,
Veenagum ore koottame
We are a community wasting away in vain.
Naalellam sudum needhiyal
Driven by a system of justice that burns us daily,
Vazhvil porattame
Life remains a constant struggle.
Hooo oo hoo ooo
Hooo oo hoo ooo
Beyond the translation
Song interpretation
This poignant lamentation from the movie 'Red Sandal Wood' captures the desperate plight and suffering of marginalized social groups struggling for basic survival. Expressed as a direct, accusatory prayer to an unfeeling deity, the lyrics convey extreme poverty, hunger, social neglect, and systemic oppression faced by daily workers who feel abandoned by society and law alike. The song uses stark imagery of ashes, wild forest fires, and endless tears to underscore the tragic vulnerability of laborers whose existence is treated as expendable. Despite their constant pleas and hard work, oppressive justice continuously burns them, rendering their existence an enduring battle for basic dignity.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Apostrophe (Direct Address)
“Kadavule.. kadavule.. / Unakkume kannillai”
Addressing an absent or divine entity directly ('Kadavule') with direct accusations of neglect.
Simile (Uvamai)
“Naai pola vazhvu”
Comparing the miserable quality of their existence directly to that of a dog using 'pola'.
Rhyme / Parallelism (Edhugai)
“Kan moodinaalum / Man moodinaalum”
Matching second-letter consonantal rhyme across structural lines (Kan / Man).
Metaphor (Urvagam)
“Kaattodu theeyagirom / Kaatrile or pidi sambalai”
Comparing human life and suffering directly to forest fires and ashes blowing in the wind.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Red Sandal Wood' (2023), directed by Giri Lathan, centers on the real-life struggles and socio-economic plight of young Tamil daily-wage laborers caught in illegal red sandalwood smuggling networks along the Andhra-Tamil Nadu border. Lyricist Yugabharathi and composer Sam C. S. crafted this track as an emotional anthem of resistance and sorrow.
Keep listening
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