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Lyrics & meaning

Kadhal Mattum Purivathillai

From Kaadhal Kondein · 2003

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singer
Vijay Yesudas
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Details
Kaadhal Kondein2003

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Kaadhal kaadhalLove, love,
Kaadhalil nenjamIn love, the heart
Kannamoochi aaduthadaIs playing hide-and-seek, my friend.
Thedum kannil padapadavendruIn the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Pattampoochi oduthadaA butterfly flies about, my friend.
Male
Engaeyo engaeyoSomewhere, somewhere,
Ivanai ivanae thedugiraanHe searches for himself.
Thaai mozhi ellaam maranthuvittuForgetting even his native tongue,
Thanakkul thaanae pesugiraanHe talks to himself.
Male
Kaadhal mattum purivathallaiOnly love remains beyond understanding,
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillaiWhether it is wind or fire is unknown.
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilaiThe state of trance given by love,
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillaiEven with my eyes open, I cannot break free from it.
Chorus
……………………………………...
Male
Kaadhal kaadhalLove, love,
Kaadhalil nenjamIn love, the heart
Kannamoochi aaduthadaIs playing hide-and-seek, my friend.
Thedum kannil padapadavendruIn the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Pattampoochi oduthadaA butterfly flies about, my friend.
Male
Netru varaikkum ingirundenUntil yesterday I was right here,
Indru ennai kaanavillaiToday I am lost to myself.
Veyil illai mazhai illaiThere is no sunshine, there is no rain,
Paarthenae vaanavillaiYet I saw a rainbow!
Male
En nenjodu rasithenI admired within my heart
Kollaamal kolgindra azhagaiThe beauty that slays without killing.
Uyiril orr vannam kuzhaithuBlending a color into my soul,
Varaindhen avalaiI painted her picture.
Male
Kaadhal mattum purivathallaiOnly love remains beyond understanding,
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillaiWhether it is wind or fire is unknown.
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilaiThe state of trance given by love,
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillaiEven with my eyes open, I cannot break free from it.
Male
Kaadhal kaadhalLove, love,
Kaadhalil nenjamIn love, the heart
Kannamoochi aaduthadaIs playing hide-and-seek, my friend.
Thedum kannil padapadavendruIn the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Pattampoochi oduthadaA butterfly flies about, my friend.
Male
Paalaivanathil nadandhirundhenI was walking in a desert,
Nee vandhu kudai virithaaiYou arrived and opened an umbrella.
Endhan peyarae marandhirundhenI had forgotten my own name,
Nee indru kural koduthaaiToday you called out to me.
Male
En kannaadi manadhil ippoadhuNow in my mirror-like heart,
En mugham paarthenI saw my own reflection.
Nee vantha pozhuthilWhen you arrived,
Enthan nenjam poothenMy heart blossomed into flower.
Male
Nadhigal kadalil therivathillaiRivers lose their identity in the sea,
Natpil kavalai purivathillaiIn true bond, worry makes no sense.
Idhayam rendum sernthirunthaalWhen two hearts unite,
Iravum pagalum paarpathillaiThey care not for night or day.
Male
Kaadhal kaadhalLove, love,
Kaadhalil nenjamIn love, the heart
Kannamoochi aaduthadaIs playing hide-and-seek, my friend.
Thedum kannil padapadavendruIn the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Pattampoochi oduthadaA butterfly flies about, my friend.
Male
Engaeyo engaeyoSomewhere, somewhere,
Ivanai ivanae thedugiraanHe searches for himself.
Thaai mozhi ellaam maranthuvittuForgetting even his native tongue,
Thanakkul thaanae pesugiraanHe talks to himself.
Male
Kaadhal mattum purivathallaiOnly love remains beyond understanding,
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillaiWhether it is wind or fire is unknown.
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilaiThe state of trance given by love,
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillaiEven with my eyes open, I cannot break free from it.
Chorus
……………………………………...

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This track from the 2003 movie 'Kaadhal Kondein' captures the hypnotic and transformative experience of falling in love. The protagonist experiences a deep psychological shift, losing himself in thoughts of his beloved, forgetting his past isolation, and finding meaning in existence that previously felt like a dry desert. Love is depicted as an enigma—neither fully understood nor easily defined as mild breeze or raging fire. Through poignant imagery of hide-and-seek games, rainbows appearing without rain, and rivers dissolving into the sea, the song beautifully encapsulates both the pure joy and the disorienting, trance-like intensity of romantic obsession.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Onomatopoeia (Ettaikkilavi)

Thedum kannil padapadavendru

The sound-word 'padapadavendru' mimics the rapid fluttering motion of butterfly wings or a racing heartbeat.

Paradox / Imagery

Veyil illai mazhai illai / Paarthenae vaanavillai

Describing the appearance of a rainbow without sun or rain emphasizes the surreal, magical feeling induced by love.

Metaphor (Uvamaani)

En kannaadi manadhil ippoadhu

Comparing the mind to glass/mirror ('kannaadi manadhil') highlights transparency, reflection, and fragility.

Oxymoron / Hyperbole

Kollaamal kolgindra azhagai

The expression 'kollaamal kolgindra azhagai' describes a beauty so powerful it feels lethally mesmerizing.

Did you know?

Trivia

Composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja for Selvaraghavan's breakthrough film 'Kaadhal Kondein', this soundtrack played a foundational role in launching Dhanush to stardom and establishing the director-composer duo as a seminal force in 2000s Tamil cinema music.

Keep listening

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