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Kaadhal Kondein album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kadhal Mattum Purivathillai

From Kaadhal Kondein · 2003

Lyricist
Pazhani Bharathi
Singer
Vijay Yesudas
Music director
Yuvan Shankar Raja
Movie name
Kaadhal Kondein
Movie release year
2003
Lyrics added on
13 Aug 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaadhal kaadhal
Kaadhalil nenjam
Kannamoochi aaduthada
Thedum kannil padapadavendru
Pattampoochi oduthada
Engaeyo engaeyo
Ivanai ivanae thedugiraan
Thaai mozhi ellaam maranthuvittu
Thanakkul thaanae pesugiraan
Kaadhal mattum purivathallai
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillai
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilai
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillai
……………………………………
Kaadhal kaadhal
Kaadhalil nenjam
Kannamoochi aaduthada
Thedum kannil padapadavendru
Pattampoochi oduthada
Netru varaikkum ingirunden
Indru ennai kaanavillai
Veyil illai mazhai illai
Paarthenae vaanavillai
En nenjodu rasithen
Kollaamal kolgindra azhagai
Uyiril orr vannam kuzhaithu
Varaindhen avalai
Kaadhal mattum purivathallai
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillai
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilai
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillai
Kaadhal kaadhal
Kaadhalil nenjam
Kannamoochi aaduthada
Thedum kannil padapadavendru
Pattampoochi oduthada
Paalaivanathil nadandhirundhen
Nee vandhu kudai virithaai
Endhan peyarae marandhirundhen
Nee indru kural koduthaai
En kannaadi manadhil ippoadhu
En mugham paarthen
Nee vantha pozhuthil
Enthan nenjam poothen
Nadhigal kadalil therivathillai
Natpil kavalai purivathillai
Idhayam rendum sernthirunthaal
Iravum pagalum paarpathillai
Kaadhal kaadhal
Kaadhalil nenjam
Kannamoochi aaduthada
Thedum kannil padapadavendru
Pattampoochi oduthada
Engaeyo engaeyo
Ivanai ivanae thedugiraan
Thaai mozhi ellaam maranthuvittu
Thanakkul thaanae pesugiraan
Kaadhal mattum purivathallai
Kaatra neruppa therivadhillai
Kaadhal thandha moorchai nilai
Naan kangal thirandhum theliyavillai
……………………………………
Love, oh love...
In love, the heart...
...is playing hide-and-seek!
In the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Butterflies are racing past!
Somewhere, oh somewhere,
He searches for himself.
Forgetting even his mother tongue,
He keeps talking to himself.
Love alone cannot be understood.
Is it wind, or is it fire? No one knows.
This trance that love has given me,
Does not clear, even though my eyes are open.
...
Love, oh love...
In love, the heart...
...is playing hide-and-seek!
In the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Butterflies are racing past!
Until yesterday, I was right here.
Today, I cannot find myself.
There was no sun, there was no rain,
Yet I saw a rainbow!
Deep in my heart, I admired
A beauty that slays without taking a life.
Mixing a color from my very soul,
I painted a picture of her.
Love alone cannot be understood.
Is it wind, or is it fire? No one knows.
This trance that love has given me,
Does not clear, even though my eyes are open.
Love, oh love...
In love, the heart...
...is playing hide-and-seek!
In the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Butterflies are racing past!
I was walking through a desert,
And you came and held an umbrella over me.
I had forgotten my very own name,
Until you called out to me today.
Now, in the mirror of my mind,
I finally saw my own face.
The moment you arrived,
My heart burst into bloom.
Rivers cannot be seen once they merge into the sea.
Worries are forgotten in true friendship.
When two hearts unite as one,
They do not notice whether it is day or night.
Love, oh love...
In love, the heart...
...is playing hide-and-seek!
In the searching eyes, fluttering fast,
Butterflies are racing past!
Somewhere, oh somewhere,
He searches for himself.
Forgetting even his mother tongue,
He keeps talking to himself.
Love alone cannot be understood.
Is it wind, or is it fire? No one knows.
This trance that love has given me,
Does not clear, even though my eyes are open.
...
Male
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Male
Chorus
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Male
Chorus

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

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