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Thambi Thanga Kambi album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kadhal Polladhu

From Thambi Thanga Kambi · 1988

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela, K. S. Chitra
Music director
Gangai Amaran
Movie name
Thambi Thanga Kambi
Movie release year
1988
Lyrics added on
6 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Aaa….aa…aa..
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu
Yaarin nenjam yaarukkendru
Yaarthaan sollakkoodum indru
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu
Vaanavil pola vaazhvaagum endru
Nyaanam kondaenammaa….
Neela kann kaattum jaalamgal indru
Neril kanadaenammaa….
Paavaigal padhaigal paavaigal padhaigal
Maarum endru paadiya paadalgal nooru undu
Thendral theeyaanathae…..haah
Thendral theeyaaga nenjam vegum
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu
Yaarin nenjam yaarukkendru
Yaarthaan sollakkoodum indru
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Female :Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu
Aattam naan aada koottangal koodum
Nottam en meedhuthaan
Kadhal noi thantha thunbangal podhum
Aasai pon meedhuthaan
Yaezhaiyaai vaazhalaam yaezhaiyaai vaazhalaam
Kadhal nenjam bhoomiyil anbu pol yaedhu selvam
Anbai vilai pesuven
Anbai vilai pesa ennaal aagum
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Female :Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu
Female :Yaarin nenjam yaarukkendru
Yaarthaan sollakkoodum indru
Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu
Male :Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu….
Ah... ah... ah...
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
A woman will never speak the truth.
Whose heart belongs to whom,
who can truly say today?
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
A woman will never speak the truth.
Thinking life would be colorful like a rainbow,
I thought I had gained great wisdom...
The illusions shown by alluring eyes,
I have seen for myself today...
The ways of women, the paths of women,
there are a hundred songs about how they change.
The gentle breeze has turned into fire... ha!
As the breeze becomes fire, the heart burns.
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
A woman will never speak the truth.
Whose heart belongs to whom,
who can truly say today?
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Female: A woman will never speak the truth.
When I dance, crowds gather around,
every gaze is fixed on me.
Enough of the sorrow that lovesickness brought,
now my only desire is for gold.
One can live as a poor man, one can live in poverty,
with a loving heart on earth, what wealth is greater than love?
I will put a price on love,
I am capable of setting a price on love.
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Female: A woman will never speak the truth.
Female: Whose heart belongs to whom,
who can truly say today?
Love is cruel, it cannot be restrained,
Male: A woman will never speak the truth...
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song expresses deep cynicism and emotional heartbreak regarding love and human nature. The protagonist laments the deceitful nature of love, feeling betrayed after believing that life would be bright and colorful like a rainbow. Instead, affection has burned out, turning what felt like a gentle breeze into a agonizing flame of betrayal.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Iyaibu (End Rhyme)

Kadhal pollaathu kaval kollaathu / Penmai ennaalum unmai sollaathu

Repetition of the rhyming suffix '-aathu' across multiple lines ('pollaathu', 'kollaathu', 'sollaathu').

Metaphor & Contrast

Thendral theeyaanathae…..haah / Thendral theeyaaga nenjam vegum

Contrasting 'thendral' (a soft, cool breeze) turning into 'thee' (fire) to symbolize pleasant love morphing into burning grief.

Simile

Vaanavil pola vaazhvaagum endru

Comparing a hopeful life to a rainbow ('vaanavil pola') to show how fleeting and deceptive expectations were.

Metaphor

Kadhal noi thantha thunbangal podhum

Comparing love to an illness ('Kadhal noi') that inflicts suffering.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kadhal Pollaathu' is a song from the 1988 Tamil film 'Thambi Thanga Kambi', starring Vijayakanth and Ramya Krishnan. The film features music composed by Gangai Amaran with lyrics penned by the veteran lyricist Vaali.

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