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Isaimozhi
Pick Pocket album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Kadhal Thirudaa

From Pick Pocket · 1989

Lyricist
Gangai Amaran
Singers
P. Jayachandran, K. S. Chithra
Music director
Ilayaraja
Movie name
Pick Pocket
Movie release year
1989
Lyrics added on
17 Dec 2018

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Kaadhal thirudaa
Periya kaadhal thirudaa
Kaadhal thirudi
Iniya kaadhal thirudi
Kavinjarin paattai thirudi
Maatri puratti pottu paadaadhae
Yaaro ippadi paada chonnadhu
Roattil aattam poda chonnadhu
Kaadhal thirudi
Iniya kaadhal thirudi
Kaadhal thirudaa
Periya kaadhal thirudaa
Palli sellum naalilae
Eeyadichaan copy thaan
Solli thandhum yeralae
Onnum illae melae thaan
Andru vandha un gunam
Indrum maaravillaiyo
Kanni pennai paarthadhum
Nenjil enna thollaiyo
Poottu pottu thaan
Pootti paakkuren
Pongum aasai thaan adangavillaiyae
Kaadhalaagi chaerndha pinbum
Kandukkaama kambi neettum thirudaa
Rambambam bambambam
Kaadhal thirudi
Iniya kaadhal thirudi
Kaadhal thirudaa
Periya kaadhal thirudaa
Kavinjarin paattai thavira
Maatru paattu paada theriyaadhu
Kaadhal vandhaal paada thonudhu
Kaaval thaandi aada thonudhu
Kaadhal thirudaa
Periya kaadhal thirudaa
Kaadhal thirudi
Iniya kaadhal thirudi
Kanni ariyaamalae
Kannamitta kalvanae
Ennai ariyaamalae
Kollaiyittadhennavo
Kaadhal endra ondru thaan
Kettu vaanga koodumo
Kanni illai endru thaan
Indru solla koodumo
Endha jenmamo
Ezhudhi vaithadhu
Indha naalilae ondru aanadhu
Pillai kooda ennai pola
Porukkiyaaga porandhu pochu thirudi
Aiyaiya yaiyaiyo
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaa
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaa
Iruvarum aattai thirudi maattai thirudi
Paattai pudichaachaa
Paadum raagam illaamal
Paappa naan thaan ingae kodhikkum
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaa
Kaadhal thirudi periya kaadhal thirudaa
Oh love thief!
You big love thief!
Oh love thief!
You sweet love thief!
Stealing the poet's song,
Don't twist it all around and sing!
Who told you to sing like this,
And dance in the middle of the street?
Oh love thief!
You sweet love thief!
Oh love thief!
You big love thief!
Back in our school days,
You just blindly copied others!
Even when taught, it never sank in,
There's nothing in your head upstairs!
That old habit from those days,
Has it still not changed today?
The moment you see a young girl,
What is this trouble stirring in your heart?
I try putting a lock on it,
I try so hard to keep it locked,
Yet this overflowing desire refuses to quiet down!
Even after falling in love and coming together,
You slip away without a second glance, you thief!
Ram-bam-bam bam-bam-bam!
Oh love thief!
You sweet love thief!
Oh love thief!
You big love thief!
Except for the poet's song,
I don't know any other song to sing!
When love strikes, I feel like singing,
Crossing past all guards, I feel like dancing!
Oh love thief!
You big love thief!
Oh love thief!
You sweet love thief!
Without this girl ever realizing,
Oh thief who broke into my heart,
Without me even knowing it,
What is it that you have stolen from me?
Is this thing called love
Something you can simply ask for and receive?
That I am no longer untouched,
Can I openly say that today?
In whichever past life
It was written in our destiny,
On this very day, we became one!
Even our child, just like me,
Was born to be a rogue, you thief!
Oh dear, aiyyo!
Sweet love thief, big love thief!
Sweet love thief, big love thief!
Did both of us steal goats and steal cattle,
Just to finally catch this song?
Without a proper tune to sing,
I am the girl boiling over with frustration here!
Sweet love thief, big love thief!
Sweet love thief, big love thief!
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Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This playful duet from the movie Pick Pocket (1989) features two lovers who are pickpockets by profession. They playfully mock each other's cheeky behaviors, past school habits of copying, and tendencies to escape responsibility, while acknowledging their inescapable romantic pull toward one another. Through lighthearted banter about stealing hearts alongside stealing cattle, they celebrate their destined union and shared rogue nature.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

Kannamitta kalvanae / Kollaiyittadhennavo

Compares romantic attraction to burglary and housebreaking ('Kannamitta kalvanae', 'Kollaiyittadhennavo').

Anaphora / Repetition

Kaadhal thirudaa / Periya kaadhal thirudaa

Refrain repetition of 'Kaadhal thirudaa' and 'Kaadhal thirudi' sets a rhythmic, teasing tempo.

Emoni (Second-letter rhyme)

Palli sellum naalilae / Solli thandhum yeralae

Matching second consonants across lines ('Palli' and 'Solli', 'Andru' and 'Indrum').

Did you know?

Trivia

Pick Pocket (1989) stars Sathyaraj and Radha in the lead roles as charming pickpockets. The song features music composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics written by Gangai Amaran, sung playfully by Mano and K. S. Chithra.

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